The Best Gluten-Free Meatballs {Air Fryer & Oven Option}

There’s nothing quite like a plump, flavorful homemade Italian-style meatball. Most Italian meatball recipes call for breadcrumbs, which unfortunately contain gluten, but I’ve crafted the PERFECT gluten-free version with trial and error.

You’ll combine a combination of beef, pork, and sausage with gluten-free Panko breadcrumbs, parmesan, egg, and Italian herbs and flavors to make the ultimate gluten-free meatballs from scratch. Serve them plain or in homemade sauce over zucchini noodles or gluten-free pasta.

I love making a batch and storing them in the freezer. Having them on hand makes weeknight dinners a breeze. They can be thawed and reheated in whatever sauce you choose, and dinner is on the table in minutes.

• Ground Beef & Ground Pork: I like using two types of ground meat. I used grass-fed ground beef and pork for these meatballs, but feel free to use one or the other. You can also use ground turkey, ground chicken, or ground lamb.
• Italian Sausage: In addition to ground beef and pork, Italian sausage is in the mix. You can use mild or spicy ground Italian sausage. If you have Italian sausage links, remove the ground sausage from the casings.
• Eggs: Eggs help hold the meatballs together and keep them nice and juicy.
• Garlic: Of course, there’s garlic! Feel free to use a liberal amount.
• Parmesan: Freshly grated parmesan adds flavor and keeps the meatballs from falling apart.
• Italian Parsley (dried): The Italian sausage packs in many flavors, so dried parsley is all you’ll need.
• Gluten-free Panko: I’ve found panko-style breadcrumbs are best in gluten-free meatballs. However, you can use regular gluten-free breadcrumbs or almond flour instead.
• EVOO: Extra virgin olive oil helps achieve golden brown crisp surfaces while locking in the juices in the middle.
• Sea Salt & Black Pepper: To bring out the very best of each meaty, savory, garlicky, and cheesy flavor.
• Warm Water: keeps the meatballs from drying out.

How To Make Gluten-Free Meatballs {Oven Method}

Step 1: Prepare for baking. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

Step 2: Make meatballs. In a large mixing bowl, add all ingredients and mix with your hands or a heavy wooden spoon. Roll the mixture into 1-1/2″ balls and place them on a clean plate. Let them chill in the fridge for 10 minutes to help keep their shape while cooking. 

Step 3: Brown meatballs. Heat a large pan and coat with cooking spray. Working in batches, if necessary, add the meatballs to the pan and cook until they are browned and golden on all sides. Place them on your prepared baking sheet, leaving space in between each.

Step 4: Bake meatballs. Transfer the baking sheet to your preheated oven and bake until the meatballs are cooked through (about 15 minutes).

Air Fryer Instructions

Making meatballs from scratch is even easier if you have an air fryer! Check out this simple air fryer adaptation. This is my new favorite way to make this recipe!

Step 1: Prepare for air frying. Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees and spray the bottom of the basket generously with cooking spray.

Step 2: Make meatballs. In a large mixing bowl, add all ingredients and mix with your hands or a heavy wooden spoon. Roll the mixture into 1-1/2″ balls and place them on a clean plate.

Step 3: Air fry meatballs. Carefully place the meatballs in the hot basket in an even single layer, leaving space in between each. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes at 400 degrees or until the surfaces are browned and centers are cooked through (mine were perfect at 8 minutes, but adjust according to your air fryer model recommendations). Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to work in batches.

Recipe Tips

• Get your hands dirty – Don’t be afraid. The best way to mix everything is with your hands.
• Taste test – After mixing the ingredients, cook a spoonful in a hot pan (or in the microwave) and taste it to make sure it’s seasoned properly. Add more garlic, herbs, and seasonings if needed.
• Don’t overmix the meat – Making meatballs from scratch is fool-proof unless you fuss with the meatball mixture too much. Stir until the ingredients are thoroughly combined, and then roll the mixture into balls.
• Chill the meat before rolling – Popping the mixing bowl into the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes will make the mixture easier to roll with your hands or a small cookie scoop.

Variations

With these minor modifications, you can tailor this recipe to fit your dietary lifestyle needs:

• Low carb & keto – Instead of gluten-free panko, use ground pork rinds or your favorite keto bread crumbs.
• Paleo & Whole30 – Since the parmesan and breadcrumbs aren’t compliant, you could try swapping the parmesan cheese for nutritional yeast and using almond flour instead of breadcrumbs.
• Dairy-free – Swap out the parmesan for your favorite plant-based alternative.
• Lightened-up You can use all lean ground beef instead of the mix of beef, sausage, and pork. This will reduce the calories to 230 grams, cut the fat by over half to 10 grams, and bump the protein up to 22 grams per 4 meatball serving.

Serving Gluten-Free Meatballs

The simple savory flavors packed into these meatballs taste amazing in many dishes. Check out the list below for serving ideas:

• Soup – Make paleo meatball soup with gluten-free meatballs.
• Casseroles – This spaghetti squash meatball casserole is fantastic.
• Meatball Sub – Stuff them into your favorite gluten-free hoagie roll with marinara and mozzarella.
• Noodles – Serve over top of gluten-free pasta, spaghetti squash, or zoodles with sauce. My zucchini spaghetti recipe features a tutorial on making the best zucchini noodles.

Storing & Freezing

Storing: Store leftover meatballs in a resealable bag or airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Freezing & reheating cooked meatballs: After cooling, place cooked meatballs in a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months. While you can thaw them overnight in the fridge, it isn’t necessarily. You can thaw and heat your meatballs directly in whatever sauce you’re serving them in.

Freezing & reheating raw meatballs: Another option is freezing raw meatballs. If raw, store the meatballs in an airtight freezer-safe container, separating the layers with parchment paper. Freeze for up to 3 months. Allow them to thaw in the fridge before cooking.

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Easy Homemade Sloppy Joes

Beef & Sausage Stuffed Potatoes

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