Easy Baked Chicken Meatballs (Gluten Free & Dairy Free)
Easy Baked Chicken Meatballs – a super quick and easy gluten-free & dairy-free recipe for the best chicken meatballs, baked in the oven. Excellent for a quick dinner or meal prep!
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Meatballs are a family favorite around here and one of the things I love most about them is their versatility! The flavor options are endless, they are delicious as an appetizer or snack, or as part of a complete meal. Eat them plain or add your favorite sauce. This is a great recipe that your entire family will adore. These 30 minute gluten-free chicken meatballs are quick to make and are great for even the pickiest eaters. I like to add them to gluten free pasta with marinara sauce, with BBQ sauce, rice with garam masala, or just pop them in my mouth and eat them plain!
I’ve always loved meatballs because they’re protein packed and will keep you full for a long time. They’re incredibly easy to throw together on a moment’s notice with a few pantry staples.
They’re yummy right out of the oven and they’re also fantastic the next day and the day after that – even cold. They kept their texture and flavor!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Simple Ingredients: The main ingredients required for these baked gluten & dairy-free chicken meatballs recipe are easily accessible at your local grocery stores (nothing fancy required!). Chances are you have most of what you need already in your pantry!
- Easy to Make: Mixing the meatball ingredients is a breeze, and once the meatballs are shaped, all that’s left to do is to let them bake until golden brown. An entire batch of these easy-baked chicken meatballs comes together in under 30 minutes!
- Totally Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free: The best part is that these healthy chicken meatballs are 100% gluten-free and dairy-free, which means that even those with Celiac disease or gluten or lactose intolerances can still enjoy them without worries!
What ingredients do you need?
You’ll need just a few basic ingredients to make these baked gluten & dairy free meatballs. To keep this chicken meatball recipe gluten free, I substituted almond flour for the traditional breadcrumbs. Combine the ground chicken, egg, almond flour, olive oil, and spices in a large bowl. Get in there with your hands and combine everything. Roll the meatball mixture into bite sized meatballs and bake in the oven for 20 minutes, until beginning to brown or they’re cooked til 165 degrees. *I like to weight each ball to be 1 oz. so I know exactly how much protein I get with each one. 1 ounce = 8 grams of protein.
This recipe is so simple and easy, I like to double batach it and freeze the meatballs for quick protein snacks or meals. If you want to change up the flavors and spices feel free to experiment with whatever you have in your kitchen.
- Ground Chicken: I recommend using organic ground chicken if you can. You can get store-bought ground chicken or make your own ground chicken mixture by processing raw chicken breasts. Alternatively, if you prefer using other types of minced meat (such as ground turkey, ground pork, or ground beef) go ahead.
- Egg: The egg is necessary to bind the ingredients together. I have not tried making this chicken meatball recipe without eggs, but if you are allergic to eggs, or would simply prefer to make this egg-free, you may try using an egg replacer. (If you do make this egg-free, please let me know how it goes in the comments below, I’d love to know!)
- Salt: You can use fine sea salt or fine Himalayan pink salt, really any salt works.
- Garlic Powder: Adding granulated garlic adds plenty of flavor to these chicken meatballs. You may also use granulated garlic or onion powder if you prefer (or all of them!) You can use chili powder, red pepper flakes, or any other spices you like.
- Nutritional Yeast: Nutrional Yeast is a great option as the parmesaen cheese alternative- it’s gives the best flavor! You can also use a dairy-free parmesan cheese if you prefer however most dairy-free cheeses have a lot of ingredients I don’t love. If you are not lactose-intolerant, feel free to use normal parmesan cheese instead
Easy Baked Chicken Meatballs (Gluten Free & Dairy Free)
Ingredients
- 2 lbs ground chicken
- 2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
- 1.5 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1.5 tbsp almond flour
- 1 Egg
- A little olive oil or avocado oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 420 degrees farenheit
- In a large bowl, add all dry ingredients and stir to combine.
- Combine ground chicken meat, egg, and oil, and mix thoroughly until spices are completely mixed in the chicken.
- Roll chicken into round balls (about 1.5 inches) and line up in rows on a prepared baking sheet.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, until the color is light golden brown
- Remove from oven, allow meatballs to sit for 2-3 minutes before enjoying.
A few recipe modifications:
For nut allergies, try oat flour instead of almond flour.
If gluten is not a concern, feel free to substitute panko or breadcrumbs for the almond flour.
The best way to freeze the meatballs is let them cool after baking and flash freeze on the baking sheet until just frozen. Then place the frozen meatballs in a large bag or freezer safe container.
You’re going to love these delicious meatballs! I know they’ll quickly become a new favorite in your house. You can also experiment with making them in the air fryer if you have one.
If you enjoyed this recipe you’ll love:
The Best Coconut Tofu Curry (Gluten & Dairy Free)
One-Pot Pasta with Spinach, Tomatoes, & Mushrooms
xx,
Lauren
