Baked in the oven or in an air fryer these easy, tender, and juicy gluten-free meatballs will be a hit whether you serve them as an appetizer, over a plate of spaghetti, or in a meatball sub. They take less than 30 minutes from start to finish!
THIS POST IS SPONSORED BY
BOB’S RED MILL
Who’s got a hankering for a tasty meatball?! Or two…or three.
The whole class raises their hand.
It’s always so hard to say no to a juicy, flavorful meatball (unless you’re vegetarian or vegan, sorrrry).
But for all of you carnivores out there, ‘these-a meats-a-ball-a’ are for you (name that movie). And I’m showing you TWO simple ways to cook them; baked in the oven or cooked in an air fryer (I caved and bought one like all the cool kids, it lives up to the hype!).
Jump to:
🍴Better with Bob’s
I couldn’t be more excited to be partnering with Bob’s Red Mill for this recipe.
For those of us living with gluten intolerance and celiac disease, Bob’s Red Mill is a valuable ally. Their dedication and mission toward providing safe, wholesome, gluten-free whole grains combined with their exceptionally vast selection of gluten-free whole grain products is a nutritional lifesaver.
The food we cook, bake, and share with others can make all the difference for those we love. Choosing quality gluten-free ingredients is such a simple act of care, especially for those loved ones who are gluten-free out of necessity. Bob’s Red Mill products make this abundantly easy.
🌟 Why you’ll love this recipe
There are a number of reasons to love these easy gluten-free meatballs but here are just a few:
- They are BAKED! Oven or Air Fryer, you choose!
- Just one bowl is needed.
- They are meal-prep perfect.
- Freezer-friendly.
- Juicy, flavorful, gluten-free.
- SO MANY WAYS TO ENJOY THEM.
🛒 Ingredients & suggestions
- Bob’s Red Mill Quick Cooking Gluten-Free Oats: 100% whole grain, certified organic and handled with care in Bob’s Red Mill’s dedicated gluten-free facility. No breadcrumbs are needed. These nutritious gluten-free oats act as the binder in the meatballs.
- Ground beef: Use an 80/20 lean-to-fat ratio. If you use ground beef that is leaner (contains less fat) the meatballs will most likely turn out tough and dry.
- Milk: Provides moisture. Dairy-free milk can be used as well.
- Worcestershire sauce: Lea & Perrins brand Worcestershire sauce is gluten-free. If using a different brand, be sure to check the listed ingredients as some contain soy sauce, which is not gluten-free.
- Egg: Like the oats, a single egg acts as a binder and is helpful for providing some structure to the meatballs.
- Dried onion flakes: You could use finely diced chopped onion but dried onion provides a tasty flavor boost while also avoiding the potential of having diced raw onion in your meatball that’s not thoroughly cooked. Plus my kids get weird about regular onions in their food sometimes, so there’s that.
For a full list of ingredients and quantities see the recipe card at the end of this post.
🔪 Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Place all of the ingredients, except for the ground beef, in a mixing bowl.
Step 2: Give it a quick stir to combine and allow the oats a few minutes to soak up the moisture.
Step 3: Add the ground beef to the bowl. There are two kinds of people. People who don’t mind sticking their hands in food and getting a little messy and people who cringe at that idea. If you don’t mind getting your hands messy, take off all of your rings, give your hands a good washing, and dive them into the bowl mixing everything together just until combined. If you are a cringer, food-grade disposable gloves are the way to go.
Step 4: Form the mixture into meatballs about the size of a golf ball. If you have a food scale each meatball should weigh 1.5 ounces and you should end up with about 20 meatballs.
Step 5: I’m giving you two options for cooking the meatballs! Both ways are tasty but if you have an air fryer DO try it that way first!
Bake! –> Place the meatballs on a sheet pan in a preheated 400°F oven and bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until browned and cooked through.
Air Fry! –> Preheat the air fryer to 350°F. Cook, turning the meatballs halfway through, for 10 minutes. Depending on how big your air fryer is you may need to cook the meatballs in two batches to avoid overcrowding or stacking them.
What about Step 6 sayeth you? You are so right.
Step 6: Eat those tasty, juicy meatballs like no one is watching. Your face, tastebuds, stomach, everything is happy.
🍽 What to serve with meatballs
If you have an impulse to just stab a meatball with your fork and start chowing down it’s totally acceptable. Anyone got a fork? I’ll join you.
But here are some other ways to enjoy these gluten-free meatballs:
- Over a giant plate of saucy gluten-free spaghetti.
- In a gluten-free hoagie sandwich with melted shredded mozzarella and a few spoonfuls of marinara sauce.
- Serve with roasted garlic mashed cauliflower or dreamy mashed potatoes with butternut squash.
- Save for a quick and tasty lunchtime meal prepped with roasted veggies.
- Add them to a crockpot with some ketchup or bbq sauce (1 ½ cups) and grape jelly (1 cup) for a classic grape jelly meatball appetizer.
👩🍳 Recipe tips!
- Make each meatball approximately the size of a golf ball. I actually use a food scale to weigh each meatball. I know, I know, that might seem a little extra but it ensures consistent cook-time results helping to avoid any possibility of overcooking or undercooking the meatballs because they are all the SAME SIZE. (So if you tell me that your meatballs are over/undercooked, you know what I’m gonna ask right?)
- These meatballs can also be made using a 50/50 mix of ground beef and ground pork. You could even throw a little venison in there for funsies too. If you make a mixed version with pork you should be just fine using leaner ground beef with a 90/10 lean-to-fat ratio.
- Whether you bake or air fry the meatballs ALWAYS preheat the oven or air fryer first before you place them in.
- If you cook the meatballs in the air fryer don’t stack or crowd them. Place the meatballs in one layer in the air fryer with a little bit of space between each meatball. Too many meatballs stacked or crowed together will cause some to turn out undercooked while others may be slightly burned.
💭 Frequently asked questions
Yes! I tested it out and they were crazy tasty! I used ground turkey that was 93/7 lean-to-fat ratio. The turkey mixture will seem really soft compared to the beef meatball mixture but it will be fine. Just be gentle as you form the turkey meatballs. They will maintain their shape as they cook and taste amazing!
Meatballs are done when they register 165°F in the middle on an instant-read thermometer.
Yes! Shape the raw meatballs as instructed, cover them with plastic wrap or place them in a sealed container, and store them in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
Yes! After the meatballs have cooked, place them in a freezer-safe container. When ready to use, allow them to fully defrost in the refrigerator. If serving them with a sauce or gravy, reheat them on the stovetop with the sauce (this will prevent them from drying out) until heated through. If you won’t be serving them with sauce or gravy, place the meatballs in a single layer on a baking sheet, cover with foil (to prevent them from drying out), and reheat in a 300°F oven for about 15 minutes.
Now wipe the drool (people are starting to stare) and go make these easy, flavorful, gluten-free meatballs that everyone will love.
Class dismissed. ♡
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📖 Recipe
Easy Gluten-Free Meatballs
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 20 meatballs 1x
Description
Baked in the oven or in an air fryer these tender and juicy Gluten-Free Meatballs will be a hit whether you serve them as an appetizer, over a plate of spaghetti, or in a meatball sub.
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Quick Cooking Rolled Oats
- ¾ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoons dried onion flakes
- ¾ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ⅓ cup milk
- 1 ½ teaspoons gluten-free Worcestershire sauce
- 1 egg
- 1 pound ground beef (80/20 lean-to-fat ratio)
Instructions
Air Fryer Instructions (Oven instructions below in the Notes)
- Preheat: Preheat the air fryer to 350°F.
- Make the oat panade: Add Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Quick Cooking Rolled Oats, Parmigiano Reggiano, garlic, Italian seasoning, dried onion flakes, salt, red pepper, black pepper, milk, Worcestershire sauce, and egg in a large bowl. Stir until combined and allow it to rest for 5 minutes.
- Add the beef: Add the ground beef to the oat mixture and mix by hand until just combined.
- Form the meatballs: Scoop and form the mixture into 20 (1 ½-oz.) meatballs.
- Air fry: Place half of the meatballs in the air fryer basket. Cook, turning the meatballs halfway through, 10 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer measures the internal temperature of the meatballs to be 165°F. Transfer to a serving plate. Repeat with the remaining meatballs.
- Serve: Enjoy the meatballs over spaghetti, tucked into a hoagie roll with melted mozzarella and marinara sauce, over mashed potatoes, or any other tasty way you can imagine.
Notes
The equipment section above contains affiliate links to products I use or recommend.
Oven instructions: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Place the meatballs on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper or sprayed with cooking spray. Bake the meatballs for 10-12 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer measures the internal temperature of the meatballs to be 165°F.
Prep in advance: Shape the raw meatballs as instructed, cover them with plastic wrap or place them in a sealed container, and store them in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
Freeze for later: After the meatballs have cooked, place them in a freezer-safe container. When ready to use, allow them to fully defrost in the refrigerator. If serving them with a sauce or gravy, reheat them on the stovetop with the sauce (this will prevent them from drying out) until heated through. If you won’t be serving them with sauce or gravy, place the meatballs in a single layer on a baking sheet, cover with foil (to prevent them from drying out), and reheat in a 300°F oven for about 15 minutes.
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Air Fryer
- Cuisine: Italian-American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Thank you to Bob’s Red Mill for sponsoring this post and for making awesome gluten-free products that everyone will love! And thank you to those of you who support the brands that allow Pass Me Some Tasty to keep cooking up the tastiness!
You can follow along with Bob’s Red Mill on Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter at @bobsredmill or on Facebook at @BobsRedMillNaturalFoods.
Disclaimer: All brand recommendations are purely my own opinion. This post may contain affiliate links from which I may receive a small commission (without any additional costs to you). The money earned from these commissions helps me to maintain this website. Thank you for your support!
Joseph says
This is my new favorite pasta recipe… so good! I love how the meatballs turn out in the air fryer, not too dry, not to moist, just perfect.