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! ★★★★★”
From Missy: “Holy Meatballs! Thank you for the recipe. I would give it more stars if I could. ★★★★★”
From Claire: “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!!! ★★★★★“
Recipe Overview
⏱️ Time to Taste: About 45 minutes, including 10 minutes for the panade to sit.
🔥 Cooking Method: Broil the meatballs just until browned, then finish cooking them in simmering red sauce.
🥣 Equipment Needed: A #40 (2-tablespoon) cookie scoop, large pot, and baking sheet.
❄️ Make Ahead: Uncooked meatballs can be refrigerated for 1–2 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
🍝 Best For: Gluten-free pasta, meatball subs, or serving as the main dish (with these gluten-free garlic knots on the side!)
In my opinion, every cook should have a great meatball recipe up their sleeve. Meatballs are comforting, hearty, and super versatile. They’re one of my family’s favorite dinner recipes!
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!
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! 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 Italian sausage, 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: Freshly grated parmesan cheese is a must—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 the Panade: Don’t skip this step! It’s what helps these meatballs stay moist rather than dense or dry. It works so much better than just using breadcrumbs.
Make the Meat Mixture: Crumble the meat in layers, alternating between the two kinds, so it’s easier to mix together without overworking the meat!
Combine: As you combine the panade and meat mixture, be careful to not overmix. The less you work the meat, the lighter and more tender the meatballs will be.
Shape: I like to use a #40 scoop to divide the mixture, but you can also portion out 2 tablespoons per meatball. Wet your hands ocassionally to prevent sticking.
Broil the Meatballs: You can pan-fry these meatballs if you prefer, but I like how easy it is to broil them. Just remember you’re only broiling long enough to get a little browning and color (this equals flavor).
Finish in the Sauce: The meatballs finish cooking in the marinara sauce for max flavor. I use a meat thermometer to make sure the centers reach 165°F, but you can also cut one open to check for doneness.
Make-Ahead/Storage/Freezing Instructions
To Make-Ahead: You can refrigerate uncooked meatballs for up to 2 days or freeze them for more long-term meal prep. Make sure to store them in an airtight container.
To Store: Store leftover meatballs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Leftovers work well for sub sandwiches!
To Freeze (uncooked): Place in a single layer on a baking sheet, then freeze for 1-2 hours to set the meatballs. Transfer to an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. To cook, follow steps 6-7 on how to broil and cook in the sauce.
To Freeze (cooked): Cool completely, place in airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat meatballs and sauce on the stovetop until warmed through.
More Gluten-Free Comfort Foods
Gluten-Free Meatballs (BEST EVER!)
Video
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!
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published in January 2024. It was updated with new photos and instructions in August 2026.
I’m getting ready to make your meatballs and can’t wait to try them. My brain is kinda glitching on the parade, a new concept to me. Do you use full slices of bread, not crumbed or torn or anything? Thank you!
Hi Deirdre, good question! You’ll find instructions on the ingredients list of the recipe card: Use gluten-free white bread crust removed and torn into small pieces (I use 4 slices of Canyon Bakehouse Mountain White Bread). Hope you enjoy the meatballs!
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!
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.
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!
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!!
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 🙂