When you’re craving Italian food, try these gluten free meatballs.
They’re tender, flavorful, and super hard to resist when you slather them in marinara and stuff them in a sub with cheese.
The Best Keto Meatballs Without Breadcrumbs
There are a couple of ways to make gluten free meatballs. The first is with gluten free crackers or breadcrumbs, and the second is with almond flour.
I’ve made both and enjoy both.
But I find the added oils from the ground nuts make the meat insanely tender! So that’s my go-to recipe.
These gluten free meatballs are keto-friendly, Whole30-approved, grain-free, dairy-free, sugar-free, and 100% delectable.
And between the chicken stock, ground beef, ground pork, and seasonings, they’re so tasty, you’ll want to make them all the time!
I usually make a double batch, then freeze a bunch for later. That way, I have them on hand whenever the mood strikes.
Serve them with pasta in these gorgeous black and blue pasta bowls, in a sub, or in sticky BBQ sauce. Yum!
Ingredients
I find a blend of beef and pork makes the best meatballs. But if you want them extra lean, try them with beef and turkey.
- Almond Flour - make sure it’s ground quite well so they don’t leave the meatballs grainy
- Chicken Stock - for flavor and to help the mix stick together
- Olive Oil - to cook the onions
- Yellow Onion and Garlic - for flavor
- Ground Beef & Pork - beef gives it the richest flavor while the pork adds a nice salty kick
- Eggs - to bind everything
- Fresh Parsley and Italian Seasoning - for flavor
- Salt and Pepper - to taste
How to Make Gluten Free Meatballs
This recipe is enough for 20-24 meatballs.
- Preheat the oven to 220°C / 425ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Then, place a wire rack on top and lightly spray with cooking spray.
- Mix the almond flour with the chicken stock in a large bowl and set aside.
- Warm a skillet over medium heat and add olive oil and onions. Stir and cook until the onions are soft (8-10 minutes).
- Add the garlic, stir for another minute, and remove from the heat.
- Scrape the onions into the almond flour and mix well.
- Next, add the ground beef and pork, eggs, parsley, salt, pepper, and Italian seasonings.
- Use your hand or a spatula and mix everything until well blended.
- Use a cookie scoop or small ice cream scoop to portion the meatballs (about 3 tablespoons each), and place them on the wire rack with space between each.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, until brown and slightly crispy.
*If you want to freeze the meatballs, scoop them onto a lined baking sheet and place them in the freezer until they’re solid. Then, transfer them into a freezer bag or airtight container and store them for up to three months.
How to Serve Gluten Free Meatballs
This recipe makes the most tender and delicious meatballs. So I recommend making a big batch and keeping them in the freezer for later.
Here are my favorite ways to use them:
- In a meatball sub
- With pasta and red sauce
- Fried in BBQ sauce and served with sweet potato fries
- Glazed in grape jelly
- Served with tender onions, fluffy quinoa, and a dollop of Greek yogurt
Easy Gluten Free Meatballs
Ingredients:
- 85 grams of Almond Flour (3/4 cups)
- 120 grams of Chicken Stock (1/2 cup)
- 1 tablespoon of Olive Oil
- 1 whole Yellow Onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves of Garlic, finely minced
- 455 grams of 85% lean Ground Beef (1 pound)
- 455 grams of 80% lean Ground Pork (1 pound)
- 2 whole Eggs
- 30 grams of Fresh Parsley, finely chopped (1/2 cup)
- 1 tablespoon of dried Italian Seasoning
- 2 teaspoons of Salt
- 1 teaspoon of Black Pepper
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 220°C / 425ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Then, place a wire rack on top and lightly spray with cooking spray.
- Mix the almond flour with the chicken stock in a large bowl and set aside.
- Warm a skillet over medium heat and add olive oil and onions. Stir and cook until the onions are soft (8-10 minutes).
- Add the garlic, stir for another minute, and remove from the heat.
- Scrape the onions into the almond flour and mix well.
- Next, add the ground beef and pork, eggs, parsley, salt, pepper, and Italian seasonings.
- Use your hand or a spatula and mix everything until well blended.
- Use a cookie scoop or small ice cream scoop to portion the meatballs (about 3 tablespoons each), and place them on the wire rack with space between each.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, until brown and slightly crispy.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.