5-Ingredient “Free” Meatballs (Gluten-Free + Egg-Free + Dairy-Free)

These easy meatballs are free of all the major allergens and made without egg, without breadcrumbs, and are gluten-free and dairy-free, too! Easy to make with ground turkey or ground beef, they are perfect to batch prep and serve with marinara or on their own.

Egg Free Meatballs But With All the Flavor? Yes, Please!

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.

True, I’ve had to reinvent the recipe over the years, as I realized that I needed to avoid gluten, and then again as my husband learned he does better when avoiding dairy. I remember visiting my mother-in-law in upstate New York and telling her about our dietary restrictions. “How in the world does one make meatballs without breadcrumbs and cheese?” she asked me. “Impossible,” is what she concluded.

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.

Tips for Juicy Meatballs Without Egg, Gluten or Dairy

One quick note on keeping these egg free turkey meatballs super juicy: please don’t skip grating the onion. Grating it (just as you would cheese) allows the onion to release much-needed moisture and allows it to dissolve into the meat. So just don’t skip it, and try not to over-mix the meat mixture, or you’ll end up with tough meatballs. And no one wants that. So here’s to free meatballs. I hope you love ‘em.

• Serve the meatballs atop zoodles or spaghetti with marinara or any sauce you like.
• These meatballs freeze well. Allow to cool, then pop them into a zip-top bag and freeze for up to 3 months.

This Recipe Is…

Dairy FreeGluten FreeNut FreePaleoWhole30

4.96 stars (25 ratings)

5-Ingredient “Free” Meatballs (Gluten-Free + Egg-Free + Dairy-Free)

by Robyn Conley Downs

Servings: 5

Prep: 5 minutes mins

Cook: 25 minutes mins

Total: 30 minutes mins

These easy meatballs are free of all the major allergens and made without egg, without breadcrumbs, and are gluten-free and dairy-free, too! Easy to make with ground turkey or ground beef, they are perfect to batch prep and serve with marinara or on their own.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate this Recipe

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
• 2 pounds ground turkey or ground beef
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 24 oz marinara sauce

Equipment

• Cast Iron Pan
• Stainless Steel Baking Sheets

Instructions 

• Preheat the oven to 400F.
• In a large bowl, mix together the grated onion, nutritional yeast, salt, garlic powder, 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.
• 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 version:

• Follow step 1-2 above. Roll the mixture into balls.
• 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!

Share + Save this Recipe