Turkey Meatballs (No Egg, No Breadcrumbs)

These easy turkey meatballs skip the egg AND the breadcrumbs without sacrificing flavor or texture. Gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, and freezer-friendly with just 5 ingredients.

Easy Gluten-Free Egg-Free Turkey Meatballs

One of our all-time favorite meals around here is good old spaghetti and meatballs. It’s always been of my my favorites, and when I met my husband I knew it was true love when I discovered that we shared this affinity for this Italian American classic. These days my daughter is also a huge fan of a giant plate of pasta with meatballs, so needless to say it makes its way to our dinner table often.

The thing is, you actually can make meatballs without breadcrumbs, and cheese, and guess what? They’re still delicious. But here’s the thing: I know some of you also avoid eggs. So I’ve been on a mission to come up with a completely free meatball. Free from all.the.things: dairy-free, cheese-free, egg-free, gluten-free, breadcrumb-free, nut-free.

You name it, and this recipe is free of it. And the good news? They actually taste good. Like, really, really good. Good enough to eat alone or, better yet, smothered in your favorite sauce. You can also make them ahead during meal prep and freeze for a night when things get crazy. Love that! Bake these up in the oven on a sheet pan or use a cast-iron skillet / dutch oven if you want to make them on your stove top. You’ll find directions for both waiting for you in the recipe card below.

And if you need a sauce to go with, my homemade marinara is the perfect gluten-free, dairy-free pairing for these meatballs. Or, if you want to go the soup route, my crockpot mini turkey meatball vegetable soup uses the same allergen-friendly approach in a cozy bowl. Yum!

Testing Tips for Juicy Meatballs Without Egg, Gluten or Dairy

• Grate the Onion, Don’t Chop Don’t skip this step! Grating the onion releases moisture that dissolves into the meat as it cooks, which is what keeps these meatballs juicy without any egg to bind them.
• Don’t Skip the Nutritional Yeast Nutritional yeast adds a savory, cheesy depth that replaces parmesan in traditional meatballs. Without it, the flavor falls flat. Look for it in the baking aisle or natural foods section.
• Don’t Overmix the Meat Stir just until the ingredients are combined. Overmixing develops the protein in the meat and gives you tough, dense meatballs instead of tender ones.
• Use a Scoop for Sticky Mixtures Ground turkey is stickier than beef and won’t roll as cleanly. A tablespoon-sized cookie scoop or ice cream scoop gives you evenly sized meatballs without the mess of hand-rolling.
• Freeze Before Bagging To freeze, place cooked meatballs on a sheet pan in a single layer and freeze until solid, then transfer to a zip-top bag. This keeps them from sticking together so you can grab just what you need for up to 3 months.

4.89 stars (27 ratings)

Turkey Meatballs (No Egg, No Breadcrumbs)

Developed and tested by Robyn Conley Downs

Servings: 5 servings

Prep: 5 minutes mins

Cook: 25 minutes mins

Total: 30 minutes mins

Easy baked turkey meatballs with no egg or breadcrumbs. Gluten-free, dairy-free, and made with 5 simple ingredients for a freezer-friendly dinner.

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Ingredients

• ½ cup grated onion, from about 1 medium yellow onion
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (see note)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoons granulated garlic
• ⅓ cup almond flour or oat flour (see note)
• 2 pounds ground turkey
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 24 ounces marinara sauce

Equipment

• Cast Iron Pan optional
• Stainless Steel Baking Sheets optional

Instructions 

• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• In a large bowl, mix together the grated onion, nutritional yeast, salt, granulated garlic, and flour until well combined. Add the meat, stirring until well combined (clean hands work best), being careful not to overmix.
• Using a heaping tablespoon, roll the mixture into balls. Place each on a rimmed baking baking sheet and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil.

Baked

• Roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes, flipping once, until golden and cooked through.
• Remove from the oven, add to sauce of choice (if using), and serve with marinara sauce if desired.

Stovetop

• Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the olive oil, then cook the meatballs until golden and cooked through, flipping halfway through.
• You may need to work in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan. Pour in the marinara sauce and simmer until cooked through.

Notes

• Breadcrumb Free: To keep this recipe breadcrumb free, I’m using oat flour or almond flour. You can also use regular breadcrumbs or gluten-free breadcrumbs based on dietary needs.
• Nutritional Yeast: Adds a “cheesy” flavor without containing any dairy. Find it on the bulk aisle of your natural foods store, or in the baking section. It adds an essential “cheesy” flavor to the recipe, so I would not recommend skipping it.
• Oat Flour: If using, make sure it’s labeled gluten-free to ensure the recipe is gf.
• Nutrition Information: calculated using almond flour, ground turkey, and marinara sauce.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Italian

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 1 (of 5, about 4 meatballs each), Calories: 322kcal, Carbohydrates: 12g, Protein: 48g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.03g, Cholesterol: 100mg, Sodium: 1204mg, Potassium: 1030mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 635IU, Vitamin C: 11mg, Calcium: 45mg, Iron: 3mg

Nutrition disclaimer

Did you make this recipe?If you do, be sure to share it on Instagram and tag me at @realfoodwholelife so I can see!

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