These Gluten-Free Meatballs are juicy and flavorful. Make them for an easy weeknight meal. Serve plain or with your choice of cooked pasta or spaghetti squash plus marinara sauce. This allergy-friendly recipe is also made dairy-free.

A bowl of spaghetti squash with gluten-free meatballs and marinara.

Gluten-free meatballs are the perfect recipe to have in your back pocket. They're easy to make, versatile, and even picky eaters love them. Throw them into any side dish to transform it into a filling meal and dinner is done!

Why You Need This Recipe

  • If you're a fan of meal planning (or even if you're not) this is the perfect recipe to double or triple since ground beef is usually cheaper in bulk. Freeze all the leftovers and in a pinch throw on cooked spaghetti squash with your favorite jarred marinara sauce for the easiest weeknight meal ever.
  • They're gluten-free and dairy-free! Gluten-free comfort foods are surprisingly simple to make including these homemade meatballs.
  • They're baked which means less mess and you can cook them all at one time. Baked meatballs are just as juicy and flavorful as pan-frying them. This is my favorite way of making this gluten-free meatball recipe.

Key Ingredients

Ingredients for gluten-free meatballs

Lean ground beef packs this recipe full of protein with less saturated fat and still produces a flavorful and juicy meatball. If you'd rather use ground pork, don't miss my recipe for Paleo Pork Meatballs.

Egg binds the ground beef and breadcrumbs together.

Gluten-free breadcrumbs keep the meatball moist by trapping all the juices in the meatball as it cooks. You can also use almond flour to make these low carb, if you prefer.

Italian Seasonings and Italian herbs like oregano and garlic powder give the ground beef extra flavor.

Recipe Steps

How to make baked gluten-free meatballs

Step One

Preheat the oven and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.

Step Two

In a large bowl combine all the ingredients and stir together.

As always, please do see the recipe card at the end of this post for the exact ingredients and measurements.

Step Three

Use your hands to form the meatballs and lay them on the sheet pan. You should have between 18 and 22 meatballs.

Step Four

Bake the meatballs in your preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes or until an instant read thermometer inserted into the meatball reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step Five

Remove meatballs from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes before serving. I recommend tossing them with tomato sauce (or your favorite sauce) and topping with some fresh parsley or basil.

I hope your family agrees that these are the best meatballs they've ever had, gluten free or not. This is one of our favorite recipes!

meatballs served in a bowl with spaghetti squash and marinara

Recipe Tips & Substitutions

  • Gluten-free meatballs can be served with cooked gluten-free pasta and marinara sauce or however you like to enjoy your meatballs. They go great with spaghetti squash for a lower-carb option.
  • You can make a double batch or a triple batch.
  • Feel free to use ground turkey or ground pork instead of beef. See my recipe for Ground Pork Meatballs.
  • If you want to freeze any leftover cooked meatballs, let them cool completely and then place them in a zip-top bag. Freeze for up to 2 months. Defrost in the refrigerator and re-heat before serving.

Recipe FAQs

Are store-bought meatballs gluten-free?

Most store-bought meatballs are not gluten-free as they likely include regular breadcrumbs made from wheat flour.

What can you serve gluten-free meatballs with?

You can always go for the classic and serve it with gluten-free spaghetti but don't be afraid to get creative either. Meatballs taste delicious with rice, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, on a sandwich (meatball subs) or with grilled vegetables.

Can you pan-fry the meatballs?

Yes, you will need to heat a large skill over medium heat. Add some olive oil and cook them in a single layer for about 15 minutes or until they are cooked through. Lay them on a paper towel to soak up any excess grease before serving.

Can you use a crock pot or slow-cooker?

Yes, but I think cooking them in a conventional oven is the best way so they don't get dried out. If you do want to use a crockpot, place the meatballs with about 4 cups of marinara sauce together and cook for 3-4 hours on low heat.

Spaghetti squash with marinara and meatballs

Other Gluten-Free Recipes You Might Like

  • Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs
  • Instant Pot Sweet Potato & Ground Beef Chili
  • Gluten-Free Meatloaf Without Breadcrumbs
  • Easy Taco Meatloaf

I hope you make this recipe! If you do, please leave a comment and a starred review below.

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Print

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Description

These Gluten-Free Meatballs are juicy and flavorful. Make them for an easy weeknight meal. Serve plain or with your choice of cooked pasta or spaghetti squash plus marinara sauce. This allergy-friendly recipe is also made dairy-free.

  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • ½ cup gluten-free breadcrumbs
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano or Italian seasoning
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  1. Preheat your oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil and set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the beef, egg, breadcrumbs, oregano, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Use a spatula or your hands to stir together.
  3. Then, use your hands to form the meatballs, laying them on the baking sheet.
  4. You should have enough of the mixture to make about 18-22 meatballs.
  5. Bake the meatballs for about 18-20 minutes or until an instant read thermometer inserted into the center of a meatball reads 160°F.
  6. Remove them from the oven and let them cool for about 5 minutes before serving.
  7. Store any leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat before serving.

Notes

  1. Gluten-free meatballs can be served with cooked gluten-free pasta and marinara sauce or however you like to enjoy your meatballs. They go great with spaghetti squash for a lower-carb option.
  2. You can double or triple this recipe.
  3. If you want to freeze any leftover cooked meatballs, let them cool completely and then place them in a zip-top bag. Freeze for up to 2 months. Defrost in the refrigerator and re-heat before serving.
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Category: Main dish
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: Italian

Keywords: gluten-free beef meatballs, grass-fed beef meatballs

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