I’ve made a lot of gluten-free meatballs over the years, but this beef ball recipe is probably the most classic. Seasoned with a trio of Italian basil, onion and garlic, combined with eggs and oat flour, then tossed with a spicy, dairy-free harissa tomato sauce, they’re my go-to for weeknight dinners.
writing my new recipe Has had a major impact on my creative output, so this fall on the blog, I decided to go back to basics. There are staple recipes I can’t believe I’ve never featured on the site, and gluten free beef meatballs are a big one.
I mean, how to provide a Lamb Meatballs, Lentil Meatballsand Vegan Swedish Meatballs, but no beef? ?
How to Make Classic Beef Balls
Most Italian meatballs use a mix of ground beef, veal, and pork. But if you’re the purest of people like me (thanks to laziness), it’s easy to focus on choosing beef from these three.
Since pork usually adds some extra fat, and parmesan cheese (also omitted from this recipe to make it dairy-free), I try to avoid the leanest ground beef I can find. If you see 87% that’s a good pitch, but you don’t want less fat than that.
Of course, there are other ways to stay hydrated with lean meat.In these Gluten Free Chicken MeatballsI just add a few tablespoons of olive oil directly to the meat mixture before rolling into balls.
I also like to add more herbs (basil, mint, or parsley) and a decent amount of onion or shallots to lighten up the beef balls, and ketchup (instead of ketchup!) is a low-sugar way to add sweetness and richness , can be mixed well with ketchup.
Why Roast Beef Balls
Most classic Italian meatballs are fried, but to save time, my preferred method is to roast the beef balls on a skillet in the oven. Sure, you could have them in a pan on the stovetop in less time, but it’s an active job.
Baking these meatballs in the oven for 20 minutes saves time as you can prepare other dishes (such as sauces or sides) for dinner while they bake.
What Makes These Beef Meatballs Gluten-Free
As I said on the blog earlier, my favorite binder to use in place of the usual gluten crumbs in meatballs is whole gluten free oats.
Oat flour is kinda nice, but if you roughly blend your own gluten-free oats in a food processor, you’ll get a texture that holds the meatballs together but melts like breadcrumbs.
You can of course use regular gluten-free breadcrumbs as a substitute. I prefer to make my own with whole wheat seed bread. Store-bought gluten-free breadcrumbs tend to be too dry – more like flour.
Other gluten-free meatball binder options:
- 1/3 cup quinoa flakes (in the breakfast cereal aisle)
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds for paleo and eggless beef meatballs (omit eggs)
- 1/3 cup almond meal for paleo beef balls
- 1/3 cup grated gluten-free pretzels (pulse in food processor)
Best Sauce for Beef Balls
I included a spicy dairy-free harissa tomato sauce in this gluten-free beef balls recipe, but you can substitute any of your favorite pasta sauces. I love something with a tomato base in this recipe, but pesto would work too.
Harissa is designed to be spicy. If you are heat sensitive, start with 1 tablespoon of harissa and go from there. Each brand will have a different potency.I use Mina Harissa 3 tablespoons is the perfect kick for me. The mild version has hardly any heat but will give you a nice sweet red pepper flavor. So you can always choose that one.
How to Make These Gluten-Free Beef Balls Faster
You can pulse your herbs, onions, and garlic in a small food processor to save chopping time. Just make sure to toss the oats first while the bowl is dry. This further speeds up the preparation time.
How to Make Meatballs Low FODMAP
These meatballs are already gluten- and dairy-free, so they’re easy to adapt to low FODMAPs. Simply omit the garlic and onion to make these low-FODMAP meatballs.
Harissa usually has some garlic in it, so use Low FODMAP Tomato Paste Just add red pepper flakes to taste.
What to Serve with These Gluten Free Baked Meatballs
My favorite way to eat beef meatballs is to toss them with some gluten free pasta. This recipe makes enough sauce to cover 12 ounces of brown rice or quinoa pasta.here is more about How to Cook Gluten-Free Pasta Appropriately.
For a paleo alternative, you can also eat them “naked” with spaghetti squash or a simple green salad like this Kale Salad Recipe!
More Gluten-Free Meatballs Recipes
If you’re looking for other quick weeknight dinners using gluten-free meatballs, two of my favorites may also be low-FODMAP:
Read on for my 25 Minute Gluten Free Beef Meatballs with Spicy Tomato Sauce recipe!
With health and hedonism,
Phoebe
25 Minute Gluten Free Beef Balls
serving size 4
raw material
For the meatballs:
- ½ cup Gluten Free Oatmeal
- 1 large egg beat up
- 2 spoon ketchup
- ¼ cup chopped basil or mint
- 1 garlic cloves crushed or pressed
- 1 green onion or ¼ small onion minced
- 1 teaspoon chili
- 3/4 teaspoon sea ​​salt
- 1 lb Ground beef Preferably 87% lean or less – you want some fat!
Sauce:
- 2 spoon olive oil
- 1 garlic cloves thin slices
- 1-3 spoon harissa sauce
- 2 cup ketchup or marinara sauce
- ¼ cup Shredded basil or mint leaves divided into
instruct
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
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In a small food processor, pulse oats until coarsely ground. Add to a large mixing bowl.
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In the same bowl, add eggs, tomato paste, basil or mint, garlic, shallots, paprika and salt. Mix with a fork until ingredients are evenly distributed.
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Using clean hands, combine ground beef with other ingredients until loosely combined. You don’t want to over break down the meat. Form beef into a dozen 2-inch balls (ice cream scoops are great for portioning) and roll in your hands until smooth and smooth. Place the balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake in the oven until cooked through and starting to brown on the bottom, about 20 minutes.
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While the beef meatballs are baking, make the sauce: In a large saucepan, heat the oil over low heat. Add garlic and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Turn off the heat, carefully add the harissa and cook another minute until you have fragrant chili garlic oil. Stir in tomato or marinara sauce and half the basil or mint. Simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until heat begins to reduce, about 3 minutes.
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Toss roast beef balls with harissa and garnish with remaining herbs. Serve immediately with pasta or serve alone!
If you make this, tag @phoebelapine and #feedmephoebe – I’d love to see it!
