Gluten Free Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

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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!

Prep: 20

Cook: 1 40

Total: 2

Recipe makes approximately 6

Ingredients Needed

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)

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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 !

Recipe 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 Info (Approximate)