Gluten Free Turkey Meatballs
Whenever I think of kicking back and watching Football on a Sunday, I think of Gluten Free Turkey Meatballs. LOL- Well, ok maybe not necessarily gluten free but definitely meatballs! Which is why I had to recreate my classic meatball made with regular bread and dairy and switch it up to a gluten free and dairy free option .
Yup I’m the one showing up to a football party potluck with a healthy alternative option! But to give these meatballs an even better twist, I created a breadcrumbs substitute that is a quick grain free bread and can made in the microwave.
Some Important Things About Meatballs
First off when you are cooking with ground turkey, its super important to keep moisture in it. When making a meatball especially, if you go too low in fat, it will taste dry. I recommend using 85/15. If you need to use 93/7, you can and it will still be good. But anything lower like 99% fat free may taste dry.
You can sub out the ground turkey for ground beef but the same fat content rules apply- use over 10% fat. So 90/10, 85/15 and 80/20 are good choices.
Other Tips for Gluten Free Turkey Meatballs
These meatballs were inspired by back when I used to follow the Paleo diet and I wasn’t eating grains. They are a perfect protein snack and can be reheated in the microwave. They are even more enjoyable with a sauce. Any kind of sauce really would be amazing. (or my husband would say just throw ketchup on them and you’re good!) I recommend a marinara sauce, sweet and sour or a puttanesca.
As these are baked in the oven for this recipe, you can also sear them and then finish the cooking process by braising them in a sauce. Once you get the sear, you will want to add them to the sauce carefully with tongs so that they don’t break. You can also finish the cooking process in a slow cooker.
A Note on the Grain Free Bread
You can sub with gluten free breadcrumbs or bread if you don’t want to use the grain free one from this recipe.
Looking for more ways to cook with Ground Turkey? Be sure to check out my Turkey Basil Burgers and also my Roasted Butternut Squash and Turkey Tacos .
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Gluten Free Turkey Meatballs
Equipment
- large mixing bowl
- large sheet pan
- parchment paper
- large mug
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1/3 cup italian parsley washed and chopped
- .75 ounces mint washed and chopped
- 1/3 cup basil washed and chopped
- 1 medium white onion small dice
- 1/2 grain free bread see below for recipe
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup almond milk
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano dried
- 1/2 teaspoon sumac
Grain Free Bread
- 1/3 cup almond flour
- 1 tablespoon tapioca starch
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- sea salt pinch
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil melted
- 1/4 cup almond milk
Instructions
To prepare the Grain Free Bread:
- In a small bowl, add the dry ingredients and whisk together.
- Then add the egg, coconut oil and almond milk. Whisk to combine.
- Grease a large mug with coconut oil.
- Pour the batter into the mug and place in the microwave for 3 minutes.
- Carefully remove from the microwave and let it cool for 10 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey along with the fresh herbs, onion, and egg.
- Gently combine with your hands for 30 seconds. Then add the almond milk, bread and the spices.
- Continue to combine until all the ingredients are incorporated ( about a minute)
- Divide the mixture into 24 individual balls and place on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
- Place in the oven and bake for 25 minutes.
- The internal temperature should be 165 degrees.
- When done, carefully remove from the oven and let them cool for 10 minutes.
- Enjoy!
