Gluten Free Meatballs

Tender, soft gluten-free meatballs slowly cooked in sauce make for a flavorful Italian dinner. Even without any gluten ingredients, these still taste authentic and full of flavor. These are also fish, peanut, tree nut and sesame free too.

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WHAT MAKES THESE GLUTEN-FREE MEATBALLS DIFFERENT

On top of using gluten-free bread crumbs (homemade, no need to hunt for some specialty brand), these meatballs require no browning and no time in the oven–which is rare! Most recipes require you to slightly fry them or to brown them in the oven first. Not only does this prolong the time until you can have these tasty meatballs, but it creates more mess and more dishes. 

I found a secret awhile ago, that slowly simmering the meatballs is the best way to go. I find when you fry or brown them, it creates a tougher crust and exterior which can be unpleasant to bite into.

Simmering the meatballs allows for juicy meatballs that have no rough coating. I know some people will worry about the shape, but we let each side simmer for a full 25 minutes, so that way they’ve set enough that they’re still nice and round without falling apart.

Simmering in the sauce also helps flavor the sauce and vice versa. 

Just flip once and voila–meatballs are done.

Some recipes call for making a panade: but letting the meatballs soak/cook for so long in the sauce will do the same thing, so you can skip this step!

I also use a full tablespoon of minced garlic, parmesan, Italian seasoning herbs, a little nutmeg; plus two types of meat: beef and pork for flavor and texture.

Mangia!

WHAT KIND OF GLUTEN FREE BREADCRUMBS DO THESE MEATBALLS NEED?

The great thing about this recipe is that I don’t require store bought breadcrumbs, as those can be few and far in between to find at the store, plus they’re expensive and odds are you already have a loaf sitting in your pantry.

I used Schar Artisan Baker White Bread, but other popular brands are: Franz, Canyon Bakehouse, Little Northern Bakehouse and Udi. As long as you have the right weight of breadcrumbs you’ll be fine. I purposefully don’t mention how many slices as each loaf is slightly different sized so that way it’s uniform no matter the brand.

I also don’t expect you to pre-dry the bread. Go ahead and use bread, fresh out of the package. The soft/newer bread will help absorb the liquids and make a soft meatball.

*If you don’t want to use bread, I have an Italian dairy-free gluten-free meatball recipe that uses gluten-free oats instead. And, if you’re really crazy about meatballs, I also have Teriyaki Meatballsand Asian Quinoa Meatballs.

WHAT EQUIPMENT DO I NEED TO MAKE THESE GLUTEN FREE MEATBALLS?

To make these savory Italian meatballs, you’ll need:

• Digital food scale (see above as to why)
• Large mixing bowl and spoon
• Cookie scoop (for uniform size so they cook evenly)
• Large skillet with lid, or dutch oven (I use either my calphalon as shown in the video/pictures, or my Lodge dutch oven)
• Large pot for boiling pasta
• Colander/strainer for cooking pasta
• Cutting board and chef’s knife
• Food processor (for making breadcrumbs)
• You can use whatever you want to flip the meatballs, but I prefer tongs

DO I NEED TO GRATE THE ONION?

Some recipes will tell you to grate the onion to make it small and fine so that it melts into the meat as it cooks. You can absolutely do this. However, I find my knife skills are well enough that I don’t need to use an extra tool and have this cumbersome thing to wash. If it’s faster for you to use the box grater, go for it!

Personally, I simply dice my onion very fine and I don’t even see any remnant of it in the final product (for those adverse to onions). They give great flavor and moisture to the recipe, so don’t skip using them!

A last option for those who hate cutting onions is to throw it in the food processor after you’ve used it for your bread. Use that to chop it well.

HOW DO I MIX THE MEATBALLS?

I think using your freshly washed hands is the best way to really get in there and squeeze and mash the ingredients together. Don’t overmix it, but that way you can feel that everything has been combined.

DO I HAVE TO USE A COOKIE SCOOP FOR FORMING THE MEATBALLS?

You don’t HAVE to, but I find it really helps portion the meat and ensure that the meatballs are all the same size, so that they cook evenly. Plus, they just look better. And, I have tons of gluten free cookie recipesfor you to use the scoop on well. I’ve had mine for years and adore it.

CAN I MAKE HOMEMADE SAUCE?

You can totally use a homemade sauce if you have one your grandmother handed down to you, or that is a family favorite. I find using a bottled spaghetti sauce/marinara sauce saves time and tastes just as good to me. I use Prego Roasted Garlic & Herband find it’s fantastic and way less work.

WHAT TEMPERATURE SHOULD MY MEATBALLS BE?

I bring my sauce to a low boil, and then turn it down to medium low so that it’s a slow simmer. Cooking your meatballs over medium low heat with a lid on for 50 minutes will more than cook them completely, but if you’d like to test them to be sure, make sure they are at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit with a digital food thermometer.

DO I HAVE TO USE A KITCHEN SCALE AND FOOD PROCESSOR?

Look, I get having to want to use the least amount of tools as possible, but even on the same loaf of gluten free bread, they’re different sizes! Look at the first slice and compare it to the middle slice, they are not the same shape. Then, take that across brands and people could be having wildly different amounts of bread. This is why I listed the weight of the bread, and in order to get the weight, you’ll need a digital kitchen scale. They’re very economical.

You could try tearing or dicing your bread very finely, but I find a food processor is much quicker and gets it very uniform.

WHAT PARMESAN DO I USE?

I buy the 5 oz tub of Kraft Grated Parmesan Cheese, and that will have plenty leftover to sprinkle some of top of the finished product (because who doesn’t want more parmesan?!). I prefer grated cheese because it’s finer, almost like a powder, and will melt and mix into the meatballs easier than shreds or slices. Feel free to use whatever brand you like.

WHAT GLUTEN FREE NOODLES DO YOU USE WITH MEATBALLS?

Meatballs and spaghetti go back like Lady and the Tramp. However, really any pasta shape or size can work. I find gluten-free spaghetti is the easiest to find of long pasta, but angel hair or bucatini would work too.

Or, forget the gluten-free pasta and use veggie noodles for a lower carb option.

Or, have the meatballs over your favorite gluten free sandwich rollsand have it as a meatballs sub! (We like Schar’s Ciabatta rolls or their sandwich rolls.)

As far as brands of gluten-free pasta, I usually stick to Barilla or Jovial.

WHAT INGREDIENTS DO I NEED?

For these gluten-free Italian meatballs, you’ll need:

• Ground beef
• Ground pork
• Egg
• Grated parmesan cheese
• Jarred, minced garlic
• Gluten-free bread (see above for options)
• Yellow onion
• Salt
• Pepper
• Dried Italian Seasoning
• Ground nutmeg
• Milk (1-2% is fine)

You’ll notice I only use a half pound of each protein. I do this because I find this is all I can fit in my large skillet. You can double the recipe, so that you use all the meat at once (since meat is usually sound in 1 pound containers) and freeze the other half to cook later, or use two skillets/Dutch Ovens to make it all at once. I freeze the unused meat and save it for the next time I need to make meatballs. Do whatever works for you.

HOW DO I STORE LEFTOVER MEATBALLS?

These gluten-free meatballs will keep for 2-3 days in an airtight container in your refrigerator. If you’d like, storing the pasta and meatballs separate isn’t a bad idea. Depending on the brand of gluten-free spaghetti that you use, it can be more fragile and turn mushy if it’s in the fridge or reheated too much, so by keeping them separate that can help. 

HOW TO FREEZE GLUTEN-FREE MEATBALLS

Personally, I’ve never frozen meatballs (hello family of six!). Nevertheless, I would venture that these established techniques of freezing meatballs should be just fine:

UNCOOKED MEATBALLS

• Make the dairy-free and gluten-free meatballs as directed. Scoop and then roll into balls. Set the raw meatballs on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat. 
• Place the entire cookie sheet in the freezer and freeze for 2-4 hours, until totally frozen. (Known as flash freezing. By freezing them spaced out like this, it helps them not freeze into one large mass.) Then move the meatballs from the pan to an airtight container and write the date on it. Freeze for up to two months.
• When ready to cook, thaw the meatballs in the fridge overnight.
• The following day add the thawed meatballs to the sauce and simmer as directed, making sure meatballs reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees F with an instant read digital thermometer.

COOKED MEATBALLS

• Cook meatballs in the sauce as directed. Allow sauce and meatballs to come to room temperature.
• Freeze meatballs and sauce in a flat, freezer safe container. Freeze up to two months.
• There is no needed thawing since they were cooked beforehand, so you can simply place on the stove and cook over medium heat until the sauce is simmering and the gluten-free dairy-free meatballs are heated through.

WHAT TO SERVE WITH THESE ITALIAN MEATBALLS

I like to serve them with a little fresh basil on top, and then another green vegetable. I find those pair nicely. Steamed or roasted broccoli or asparagus are my favorite. I have a divine balsamic asparagus recipe. And if you’re up for it, making homemade herbed gluten free breadsticksreally take this meal to a whole other level. Makes you feel like you’re back in Olive Garden!

DO I HAVE OTHER GLUTEN AND DAIRY FREE ITALIAN RECIPES?

Yes, all of the recipes on my site are gluten free! Dig into these other hearty Italian inspired dinners. (And, if you need this in a dairy-free version as well I suggest my Gluten Free Dairy Free Italian Meatballs).

• Tomato Basil Soup
• Minestrone Soup
• Pizza Soup
• Italian Pork Sliders
• Chicken Cacciatore
• Grain Free Socca Pizza
• Spinach and Sausage Pasta
• Lemon Chicken Pasta
• Allergy Friendly Ragu
• Tuscan Chicken
• Chicken  Mushroom Marsala
• Sausage and Peppers Pasta
• Red Pepper Pasta

DO I HAVE A VIDEO SHOWING HOW TO MAKE THIS?

Yes I do! I hope seeing the simple steps it takes to make homemade meatballs will help you enjoy this classic Italian dinner once more, even if you have food allergies, Celiac or gluten intolerance. The video should auto populate. If it doesn’t, it’s embedded in the bottom of the recipe card. If all else fails, you can view it on my YouTube Channel.

DON’T FORGET TO PIN IT, SO YOU DONT’ LOSE IT.WHILE THERE, BE SURE TO CHECK OUT MY OTHER GLUTEN-FREE PINS!