These hearty and naturally gluten-free meatballs will quickly become a favorite at your house! The combination of beef, pork, mushrooms, and scallions is full of flavor, perfect for dousing in your favorite sauce.
Meatballs are incredibly versatile, served the world over in soups, on pasta, with gravy and mashed potatoes, in sweet and sour sauce, over boiled potatoes, and atop rice. Keep a stash of these on hand in the freezer for quick and easy dinners.
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I love meatballs. There’s something so comforting about serving up a big pot of meatballs doused in flavorful tomato sauce or swimming in savory gravy. It’s such a filling meal without being overly complicated.
You are going to be thrilled to add these gluten-free meatballs to your repertoire.
Why Make This
It’s good to know gluten-free. I have plenty of friends and family who avoid gluten for various reasons, so I wanted something in my arsenal that was full of flavor without having any gluten or other funky gluten-substitutes. These meatballs fit the bill perfectly without your needing to buy special flours or gluten-free ingredients.
They freeze beautifully. This meatball recipe makes a bulk batch so you can easily serve them for dinner tonight and freeze the rest for another night.
Meatballs are super versatile. There are so many sauces, toppings, and sides you can serve alongside meatballs. Having a batch or two on hand gives you loads of options to explore the world of flavors.
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need for these gluten-free meatballs:
mushrooms – Instead of using gf breadcrumbs, coconut flour, or a nut meal, I leaned on mushrooms. Chopped fine, mushrooms add substance without tasting “mushroomy”. My mushroom haters and picky eaters devour these meatballs, so I really wouldn’t worry about folks turning up their noses. Promise.
ground beef and ground pork – I like a combination of beef and pork to make a hearty meatball, but you can substitute ground turkey or chicken if you prefer. (Be sure to check out these 5-ingredient ground beef recipes for more yummy inspiration.)
eggs – Eggs act as the binding agent, holding everything together. Don’t omit them from the recipe.
green onions – I like to use green onions as they add a layer of fresh to these meatballs. You can use regular onion or even shallots if that’s what you have.
salt and pepper – Salt and pepper are must-adds to meatballs. They bring out the flavors in all the other ingredients.
herbes de Provence – I use a homemade Herbes de Provence Blend. You can use a commercial blend or substitute Italian herbs if you like.
Variations
Since meatballs are so versatile, feel free to swap out the salt, pepper, and herbs de Provence for the seasoning of other flavor profiles.
- For Southwest-style meatballs to use in Albondigas and the like, use Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix.
- For a Mediterranean twist, use our Greek Spice Blend.
- Omit the herbs and add a bit of sesame oil for an Asian taste that’s great in Slow Cooked Sweet and Sour Meatballs. (Be sure to use gluten-free soy sauce when you prep it.)
- For Swedish meatballs, add a pinch of allspice and serve with mashed potatoes and gravy.
Step-by-Step Instructions
This is a super simple recipe to pull together.
- Place the mushrooms in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse until finely chopped. You can also chop the mushrooms by hand, but using the food processor ensures a very fine chop.
- In a large mixing bowl combine the mushrooms, beef, pork, eggs, green onions, salt, pepper, and optional seasoning. Mix well to incorporate all the ingredients well. I put plastic bags on my hands to reduce the mess and cross-contamination of raw meat.
- With a quick release scoop, form the meat mixture into golf ball-size portions and place them on a tray lined with heavy-duty aluminum foil and sprayed with cooking spray.
- Bake the meatballs for 20 to 25 minutes at 400 degrees F until cooked through.
If you prefer, you can fry the meatballs in hot oil in a skillet.
Once the meatballs are cooked, they are ready to serve. Or you can freeze them for another time.
Freezing instructions
To freeze: place the cooked meatballs in an airtight container. Label the container with the date and contents and place it in the fridge to chill. This will help the meatballs freeze more quickly and reduce freezer burn.
Use the frozen meatballs within 2 months for best taste and texture.
To serve: heat in your favorite sauce and serve.
FAQs
The beaten eggs help these stay together. It’s a key ingredient you don’t want to omit.
I like to use finely chopped mushrooms in my gluten-free meatballs. I get flavor and fiber without added calories or gluten. You can use gluten-free breadcrumbs or crushed gluten-free crackers or cornflakes. Other bulk-binders for meatballs include cauliflower rice or rolled oats. Some people even use potato flakes. As always, be sure to read the ingredients labels on everything to make sure there is no hidden gluten.
While meatballs are delicious served with pasta and red sauce, one of the great things about them is that they are super versatile. Serve these gluten-free meatballs with mashed potatoes and gravy, reheated on the grill and brushed with BBQ sauce, in a gluten-free meatball sub with marinara and cheese, in a wrap with a yogurt-dill sauce, on rice with a sweet and sour sauce, or simmered Catalan-style and served over boiled potatoes
Recipe Costs
Knowing how much it costs you to prepare a recipe can help you decide if it’s the type of recipe to make regularly or one you might want to save for special occasions. Let’s crunch some numbers and see how this recipe pencils out.
- mushrooms – $2.00
- ground beef – $5.00
- ground pork – $3.00
- eggs – $0.30
- seasonings – $0.20
Shopping at a mid-range grocery store at non-sale prices, you can expect to pay $10.50 per bulk batch of meatballs. This works out to be about $1.05/serving or 25 cents each for high quality gluten-free meatballs. This price is on par with the grocery’s frozen variety.
But, let me tell you a secret. Homemade meatballs are five million times better than the grocery store frozen variety. Those aren’t worth your while. At all. Make your own. Trust me.
And remember, you’ll lower your costs even more when you use the Good Cheap Eats System.
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Gluten-Free Meatballs Recipe
Equipment
- large mixing bowl
- food processor
- cutting board
- chef's knife
- large ice cream scoop
- heavy duty sheet pan
- heavy duty aluminum foil
- cooking tongs
Ingredients
- 8 oz mushrooms wiped clean
- 1 ½ lb ground beef
- 1 lb ground pork
- 2 egg beaten
- 3 green onion (chopped)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ½ teaspoon herbes de Provence or Italian herb blend
- oil for frying the meatballs optional
Instructions
- Place the mushrooms in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse until finely chopped. You can also chop the mushrooms by hand, but this ensures a very fine chop.
- In a large mixing bowl combine the mushrooms, beef, pork, eggs, green onions, salt, pepper, and optional seasoning. Mix well to incorporate all the ingredients well.
- Line a baking sheet with heavy-duty aluminum foil and spray it with non-stick cooking spray. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- With a quick release scoop, form the meat mixture into golf ball-size portions. Place the meatballs on the prepared sheet.
- Bake the meatballs for 20 to 25 minutes or until cooked through.
- Alternatively, you can fry the meatballs in oil. To do this, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in the bottom of a large skillet or 5-qt pot. In batches, fry the meatballs in the hot oil, turning to brown all sides of the meatballs.
- Once the meatballs are cooked, they are ready to serve or package for freezing. To freeze, cool the meatballs completely and place in freezer-safe containers or ziptop freezer bags. Chill thoroughly before storing in the freezer. To serve, reheat completely in a pan on the stovetop, in the slow cooker, on a hot grill, or in the microwave.
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published on March 8, 2016. It has been updated for content and clarity.
Nikki
Love the looks of this recipe and excited to try. I really appreciate that it is gluten-free and think that is so smart to use mushrooms to stretch the meat out a little while also adding great flavor.
Thanks, Jessica!
Melissa
Made these last night for my family of 4. Both my boys (18 yrs & 14 yrs) are picky eaters and tend to not like the same things, so meal planning is difficult and making a good meal is often met with some resistant. I have to say, thank you! These were a hit with both of them!! I followed the recipe exactly. Half of them I baked and the other half I did in the pan. I served them with the option of spaghetti & red sauce. I liked the oven ones better with the sauce and the pan ones plain. ( I also dipped them in your salsa verde sauce from your creamy chicken salsa verde recipe… so YUM!). I was hoping to be able to freeze some from this batch, but there were none left! I guarantee that if I doubled the batch, they would all be eaten & I’d still have no extras, so I’ll have to wait until they’re out & about to make & freeze them. This is the second recipe of yours that I have tired and I am sincerely impressed. Thank you, a thousand times, thank you!
Jessica Fisher
Yay! So glad to hear it! Your salsa verde sauce combo sounds super yum! Will need to try that soon.
Susan
Love meatballs but hate the mess! I put mine in the oven and bake at 400 for about 40 minutes. No frying less calories. Spray sheet pan w non stick cooking spray! Yummy
erica
I’ll have to try the mushrooms but I’ll have to make them in secret cause my kids won’t eat anything mushroom. I usually make about 10# of ground beef at a time and bake them then freeze them for nights we need a quick dinner. I usually can get about 3-4 meals worth (feeding 7-9 teens/ adults).
Jessica Fisher
I’ve done plenty of mushroom smuggling in my time. 😉
Erin
Yum!! These sound absolutely delicious 🙂 Putting them on the menu this week!
Jessica Fisher
Let me know what you think!
Alice E
These look good but nobody has mentioned something that struck me immediately when I read the recipe. These would have a lower carb count than the traditional meatball made with breadcrumbs or oatmeal. That I think would be a real blessing to folks who struggle with diabetes or metabolic syndrome and have to count carbs carefully. Maybe I am more sensitive to the issue since I have two sisters with type 2 diabetes and I occasionally cook for them.
Jessica Fisher
Yes, they should have a lower carb count than regular.
Rach's Recipes
This was so good. I used lots of onions, and added oregano and parsley. Excellent. Thanks for sharing.
Jessica Fisher
So glad you liked it!
Elizabeth
I just made a batch with grated zucchini instead of the mushrooms. Mushrooms would be delicious. I will definitely try that my next round of meatballing!
Jessica Fisher
Interesting! Did the zucchini add much water or was it okay?
Elizabeth
The zucchini does add water when you’re forming the meatballs, making them a little more…squooshy. Wet hands help during this step. The upside of the added moisture is that the extra moisture makes for a meatball that’s nearly impossible to overcook. Alternatively, you can saute the shredded zucchini (carrot and mushroom are also nice) until they dry out a bit–I do this in place of breadcrumbs for meatloaf as the sauteed veggies really boost the flavor.
Jessica Fisher
Good to know. Thanks for the tips!
Kathy
I use oatmeal in my gluten free meatballs and meatloaf.
Jessica Fisher
Yes, I’ve done that, too, with good results. I wanted something that paleo/Whole30 friends could enjoy as well, so these are them.
Christine
Yum! Another way to make GF meatballs is to use potato flakes – I got that tip from America’s Test Kitchen. Bob’s Red Mill makes them and they also sub well for breadcrumbs, since GF bread does not work for making a panade.
Jessica Fisher
Potato flakes are a great idea!
Diana
Funny you should post this today! Last week I tried our regular “porcupine” recipe (meatballs made with meat, rice, onion, water, and spices and cooked in tomato + worcestershire sauce) with mushrooms and it was delicious! I used 1/2 lb of mushrooms in addition to the lb of meat to stretch it a little farther (and did 1.5 times the sauce), and my kids gobbled it up. I have a pampered chef slap chop and it works really well to chop them fine too. I bet green onions are a delicious addition!
Jessica Fisher
Yes, the green onions add some really good flavor, different than regular onions, and no chunky bits for onion haters.