This post was originally published in January 2024. It was updated with new photos and instructions in October 2024.
In my opinion, every cook should have a great meatball recipe up their sleeve. Meatballs are a comforting, hearty, and satisfying dish everyone loves. They’re also super versatile: serve them with gluten-free pasta, a light salad, or simply on their own.
Use leftover meatballs to make meatballs subs and everyone will be happy!
I’d take these gluten free meatballs over many of the traditional meatballs I’ve tried any day. And don’t even mention frozen meatballs…these are SO much better!
Why These Meatballs Are Amazing
These gluten-free meatballs are special for a few reasons:
Beef and Pork Mixture – A combination of ground beef and ground pork makes an extra-flavorful meatball mixture. Be sure to use freshly ground meat where you can see the individual strands!
Panade – A mixture of bread, eggs, milk, and spices ensures they’re super moist and tender.
Broiling method – Save time with these meatballs by broiling them rather than frying them on the stove top with a large non-stick skillet.
Featured Comment
From Diane: “I love all of your recipes but these meatballs just might be my favorite! And I used your idea to make meatball subs, the kids loved them!”
Table of Contents
- Why These Meatballs Are Amazing
- Ingredients You’ll Need
- How to Make Gluten-Free Meatballs
- Crumble the Meats Together
- Make-Ahead/Storage/Freezing Instructions
- Can these gluten-free meatballs be made dairy-free?
- How do I know when the meatballs are done?
- Can I fry the meatballs instead of broiling?
- What can I serve with the gluten-free meatballs?
- Serving Ideas
- Recipe Tips
- More Gluten-Free Comfort Foods
- Gluten-Free Meatballs (Authentic Italian-Style!) Recipe
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here are a few notes on some of the key ingredients to make these meatballs. Jump to the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
- Ground pork: Ground pork adds so much great flavor to these meatballs. Be sure to use freshly ground meat, where you can see the individual strands from the meat grinder. This will create lighter, more tender meatballs! (You can also use a pound of Italian sausage instead of pork, if you prefer.)
- Ground beef: I like to use 90% lean ground beef for this recipe. Again, for best results be sure to use freshly ground beef.
- Gluten-free bread: Use gluten-free white bread with the crust removed and torn into small pieces. I use four slices of Canyon Bakehouse Mountain White Bread.
- Red sauce: You’re welcome to make your own tomato sauce, or save time and buy your favorite sauce at the grocery store, like I usually do. Rao’s marinara is my absolute favorite!
- Onion: Grated onion adds more flavor and moisture to the panade. Be sure to include the juices that release from the onion as you’re grating it.
- Parmesan: Use freshly grated parmesan cheese for this great recipe—definitely not the powdered kind!
How to Make Gluten-Free Meatballs
Here’s an overview of how to make these meatballs. You can jump to the recipe for the full instructions!
- Make panade. In a small bowl, add the eggs and whisk slightly. Add the rest of the ingredients for the panade. Mix together and ensure the bread is fully coated. Let sit for 10 minutes.
- Mix ground meat. In a large bowl, gently crumble the beef and pork together. I usually crumble it in layers of alternating meat so it’s easier to evenly mix together.
Crumble the Meats Together
Layer the meats together (crumble a little at a time of each) so the meatballs mixture is easy to mix together. This prevents over-mixing and helps create light, tender meatballs!
- Combine panade and meat. Add the bread mixture to the meat. Gently combine with your hands until just mixed.
- Scoop meatballs. Use a 2 tablespoon scoop (#40) to portion the meatballs. Then use wet hands to roll the meat mixture into smooth balls (wetting hands every few meatballs). Place raw meatballs in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
- Broil meatballs. Set the broiler on high. Broil the meatballs until they start to brown. (You just want to add some color/crust here. The homemade gluten free meatballs will cook through in the marinara sauce so they’re nice and tender.)
- Simmer meatballs in sauce. Pour the red sauce into a large pot. Add the browned meatballs and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 10-15 minutes. until the meatballs are cooked through. Enjoy!
Make-Ahead/Storage/Freezing Instructions
To Make-Ahead: You can refrigerate uncooked meatballs up to 1-2 days before cooking. Make sure to store them in an airtight container. If needing to make them further in advance, freeze the uncooked meatballs to preserve freshness.
To Store: Store leftover meatballs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Leftovers work well for a sub sandwich!
To Freeze (uncooked): Form the meatballs, place in single layer on baking sheet, and freeze for 1-2 hours to set the meatballs. Once frozen, transfer to an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. To cook, follow the recipe (steps 6-7) on how to broil and cook the meatballs with the sauce.
To Freeze (cooked): Cool completely, place in airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat meatballs and sauce on stovetop until warmed through.
Can these gluten-free meatballs be made dairy-free?
Yes, you can use any unsweetened dairy-free milk and vegan parmesan to make this recipe dairy-free!
How do I know when the meatballs are done?
The best way to see if they’re done is to use a meat thermometer. The internal temperature should reach 165°F. You can also cut one open to ensure it is no longer pink inside.
Can I fry the meatballs instead of broiling?
Yes, you can definitely pan-fry the meatballs. I like how easy it is to broil them. Either way, remember your just looking to get a little browning and color. The meatballs will cook the rest of the way in the red sauce.
What can I serve with the gluten-free meatballs?
These meatballs go well with gluten-free pasta, zucchini noodles, on gluten-free bread/sub roll, or even by themselves! They also pair well with a side salad.
Serving Ideas
Of course these gluten-free meatballs are delicious over pasta, but they’re also great with gluten-free breadsticks and gluten-free garlic bread. We also like to use them to make meatball subs!
Recipe Tips
- Use a panade. It adds so much more moisture than gluten-free breadcrumbs alone, so don’t skip this step! I use four slices of Canyon Bakehouse Mountain White Bread for the panade.
- Use freshly ground meat, where you can see the individual strands from the meat grinder. This will create lighter, more tender meatballs! (You can also use a pound of Italian sausage instead of pork, if you prefer.)
- Broil the meatballs. You could definitely pan-fry these meatballs if you prefer, but I like how easy it is to broil them. Just remember you’re only broiling them to get a little browning and color (this equals flavor!). You’ll finish cooking the meatballs in the red sauce.
More Gluten-Free Comfort Foods
Gluten-Free Meatballs (Authentic Italian-Style!)
Ingredients
For the Meat:
- 1 pound ground beef 90% lean
- 1 pound ground pork
For the Panade:
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup milk of choice
- 2 cups gluten-free white bread crust removed and torn into small pieces (I use 4 slices of Canyon Bakehouse Mountain White Bread)
- ½ cup grated parmesan
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- ½ cup grated onion + juices
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Other:
- 48-52 oz 2 jars favorite spaghetti sauce, marinara or any other red sauce you like!
Instructions
- Lightly grease a baking sheet. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, add the eggs and milk and whisk until smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients for the panade. Mix together and ensure the bread is fully coated. Let sit for 10 minutes.
- Gently crumble the beef and pork over the panade. I usually crumble it in layers of alternating meat so it’s easier to evenly mix together.
- Using your hands or a rubber spatula, carefully mix the meat mixture to combine. Be careful not to over-mix or smash the meat down too much!
- Use a 2 tablespoon scoop (#40) to portion the meatballs. Then use wet hands to roll the meat mixture into smooth balls (wetting hands every few meatballs) and place on the prepared baking sheet.
- Set the broiler on high. Broil the meatballs until they start to brown, about 5-7 minutes. (You just want to add some color/crust here. The meatballs will cook through in the sauce so they’re nice and tender.)
- Pour the red sauce into a large pot. Add the browned meatballs (I do this with tongs to leave any excess grease or drippings on the baking sheet behind)and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 10-15 minutes. until the meatballs are cooked through. Enjoy!
Hi! I only have ground beef … will this still work OK with two pounds of beef instead of 1 lb. pork/1 lb. beef? Thanks!
Hi Hilary, that should work, it just will have a slightly different flavor profile. It could also be just a tiny bit firmer since the fat in the pork adds a bit more tenderness than the beef. We hope you enjoy the recipe!
Can you bake these instead of cooking in pasta sauce?
Hi Chelsea, we haven’t tried them that way, but it should work! If you decide to give it a try, we’d love to hear how it goes!
What Worcestershire sauce do you use that is gluten free? My usual has soy sauce in it that is not gluten free.
Hi Catherine, thank you for your question! We have an article called “Is Worcestershire sauce gluten-free?” that should help! We hope you enjoy the meatballs!
You can buy GF Worcestershire and GF Soy Sauce 🙂
Would love to know how you recommend freezing. Before baking? Cook from frozen or thaw first? Will the panade work if you use a flax seed egg replacer? Thanks!
Hi Hillary, thank you for your questions! For storage, we typically recommend storing meatballs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days. We haven’t frozen these before, but we would lean toward cooking them before freezing. We haven’t tried egg replacers with the meatballs either. Using flax seed egg replacer will probably impact the texture and how well they hold together as the eggs help bind the ingredients. If you decide to give it a try, we’d love to hear how it goes!
Can you freeze the meatballs after you broil them?
Thanks. Love these meatballs
I started freezing these because there’s just two of us and they freeze great. I take them out of the freezer and let them defrost and then I put them in the sauce and they’re wonderful.
We’re so glad to hear how much you’re loving the recipe and that it freezes well! Thank you for sharing your positive feedback, Lori!
These are just the recipe I was looking for. We have a family member who cannot have gluten and I was so excited to share these with them!
I love all of your recipes but these meatballs just might be my favorite! And I used your idea to make meatball subs, the kids loved them!
This is a new family favorite that’s easy to prepare! The ground beef and pork creates a perfect balance. I love that it is also gluten free.
Panade is a game changer! This meatballs recipe is bursting with flavors, we love them! Highly recommended!
I just love your recipes. You have saved me trying to cook for my celiac son. These meatballs are AMAZING!
The meatballs were delicious, I ended up adding more to my pasta because I ate what I originally gave myself too quickly.
I have been gluten free for 16 years and largely given up on meatballs because the gluten-free ones I make are always tough or uninteresting. Not these! My entire gluten-loving family ate them up all at once. Delicious! Thank you so much!!!
Yay! We’re so happy to hear this recipe was such a hit with the whole family! Thank you for sharing with us, Claire.
How about goat milk?
That will work great!
These gluten-free meatballs were so good I had been craving them for a while, so I was intrigued when I stumbled upon this recipe, and I was not disappointed! Thank you for sharing!!
Used a combination of ground beef and ground pork and they were amazing! Turned out so juicy, I will use this recipe from now on.
To make this recipe dairy free, what kind of milk do you suggest to use? The dairy free parmesan cheese would be easy to substitute but I was just wondering about the cows milk substitution. Thanks! I love all your gluten free and dairy free recipes! My daughter has celiac disease and now has dairy sensitivities so your recipes are a lifesaver!
Great question! Yes you can use any unsweetened milk in place of the dairy milk. I would use oat milk or cashew milk personally! I’m so glad the recipes have been helpful 🙂