These gluten free meatballs are juicy, tender, and packed with authentic Italian flavor. Made with a blend of ground beef and Italian sausage, Parmesan cheese, and classic Italian seasonings, this recipe tastes just like traditional Italian meatballs – no one will ever guess they’re gluten free. They’re easy to make, bake beautifully in the oven, and work in all of your favorite Italian meals, from Sunday sauce to pasta dinners and meatball subs.
If you’re searching for a gluten free meatballs recipe that tastes like the real thing, this is the one to make.
Quick Look at This Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20-25 minutes
- Total Time: About 40 minutes
- Servings: About 20 meatballs
- Method: Oven-baked
- Skill Level: Beginner-friendly
- Flavor & Texture: Juicy, tender, classic Italian flavor with a soft interior and lightly browned exterior
Over a Thousand Meatballs Made!
If there’s one recipe I truly know by heart, it’s meatballs. I’ve been making Italian meatballs my entire life – first standing in the kitchen with my great-grandmother and my mom, rolling them by hand, then making them for Sunday dinners, holidays, and eventually teaching my own daughters how to do the same. At this point, I’ve made well over a thousand meatballs, and I can honestly say this recipe is the one I always come back to.
One of the reasons I love meatballs so much is because they’re actually one of the easiest Italian recipes to make gluten free. You don’t need anything fancy or hard to find. You just need the right balance of meat, seasoning, and moisture. When those pieces come together, you get meatballs that are juicy, tender, and full of authentic Italian flavor – the kind no one ever guesses are gluten free.
What makes these meatballs special is how simple they are. I use a combination of ground beef and Italian sausage, plenty of freshly grated Parmesan cheese, and a seasoning blend I’ve been tweaking and perfecting for decades. There’s also two small ingredients that makes a huge difference in how juicy these meatballs turn out – once you try it, you’ll never make meatballs without it again. See my tips below!
This recipe fits right in with so many of my other Italian favorites. If you love this one, you’ll also want to try my Italian meat sauce with ground beef and Italian sausage, which is basically like an unstuffed meatball in sauce. I also have Italian gluten-free chicken meatballs, and my Italian GF turkey meatballs.
I hope you love this GF Italian Meatball Recipe!
Ingredients
Below you’ll find all of the ingredients for this gluten-free meatball recipe, along with the notes I’ve picked up from making meatballs for decades. The exact measurements for each ingredient are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Ground Beef. You can use either 80/20 or 93/7 ground beef. The higher fat content in 80/20 adds more flavor and helps keep the meatballs juicy, but leaner ground beef also works well if you prefer to reduce fat.
- Italian Sausage. Adding Italian sausage gives these meatballs that authentic Italian flavor. You can use ground Italian sausage or remove the casing from 3–4 sausage links. Mild sausage keeps the flavor classic, while hot Italian sausage adds heat.
- Gluten-Free Breadcrumbs. Breadcrumbs act as the binder in this recipe. I prefer unseasoned gluten-free breadcrumbs so I can control the seasoning myself. Schar GF Breadcrumbs and 4C gluten-free breadcrumbs both work well. Gluten-free breadcrumbs will feel thick and sticky once wet — that’s completely normal.
- Heavy Cream. This is the secret ingredient that keeps these meatballs juicy and tender. Cream adds moisture and fat, preventing dry or tough meatballs. Half-and-half or milk can be used if needed.
- Grated Parmesan Cheese. Freshly grated Parmesan adds the best flavor and helps avoid hidden gluten found in some pre-grated cheeses.
- Egg. The egg helps bind everything together and gives the meatballs structure.
- Worcestershire Sauce. This is my second secret ingredient that adds depth and richness to the meatballs. I use Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce, which is labeled gluten free. You can also swap in gluten-free soy sauce or Tamari sauce one-to-one. I’ve used all three when making these GF meatballs and they’re all delicious.
- Seasoning Blend. I use a blend of onion powder, garlic powder, dried oregano, dried basil, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes.
How to Make Gluten-Free Meatballs
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Step 2: Add the ground beef, Italian sausage, gluten-free breadcrumbs, egg, heavy cream, Worcestershire sauce, Parmesan cheese, and seasonings to a large bowl.
Step 3: Mix gently until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
Step 4: Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil or parchment paper and lightly spray with cooking spray to prevent sticking.
Step 5: Use a medium cookie scoop to portion out the meat mixture, then roll each portion into a ball and place it on the baking sheet. You should end up with about 20 meatballs.
Step 6: Bake the meatballs for 15–20 minutes, or until they reach an internal temperature of 165°F.
Helpful Tips, Substitutions & Variations
- To lower the saturated fat and calories, swap the ground beef for ground turkey and use poultry sausage instead of pork Italian sausage. This is how I make my Italian Gluten free turkey meatballs.
- For a mild meatball, use mild Italian sausage and leave out the crushed red pepper flakes. For a spicier version, use hot Italian sausage and add an extra pinch of crushed red pepper.
- This recipe uses about ½ pound of Italian sausage, which usually works out to 2–4 sausage links, depending on their size. Don’t stress about being exact here. You can easily use a little more or a little less without hurting the recipe at all. Using more sausage will give the meatballs a stronger Italian sausage flavor, while using less will let the beef shine a bit more. After years of testing, I’ve found that about half a pound is the sweet spot – it adds just the right amount of classic Italian flavor without overpowering the meatballs.
- If you don’t have gluten-free breadcrumbs on hand, there are several easy substitutes that work just as well. You can swap in crushed gluten-free crackers, quick-cooking gluten-free oats, almond flour, gluten-free all-purpose flour, or even gluten-free bread. Soaked them in cream and continue with the recipe. Use any of these one-to-one in place of the breadcrumbs. I’ve testing all of these swaps and each one woks great.
- If you make meatballs often, I also highly recommend keeping a cookie scoop just for meatballs. You don’t need anything fancy – a medium scoop works perfectly – but having one designated for raw meat makes portioning faster, keeps the meatballs evenly sized, and just feels cleaner. I’ve been using the same meatball scoop for years, and it makes the whole process easier every single time.
- I always recommend baking meatballs before adding them to sauce. Baking helps them firm up and prevents them from falling apart.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve these gluten-free meatballs smothered in homemade marinara or Sunday sauce over pasta with a side of gluten-free garlic bread.
- Cut them up and stir them into a gluten-free baked ziti.
- Serve them on gluten-free garlic bread for the best Italian meatball subs.
Storage & Freezer Tips
These gluten-free meatballs are perfect for making ahead of time.
- For the week, bake the meatballs, let them cool, and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes or warm directly in sauce.
- To freeze, bake the meatballs and let them cool completely. Place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze for 1–2 hours, then transfer to a freezer bag and store for up to 3 months.
Other Classic Gluten Free Italian Recipes
Gluten Free Meatballs (Authentic Italian Recipe)
Equipment
- large bowl
- medium cookie scoop
- large rimmed baking sheet
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef 80/20 or 93/7
- .5 lb italian sausage ground or links with casing removed.
- 1/2 cup gluten-free unseasoned breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup heavy cream can substitute half and half or milk
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Add the ground beef, sausage, gluten-free breadcrumbs, egg, heavy cream, Worcestershire sauce, parmesan cheese, and seasonings in a large bowl.
- Mix until all ingredients are combined.
- Place foil or parchment paper on a large rimmed baking sheet. I like to always give it a quick spray with cooking spray to assure the meatballs won't stick. If you don't have foil or parchment paper, you can use a prepared baking sheet.
- Use a medium scoop to portion out the meatball mixture.
- Roll each portion into a ball and place it on the cookie sheet. Continue with the remaining meatball mixture. You'll end up with 20 meatballs.
- Bake the meatballs for 20-25 minutes or until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
Notes
- Bake the meatballs, cool, then store in an airtight container or storage bags and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- Reheat the meatballs in a 350 oven for 10 minutes or until hot.
- Reheat the meatballs in spaghetti sauce if you enjoy it with spaghetti or on gluten-free meatball subs.
- If you cook the meatballs in sauce, store the meatballs and sauce in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Bake the meatballs, cool, and then place them into a freezer bag and lay flat in the freezer until the meatballs are frozen. Place the bag wherever in the freezer.
- Assemble the meatballs on a baking sheet. Place the baking sheet into the freezer for 1-2 hours or until the meatballs are frozen. Place the meatballs into a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
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Have you tried this Gluten-free Meatballs Recipe? If so, I’d love for you to rate this recipe and leave a comment below. We all learn from each other’s experiences.
These are so juicy and delicious! Best meatballs I even made.
I love hearing that!
So delicious! perfect amount of spice. thank you, thank you!
This made my morning see this comment! I’m so happy you love my meatball recipe! Enjoy the holidays.
I added 4 large mushrooms, chopped finely, to this wonderful recipe and enjoyed as meatball subs on gluten free baguette, slathered in mozzarella. We overate to say the least, fat and happy!
This literally made my morning!!! I love the idea of adding in chopped mushrooms and I’m so glad they worked out in this way. Fat and happy is my favorite place to be!!!
So perfect! Followed the recipe, but made them smaller and cooked in oven for 25 minutes, then simmered on stove with marinara. 10 out of 10! Thank you for the recipe!!
You are so welcome. Thanks for finding my recipe and making it! And then coming back to make a comment and leave a rating on my meatballs. It means the world to me. I’m so happy you loved them. They are definitely a favorite here.
These are amazing!
I’ve tried a lot of gluten free meatball recipes over the years, and these are hands down the best gluten free meatballs I’ve made. They’re so juicy and flavorful, no one could even tell they were gluten-free (especially my picky 13 year old!). I served them with marinara and gluten-free pasta, and my whole family absolutely LOVED them. Thank you!
These meatballs are exceptional. You would never even know they are gluten free. The recipe is easy to follow. Yum