Gluten Free Meatballs
Posted: 05/14/26
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These Gluten Free Meatballs in tomato sauce are the perfect family dinner served over spaghetti or a bowl of buttery polenta. Made with ground beef, Italian pork sausage, gluten-free breadcrumbs and plenty of seasoning they also go well with rice, or stuffed into a DIY meatball sub!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Meatballs and spaghetti is a classic for a reason, and we’ve tested this recipe over and over to make sure you get that classic Italian-American flavor, while still keeping these meatballs totally gluten-free!
- These meatballs use a mixture of ground beef and Italian sausage for the most moist, flavorful meatballs. If you’ve tried a meatball recipe that tastes a little flat, it is probably because it has not used a mix of ground meat!
- By simmering these meatballs straight in the sauce this recipe skips the effort of broiling them, or the extra mess of browning them in an extra skillet first!
Chef’s Tips
- Don’t skip soaking the breadcrumbs! All you have to do is stir them together and they’ll do their thing while you get on with preparing the rest of the recipe – they’re what helps keep the meatballs super moist!
- Only mix the meatball mixture together enough to bring it all together. Over-mixed mixture = tough meatballs! Use wet hands to shape the meatballs, this will stop the meat sticking to your hands, help you get nice round balls, and most importantly will also stop you overworking the mixture, helping keep those meatballs nice and tender.
More Easy Ground Beef Recipes
- Keto Sloppy Joes with Ground Beef
- Grilled Meatloaf Recipe in Foil
- Walking Taco Casserole Recipe with Fritos
- Homemade Gluten Free Chili
- Southwest Ground Beef Bowl with Cottage Cheese Queso
- Big Mac Salad
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Gluten Free Meatballs in Tomato Sauce
These simple, family-style Gluten Free Meatballs are made from a mix of ground beef and Italian sausage, served in tomato sauce they make the perfect Italian-American dinner recipe!
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 yellow onion chopped and divided in half
- 8 garlic cloves minced or pressed – divided
- 6 ounces tomato paste
- 2 28 ounces can crushed San Marzano tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoons black pepper
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1½ pounds ground beef 80–85% lean
- ½ pound Italian pork sausage casings removed
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup gluten-free breadcrumbs
- ⅓ cups whole milk
- ¾ cups grated parmesan cheese GF label
- 1 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce GF — Lea & Perrins is GF
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning GF
- ⅓ cup fresh basil sliced, for serving
Instructions
- Soak the breadcrumbs: In your large mixing bowl, combine the gluten-free breadcrumbs and milk. Stir and let sit for 5 minutes while you prep everything else. This keeps the meatballs incredibly juicy!
- Start the sauce: Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add half the chopped onion and half the minced or pressed garlic cloves – save the rest for the meatballs! Cook for 2–5 minutes until soft.
- Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes until it darkens slightly. Pour in canned tomatoes and add the red pepper flakes, kosher salt, and black pepper. Stir and bring to a simmer. Keep on low while you make the meatballs.
- Mix the meatballs: To the soaked breadcrumbs, add the ground beef, Italian pork sausage (casings removed), eggs, grated parmesan, the remaining chopped onion and crushed or grated garlic cloves, Worcestershire sauce, and the Italian seasoning. Mix with your hands until just combined — stop as soon as everything is incorporated. Overmixing = tough meatballs!
- Skip the broiler — cook in the sauce: Roll the mixture into balls (about ⅓ cup each, yields 14–15). Nestle them directly into the simmering sauce — no broiling, no extra pan, no flipping. The sauce browns and flavors them as they cook!
- Simmer low and slow: Cover with lid slightly ajar. Simmer on low for 90 minutes, gently turning the meatballs once halfway through. They're done when they're firm, cooked through, and the sauce is thick and rich!
- Serve: Taste the sauce and adjust salt. Serve over gluten-free pasta, topped with the sliced basil and a heavy snowfall of extra grated parmesan cheese !
Notes
Use a light touch: Only mix the meatball mixture together enough to bring it all together. Over-mixed mixture = tough meatballs!
Use wet hands to shape the meatballs: This will stop the meat sticking to your hands, help you get nice round balls, and most importantly will also stop you overworking the mixture, helping keep those meatballs nice and tender.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 609kcal | Protein: 29g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Total Carbs: 11g | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Net Carbs: 10g | Vitamin C: 3mg | Cholesterol: 142mg | Sodium: 1118mg | Potassium: 466mg | Calcium: 212mg | Iron: 3mg
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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