Also, since we’re on the topic of meatballs, aren’t these the absolute cutest cupcakes?
Before you jump in, BIG tip: if you’ve got a house full of hungry folks to feed, this is the type of recipe where you can easily scale up to make double or triple batches. Batch cooking and freezing allows you to create your own “fast food” and have future easy lunches and dinners ready to roll.
Tools You’ll Need to Make the Meatball Mixture
- Large Bowl
- Large Fork
- Cutting Board
- Knife
- Measuring Spoons
Ingredients for Your Homemade Meatballs
- 155g Organic Yellow Bell Pepper, small dice
- 450g Organic Ground Chicken, lean (7% fat)
- -if your meat is lean, add 3 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 50mL Organic Maple Syrup (almost 2 ounces)
- 1.5 tsp Sea Salt
- 1 tsp Organic Dried Basil
- 16.5mL Organic Maple Extract (optional, see directions)
Switch it Up!
What I love about these juicy meatballs is that they’re a great ratio for more creations. Here are some excellent ways you can change this recipe up:
- Reduce the maple syrup to 25mL, omit the basil and maple extract. Use 2 Tablespoons of Italian seasoning instead.
- Omit the maple extract and basil, and use 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper and 1 – 2 teaspoons of turmeric instead.
- Cut the maple syrup in half, omit the basil and maple extract. Add 1 – 2 Tablespoons of sumac and 1 – 2 Tablespoons of lemon juice.
- Omit the maple extract and basil. Add 2 Tablespoons of harissa seasoning.
- Omit the basil. Add 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger, 2 – 3 teaspoons of onion powder, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, and 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red peppers. The amounts are only suggestions, use seasonings that work for you.
Serving Ideas
Every family has their fave side dishes and carbohydrates. Here are a things you can pair these meatballs with to make some interesting meals I think you’ll enjoy.
- Gluten-Free Spaghetti Squash Pasta and Meatballs: serve on top of spaghetti squash and top with a creamy sauce.
- Gluten-Free Pasta and Meatballs: serve on top of your fave GF pasta and top with a sweet and smoky BBQ sauce.
- Serve on top of sautéed zucchini noodles and top with a marinara sauce you enjoy.
- Serve with a side of sweet potato fries or tots, along with your favorite sauce for dipping.
- Savory Oats: Hear me out. Savory oatmeal seasoned with smoked salt and fresh herbs and spices such as parsley and thyme, and top with quartered meatballs. If you enjoy savory dishes like this, you won’t be disappointed.
- Serve with a side of potato salad or smashed chickpeas salad.
- Make seasoned rice pilaf with onions and serve on the side.
- Serve with a side of mashed potatoes or mashed sweet potatoes + an oven roasted veg.
More Gluten & Dairy-Free Meatballs to Enjoy
Hare are some delicious recipes to not only GF meatballs, but meatballs that are very allergy friendly. Many would make for an easy dinner, and they’re freezer friendly as well.
- Chicago Style Meatballs (amazing gluten and egg free turkey meatballs)
- Bacon Bomb Meatballs (my kids say these are the best gluten-free meatballs)
- Spinach Bacon Gouda Meatballs (an amazing allergy friendly and gluten-free meatball recipe)
- Apple Cinnamon Meatballs (an easy meatball recipe I think you’ll love, and don’t let the name throw you off, they’re great)
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Directions for Your GF DF Meatballs
Start by dicing your bell pepper. It’s OK if you use a different colour. In fact, if you’re feeding a picky eater, use a bell pepper colour they’d enjoy. Depending on where you live, you can even get purple peppers seasonally.
Preheat your oven to 400f/205c. Now, place a medium or large mixing bowl on your digital scale, tare to zero, and add the ingredients. You’ve most likely already weighed the peppers, but the scale comes in handy for the syrup. Only use the oil IF your ground chicken is lean or you’re using a lean ground meat alternative. Anything 10% and under for fat content should have the oil added. Sometimes I’m able to get ground chicken thigh at the grocery store, and other times I’m not. The oil helps make up for the lost fat.
Use the optional maple extract if you plan to serve these meatballs with a maple waffle. It helps reinforce the flavours.
Once all of the ingredients are in the bowl, combine with a large fork, not your hands. When using your hands you can start to melt the fat due to the heat difference, and you want to avoid that.
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. By baking on parchment paper, you’ll have an easy clean-up as well. Use a small or medium cookie scoop to portion your meat and make cute little meatballs. I made these specifically to sit atop baby 2″ waffles, so I was happy with the small scoop (2 tsp) and the medium scoop (1.5T). Place the balls on your tray and space around each one so there’s room for airflow.
Cook your meatballs in the oven at 400f/205c for 18 – 20 minutes. The size of the meatball will determine the cook time. The internal temperature of your meatballs needs to be a minimum of 165f/74c before they’re safe to serve. Use an instant read meat thermometer to check the temperature. When checking, insert the probe into the center of one of the larger meatballs.
That’s it! You’re done. If you use a medium cookie dough scoop (1.5 TBSP) the yield is about 20 meatballs. Hopefully you can see that with a handful of simple ingredients you can have amazing allergy friendly results.
Storing Your Gluten Free & Dairy Free Meatballs
Allow your meatballs to cool. There are two different ways I like to use when freezing meatballs. The first is to place the meatballs in a single layer on a clean baking tray lined with parchment paper. I put the entire tray into the freezer (my favorite way). Once the meatballs are frozen solid I transfer them to a freezer-safe container that’s also an airtight container. A freezer bag works as well. Either way, be sure to remove as much excess air as possible.
The other way (a very easy way) is to transfer the cooled meatballs into a large freezer bag. I place the bag into the freezer and push the meatballs around a bit to form a single layer (to help prevent them from sticking together as one giant clump). Once they’re frozen solid I can pick up the bag and move it to where it needs to go in the freezer.
Either way, don’t forget to label the freezer bag or airtight container with the flavour and date. Using this method is a great way to meal prep as well. You can easily whip up a hundred meatballs on a weekend and have something delicious to pull from for lunches and dinners.
If you plan to eat leftovers throughout the week, you can store your cooked chicken meatballs in the refrigerator for five days.
More Tasty Gluten + Egg Free Recipes
If you’re managing multiple food allergies or dietary restrictions, here are some more delicious meal ideas for you, all free from eggs, milk, and other major allergens.
- Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Coconut Free Lemongrass Chicken (my kids like to eat this served on quinoa)
- Oat Flour Free GF, V, Top 9 Free Protein Muffins
- Brown Sugar Peach Thumbprint Cookies
- Easy Banana & Spinach Blender Waffles
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Need more free-from breakfast, lunch, and dinner recipes? Check out the Advanced Recipe Search on RAISE and use more than 100 filters to mix and match for different allergens, food groups, and much more.
Answering Your Gluten Free, Dairy Free Meatball Questions
Can I make this recipe with ground turkey?
Yes, it’s an excellent substitute. Since ground turkey is also lean, be sure to use the 3 Tablespoons of oil.
Can I use a food processor to combine the ingredients?
You can, but it’s an extra small appliance to clean. I think this recipe is easy enough to mix by hand, but to each his own. If you opt to use your food processor, be sure to pulse the ingredients together. You’ll want to avoid having the peppers turn into mush. If you have the physical strength to do so, consider folding in the diced peppers, rather than pulsing them in the food processor with the other ingredients.
Will a ground pork and ground beef meat mixture work for these meatballs?
Yes, and that sounds amazing. Be sure to leave out the 3 Tablespoons of oil since your meat mixture won’t be lean (unless you’ve made a very special lean meat mixture).
Can these meatballs be used in meatball subs?
Yes, these will hold up to the additional ingredients such as Parmesan cheese and tomato sauce.
If I use lean ground beef, should I use the oil as well?
Yes. If your meat is less than 10% fat, use the 3 Tablespoons of oil as listed in the ingredients when making your beef meatballs.
Are these considered keto meatballs?
I would say these could be included in a keto meal as the net carbs are low. One of the hallmarks of the keto diet is the high fat component, which these meatballs lack. Pair this with an extra fat and I’d say you’d be good to go.
I’ll also add, these are Paleo meatballs as well, but not AIP Paleo compliant.
Can I freeze raw meatballs?
Yes! What you’ll do is follow the steps until it’s time to bake. Rather than put your sheet pan into the oven, put it into the freezer instead. Once the raw meatballs are frozen solid, transfer them to a large freezer bag or an airtight container. Label the bag and pull out the meatballs to cook as needed. You can cook them from frozen, or thaw them in your fridge before cooking. Thawing is not necessary to have delicious meatballs.
Would this recipe work as a gluten free meatloaf?
I think this could serve as a meatloaf base, but it’s absolutely not a traditional meatloaf. I would suggest finding a great meatloaf recipe online, then, where they call for regular breadcrumbs, use gluten free bread crumbs instead. One of the best gluten-free breadcrumbs is made by Ian’s, and it’s a panko version. There are a few other brands as well including Kinnnikinnick and Aleia’s.
Will these meatballs taste good with a gravy sauce?
If you were to omit the maple extract I’d say yes. If you keep the maple I’d skip the gravy sauce as the flavours can clash a bit. However, I am thinking of a traditional gravy. If you were to make a super cool maple ginger gravy at home, then that would pair beautifully with these meatballs.
Can these meatballs be cooked on the stove top?
Yes, you can cook your meatballs in a large skillet on the stovetop. I like to add melted dairy free butter to the pan and cook each side until its golden brown. You’ll want to use a meat thermometer to make sure your chicken meatballs are cooked all the way through (165f/74c internal temp). If they’re nicely browned but still under, place your meatballs on baking sheets lined with parchment paper and finish cooking in the oven until they’ve hit the right temperature.
Should I use cooking spray on my baking sheets if I don’t have parchment paper?
I would suggest a cooking oil such as organic extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil rather than a cooking spray. Personally, I’m not a fan of it, and find oil and parchment to a better job when oven roasting.
