Easy Gluten-Free Baked Italian Meatballs Recipe
My kids love meatballs. Anytime we go to an Italian restaurant, I watch them devour their plate of meatballs while I settle for gluten-free pasta and a celiac friendly sauce. For some reason, in my 15 years of being gluten-free, I have never attempted to make homemade meatballs. Maybe it seemed like a daunting task, like who can accomplish the feat of developing a recipe only an Italian grandmother would approve. One day, I felt the urge to attempt this task and got to work. As I studied several meatball recipes online and contemplated how to convert this to an easy recipe that the whole family would love, I was amazed at how easy it actually is to make homemade gluten-free meatballs.
I’ll explain more in the ingredients section, but perhaps the easiest thing I did was to source gluten-free Italian breadcrumbs. This easily cut out 4-5 spice ingredients, cutting my time in the kitchen even further. If you can’t find Italian-flavored breadcrumbs, don’t worry, I’ve provided an option to make regular-flavored breadcrumbs Italian flavored.
This recipe results in pillowy, soft, juicy meatballs. I was shocked how tender and juicy these meatballs were. You can read in the storage section about how you can double or triple this recipe and then freeze the meatballs for the easiest-ever, baked meatball dinner. The meal prep completely pays off when you have a completely delicious dinner ready to go for your family with hardly any time in the kitchen. These are perfect for a cozy night at home with the family, when hosting friends or even when taking a friend in need a meal. These are seriously the best meatballs. Whether or not your friends have celiac disease, they will have no idea you are serving them a gluten-free meatball recipe.
Serving Suggestions
There are countless ways to enjoy these meatballs. Here are a few options for meal inspiration and variety:
- Gluten-Free Pasta – Serve these meatballs with marinara sauce over your favorite gluten-free pasta. My family’s favorite way is to enjoy them over gluten-free spaghetti.
- Zucchini Noodles – For a lower-carb, paleo-friendly option, serve these over zucchini noodles. Sometimes I mix pasta and zoodles for a balanced carb portion. They’re also delicious with steamed broccoli or roasted veggies.
- Meatball Sub – Grab your favorite gluten-free sub sandwich bread and make a meatball sub.
- Choice of Sauce – While marinara or spaghetti sauce is traditional, pesto sauce and alfredo make fabulous alternatives.
- Fresh Herbs – Fresh herbs offer many digestive benefits. Be sure to sprinkle fresh parsley or basil on top.
Stove Top Method
In my opinion, what makes these the best gluten-free meatballs is how easy they are. I simply place the uncooked meatballs on a prepared baking sheet and pop them in the oven. These turn out tender and juicy every time. And the best part is the cleanup couldn’t be easier! So oven-baked is my favorite way to prep these delicious meatballs. However, I know how easy it is to get swept up in the moment while prepping Italian food in the kitchen – I am a food blogger after all. So if you feel like getting chefy and want to first sauté these meatballs over the stove top, here’s how:
- Over medium heat, add olive oil to your favorite Dutch oven, large skillet, or cast-iron skillet. When the oil begins to glisten, your pan is hot and ready for cooking.
- Carefully place each meatball one at a time into the Dutch oven or skillet, being careful not to overcrowd the pan.
- Cook the meatballs on each side for about 1 minute, or until golden brown.
- Transfer to oven and bake until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F, approximately 10-15 minutes.
Homemade Breadcrumbs
Making your own gluten-free breadcrumbs is easy! You can place your favorite gluten-free crackers in a food processor and pulse until they resemble a breadcrumb-like texture. You can also place the crackers in a sealed bag and gently crush with a rolling pin until finely ground. If going this route, be sure to add Italian seasoning as indicated in the ingredients section below to maintain the Italian flavor profile. If making these in advance, be sure to store in a sealed container.
Simple Ingredients
- Breadcrumbs – I used Aleia’s gluten-free Italian breadcrumbs for this recipe. These breadcrumbs are also dairy-free, which is a huge plus if you need to go that route. If you are unable to find Italian-flavored breadcrumbs, you can use regular breadcrumbs. Simply add 2 tablespoons of Italian seasoning to any gluten-free breadcrumbs. See the homemade Italian seasoning option below.
- Salt – I used Himalayan salt, but Celtic or table salt works too.
- Garlic – I prefer fresh garlic for extra flavor, but you can substitute minced garlic from a jar to save time. If you prefer garlic powder, use 1 teaspoon for this recipe.
- Milk – Any kind of milk works for this recipe. You can use regular cow’s milk or your favorite unsweetened dairy-free milk. If going the dairy-free route, it is imperative you choose an unsweetened version to avoid changing the taste of the meatballs. Elmhurst and Malk make my favorite dairy-free milks as they are both free of gums and fillers.
- Parmesan – Omit if dairy-free. Pecorino cheese is an excellent non-cow dairy option as it is made with sheep’s milk.
- Eggs – Be sure to whisk your eggs before adding to the breadcrumb mixture.
- Ground Beef – While the recipe calls for ground beef, you can substitute with just about any ground meat: ground chicken, ground turkey, ground venison, or a mixture of ground beef and ground pork.
- Red Pepper Flakes (optional) – For some added spice, add a pinch of red pepper flakes.
Homemade Italian Seasoning
If you don’t have Italian seasoning on hand, you can easily make your own. Add 2 tablespoons to the breadcrumbs if they don’t already include Italian seasoning. Mix together:
- 2 teaspoons oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
- 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
Preparation Tips
Here are a few of my favorite tips to give these meatballs the best flavor and make kitchen cleanup a cinch!
Prepared Baking Sheet – Before you start making the meatballs and while you have clean hands, prepare your baking sheet. Once your hands are covered in raw ground beef, it’s easier to work through all of the steps rather than stop to wash your hands in the middle to prepare the baking sheet. I use parchment paper, as it contains fewer toxins than aluminum foil, but either works fine.
One Large Mixing Bowl – You will see some recipes that call for you to mix the breadcrumbs and milk in a small mixing bowl, then transfer to a large mixing bowl and add in the meat and eggs. Why dirty an extra dish when you don’t need to! Just use one large mixing bowl for the breadcrumbs, milk, and eggs. Then add in the meat and mix.
Same-Size Meatballs – For the best results and even cooking for each of the meatballs, be sure each of your meatballs is approximately the same size. I aim for two-inch meatballs and use a medium-sized cookie scoop to form the meat mixture into evenly formed meatballs.
Single Layer – To ensure even cooking between meatballs, be sure they are placed in a single layer on the baking sheet with an inch or so between each meatball. This will ensure even cooking throughout and around each meatball.
Storage
Leftover Meatballs – Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Frozen Meatballs – You can easily double or triple this recipe and store meatballs in the freezer for a quick dinner when you are in a hurry. Once you have placed the raw meatballs on a parchment-lined baking sheet, place in the freezer until fully frozen (about 24 hours). Then, transfer the frozen meatballs to a gallon-sized freezer bag. Freezing them as individual balls before storing in a bag prevents meatballs from sticking together. If you’re concerned about this, you can wrap every other meatball in parchment paper to ensure they do not stick together.
Freezer-Safe Container – Use an airtight, freezer-safe container as an alternative to freezer bags.
Easy Gluten-Free Baked Italian Meatballs Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup gluten-free Italian breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- ¾ cup milk
- ½ cup parmesan cheese can omit for dairy-free
- 2 eggs whisked
- 2 pounds ground beef
Optional:
- Fresh parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, mix together gluten-free breadcrumbs, salt, garlic, milk, and eggs.
- Add the ground beef and mix to fully combine, being careful not to overmix to prevent meatballs from becoming tough.
- Using a greased medium cookie scoop (2 inches), measure and roll meatballs, placing them on lined sheet pans once formed.
- Bake for approximately 20-25 minutes in preheated oven. When done, the meatballs should be golden brown and reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer.
- Serve with favorite gluten-free pasta or zoodles and marinara sauce. Optional: Top with fresh parsley and parmesan. Enjoy!
