When you’re on a gluten free diet, it can feel restricting at times. Wheat (gluten) is a popular ingredient found in what seems like almost everything — baked goods like bread, crackers, cookies, and even pasta, soup, sauces, and beer. Additionally, just because an item is labeled as wheat free doesn’t always guarantee that it will also be gluten free.
But don’t fret. If you are newly gluten-free that doesn’t mean you’ll have to forgo some of your favorite dishes. There are plenty of ways you can go about making your favorite dishes gluten-free at home. Today, I am going to share an easy gluten-free meatball recipe that you will love if you give it a try.
Gluten Free Meatballs
To be gluten-free means to avoid gluten, which is the protein found in wheat, rye, and barley. Some people are gluten-free due to health related dietary restrictions such as food allergies or celiac disease. Others may choose to go gluten-free for reasons not related to health conditions, but may just to feel better or more energized.
Understanding the reasons for wanting to make gluten-free meatballs can be important in helping you select the perfect substitutes that could work for you. We’ll get to discussing the various gluten free alternatives you can use later in this post.
Are Meatballs Gluten Free
Traditionally, meatballs are made using wheat flour or breadcrumbs which makes them not gluten-free. In order to make a gluten-free meatball, it’s not just a matter of leaving the breadcrumbs out. You’ll want to find some nice gluten free substitutes for breadcrumbs that won’t take away from the texture, flavor profile, or integrity of a meatball. While unique, gluten free meatballs are perfectly easy to make at home and can still be just as tasty and enjoyable as store bought meatballs or those you’ve had at restaurants.
So to answer the question – are meatballs gluten free? The answer is no. However, today you will learn how to make your meatball gluten free.
How To Make Meatballs Gluten Free
Gather ingredients
In order to make a meatball gluten free, you’ll have to first understand what goes into making a basic meatball recipe. To make a meatball, you’ll need: lean ground beef (or a mix of beef and pork or another ground meat alternative preferably with fatty contents or oil), breadcrumbs, an egg, milk, grated parmesan cheese, and preferred seasonings like salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic.
Choose a starch
Since we’re wanting to go gluten free, we’ll need to swap out the typical breadcrumbs for a different type of starch. Some options you might want to use are gluten free breadcrumbs, cornstarch or tapioca starch —both of which work excellently as a natural substitute for breadcrumbs. Other alternatives are potato flakes, almond flour, or ground flaxseed. You should typically be able to find gluten free bread crumbs available at most of the major grocery stores.
Look in your pantry
Don’t have any of the starches listed above on hand? No worries. We can try using something from your pantry. For example, crushed tortilla chips are typically gluten free since they’re made from 100% ground corn. You may also try quinoa, gluten free pasta, or oatmeal as well as other breadcrumb alternatives. Just throw them in a blender or food processor so they are finely grinded up and use them in your meatball recipe. With oatmeal however, triple check that it’s truly gluten free. In many cases, there is potential for cross contamination with wheat so oatmeal may only work for those who have a gluten sensitivity versus those who are fully allergic to gluten.
Veg it up
Looking for low carb or healthier alternatives? Try grating up cauliflower in a food processor or use cauliflower rice. You may also try shredded zucchini, which has almost no calories and is perfect for baked meatballs due to their high moisture content.
Measure out each ingredient
Like with anything, especially with cooking, measurements matter! Be mindful not to overdo it when it comes to using certain ingredients or else you could throw off the texture of your meatball and have it end up coming out gummy or dry. Look up every breadcrumb substitute you plan to use and follow the directions closely for how much should be added. For example, for cornstarch or tapioca starch, you will do ⅓ cup to help your meatballs hold shape. For almond flour, it’s 1 ½ cups of almond flour for every one cup of breadcrumbs.
Mix ingredients
In a favorite sauce, use the ground meat as the foundation for your dish. Add in breadcrumbs or your starch little by little until it’s evenly folded into the mixture. If you need extra binding, add an egg or egg white. Use milk and grated parmesan cheese to add moisture and tenderness to your meatball. Season to taste. Need to make dairy free meatballs? Use water or your preferred plant based milk and cheese alternatives.
Shape your meatballs
Scoop and form your meatball mixture into little balls to create the meatball shape.
Pan sear
You may cook gluten free on a pan or bake them in the oven. Spread your meatballs in a single layer on a pan in olive oil. Cover in spaghetti sauce (or your favorite sauce) and let it cook. They’re fully cooked when the internal temperature reaches 160F.
Store in freezer
You can store homemade gluten free meatballs in the freezer. Frozen meatballs last anywhere from 2-4 months whether they’re cooked or uncooked. To do this, you’ll want to flash freeze them on baking sheets lined with parchment paper, then transfer them to a freezer bag or container. If freezing cooked meatballs, ensure they are fully cooked before freezing. Then label with the expiration date.
How To Make Gluten Free Meatballs
Zak’s Meatball
384 Calories
Ready to put it all together? Try this easy gluten free meatball recipe. I love how simple this dish is to make, how flavorful, and surprisingly it’s also lower calorie. See how we create a dish out of these gluten free meatballs and sauce.
Ingredients
- 4 oz Ground pork, 80% lean, raw – 290 calories
- 1 Tbsp Cheese, Parmesan, grated (Tbsp) – 17 calories
- ¼ tsp Salt – 0 calories
- ¼ tsp Pepper, ground – 0 calories
- ¼ tsp Basil, dried – 0 calories
- ¼ tsp Oregano – 0 calories
- 1 cup Tomatoes, canned, crushed – 50 calories
- ½ Onion, yellow, large – 28 calories
- 1 tsp Garlic, minced (tsp) – 0 calories
Instructions
This recipe works best when making 2-3 servings at a time.
Step 1
Dice onion.
Step 2
Mix pork, salt, pepper, basil, oregano, and parmesan cheese in a large bowl.
Step 3
Form balls with your hands, run your hands under cold water between forming each ball to make the process easier.
Step 4
Spray a pan with an oil spray & brown balls on all sides (for ~1 minute on each, 4 sides), or bake them in the toaster oven for 4-5 minutes.
Step 5
While balls are cooking, spray a pot with an oil spray. Cook diced onions for ~4 minutes.
Step 6
Add in tomatoes.
Step 7
Add in balls to pot with tomatoes, simmer for as long as possible!
Step 8
No ground pork? Use ground turkey or lean ground beef.
Interested in even more wheat free meals? Try these gluten free breakfast ideas!
