These healthy baked Gluten Free Turkey Meatballs are packed with lean protein and they're so moist and flavorful! They are a game changer if you're on a gluten-free diet or cooking for a friend or family member who is gluten-free.
⭐️⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Review: "Amaze-balls! These came out delish and were super easy to make! Definitely something I will have on rotation as one of my go -to's. I had the meatballs with spaghetti squash which was great but next time will try using them to do meatball sandwiches since they are gluten free. Can't wait 😉" -Shawnna
As a dietitian, I prioritize getting protein at every meal, and meatballs are an easy way to turn a lean ground meat like turkey into a drool-worthy part of your meal! Typically meatballs have breadcrumbs to bind them together, but you can easily make them gluten-free using rolled oats in place of the breadcrumbs for an easy swap. 😊
Pair these meatballs with your favorite pasta and Cherry Tomato Sauce or Green Pasta Sauce. Or add them on top of Mushroom Orzo with Spinach or a Nourish Bowl. You can even serve them as an appetizer with a yogurt tahini dip!
If you're looking for more healthy meatball recipes, try my Easy Greek Chicken Meatballs with Feta or my Lemon Sage Chicken Meatballs.
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Key Ingredient Notes and Substitution Ideas
These gluten-free turkey meatballs are made with simple ingredients. Below are some ingredient notes and substitutions. Check the recipe card for measurements!
- Ground Turkey - I use 93% lean ground turkey for these turkey meatballs. I don’t recommend going leaner than 93/7 for this recipe. 99% has less fat and makes the meatballs too dry. If you don't like ground turkey, you can use ground beef, ground chicken, or ground pork instead. Or do a mixture of 2 of these ground meats.
- Quick Oats - this recipe uses gluten-free oats in place of breadcrumbs. I prefer to use quick oats for this recipe because they are more fine and have a better texture for meatballs. Rolled oats (old-fashioned oats) work too, they'll just be a bit more dense. You can pulse them in a food processor to get them to a more fine consistency. Oatmeal adds dietary fiber for gut health, magnesium, and phosphorus. Parmesan Cheese - grated parmesan cheese adds lots of Italian flavor and helps bind the meatballs together. If possible, buy a wedge of parmesan and grate it yourself for the best flavor.
- Basil- fresh basil adds color and flavor to these turkey meatballs. You can swap it for other fresh herbs like parsley, oregano, thyme, or sage.
- Garlic - a couple of cloves of minced garlic adds flavor and antioxidants. You can use garlic powder if you prefer.
- Onion - this recipe calls for yellow onion. The key is to finely dice or grate the onion. Doing so releases a lot of juice, giving you good moisture for your meatballs. You can use white or red onion if you prefer.
- Egg - egg binds the breadcrumbs in a traditional meatball. In these gluten-free meatballs, it acts similarly to bind the oats so you don’t end up with a crumbly meatball.
- Olive Oil - just a bit of extra virgin olive oil adds moisture. Olive oil also adds heart-healthy fats that support brain health and hormone health.
- Italian Seasoning - for an extra boost of flavor.
- Salt & Black Pepper - just a small bit of kosher salt and black pepper is all you need to tie it all together.
How to Make Gluten-Free Turkey Meatballs
Below are the instructions for how to make this recipe with visuals that I hope are helpful! Don't forget to check the recipe card for the full recipe.
Step 1 - Preheat the oven to 400℉ (200°C). Prep a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with a cooking spray to prevent the meatballs from sticking. Then finely dice or grate your onion, mince the garlic, and chop the fresh basil.
Step 2 - Combine all the ingredients including turkey, oatmeal, parmesan, basil, garlic, onion, egg, olive oil, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper in a large bowl.
Step 3 - Mix to combine using either your hands, a wooden spoon, or a spatula. I use my hands for this part. Make sure all the ingredients are well distributed but be careful not to over-mix as this can result in tough meatballs.
Step 4 - Scoop about 2 tablespoon of the meat mixture at a time and form into balls on the prepared baking sheet. Continue until you have 20 meatballs.
Step 5 - Use your hands to shape the meatballs, wetting your hands with water to make them less sticky. Brush or spray the tops with olive oil (optional).
Step 6 - Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes. The meatballs are done cooking when the internal temperature reaches 165℉ (75°C) with a meat thermometer. Cooking time will vary depending on the size of the meatballs and the oven.
Hint: To keep all the meatballs the same size and make it easier, use a cookie scoop to measure them.
Dietitian Tip
Turkey contains tryptophan, an essential amino acid that plays a role in the production of 2 hormones important for supporting brain health: serotonin and melatonin. Serotonin plays a role in your overall happiness and mood. Melatonin plays a role in sleep. Make easy recipes like these turkey meatballs to add more of this lean protein in your diet!
Video of How to Make Gluten Free Turkey Meatballs
Here's a video of how to make this recipe that I hope is helpful!
Variations
One of the best things about these Gluten Free Turkey Meatballs is you can customize to your taste! Below are some ideas, but feel free to get creative.
- Spicy - if you want to give these meatballs a kick, add crushed red pepper flakes to the meat mixture.
- Fancy- for even more umami flavor, add a tablespoon of coconut aminos. It's a gluten-free alternative to Worcestershire Sauce, which is found in some meatball recipes.
- Dairy Free - make this recipe dairy-free by skipping the parmesan cheese.
How to Serve Turkey Meatballs
Now that you have a batch of these delicious healthy meatballs, you can serve them in many different ways! Below are some ideas for serving.
- Classic Italian Meal - serve with your favorite marinara or a simple homemade tomato sauce and pasta. Add in zucchini or summer squash noodles if you want to get in more veggies!
- In a Grain Bowl - add these in a grain bowl with brown rice, cauliflower rice or quinoa and your favorite vegetables and sauce. I love adding these on top of my Nourish Bowl recipe.
- Meatball Sandwich - turn it into a meatball sandwich by cutting these meatballs in half and serving with marinara between two slices of crusty sourdough bread.
- On Top of Salad - if you need a protein to add to a salad, these meatballs go great with many salad dressings.
- In a Soup - add these turkey meatballs to an Italian Wedding Soup, Roasted Red Pepper & Tomato Soup, or Red Cabbage Soup.
- On Homemade Pizza or Flatbread - cut the meatballs into pieces and add on top of homemade pizza or a flatbread with mozzarella and fresh basil!
Storage for GF Turkey Meatballs
- Refrigerator - store leftover meatballs in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days. You can store them in the fridge with or without sauce. Reheat on the stovetop in a large skillet, in your air fryer, in the oven at 350℉ (177°C) or in the microwave.
- Freezer - store the cooked meatballs in a freezer bag or other freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. If stored in the freezer, I suggest freezing them before adding sauce. To defrost, put the meatballs in the fridge overnight until thawed and then reheat on the stovetop, in the oven at 350℉ (177°C) or in the microwave.
Expert Tips
- Don't over-mix the meatballs because it will cause them to get tough. Once the ingredients are well combined, you're good to go!
- Use a cookie scoop to make evenly-sized meatballs to ensure they cook equally. You can also use an ice cream scoop or a large spoon.
FAQ
While healthy means something different to everyone, these are a nutrient-rich option. They contain high-quality lean protein, heart-healthy fats that also support brain health and hormone health, and many other vitamins and nutrients including B vitamins, iron, zinc, calcium, and phosphorus. The added oatmeal provides dietary fiber to support gut health. This is a high-protein recipe and contains no added sugars.
The key to getting a moist turkey meatball is the *grated or finely diced* onion and don't skip the olive oil!
Absolutely! I prefer to use oats because they are high in fiber and I always have some in my pantry. And I have found that gluten-free breadcrumbs tend to have added ingredients that I would prefer to avoid. But you prefer GF breadcrumbs, you can use those instead!
Related
Looking for other dietitian recipes like this? Try these:
Perfect for Pairing
Here are some of my favorite recipes to pair with Gluten-Free Turkey Meatballs:
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do! I would love to hear from you! If you made this recipe, please leave me a review below or tag me in a photo or story on Instagram. Your reviews help support me and make it possible for me to continue to create the recipes you know and love. 🙂 IG: @mallorythedietitian
📖 Recipe
Gluten-Free Turkey Meatballs (with no Breadcrumbs)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb 93% lean ground turkey
- ⅓ cup quick oats (or rolled oats)
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped (or parsley)
- ⅓ cup yellow onion, finely chopped (or grated)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400℉ (200°C). Prep a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with a cooking spray to prevent the meatballs from sticking. Then finely dice or grate your onion, mince the garlic, and chop the fresh basil.
- Combine all the ingredients including turkey, oatmeal, parmesan, basil, garlic, onion, egg, olive oil, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper in a large bowl.
- Mix to combine using either your hands, a wooden spoon, or a spatula. I use my hands for this part. Make sure all the ingredients are well distributed. Careful not to over-mix because this will result in tough meatballs!
- Scoop about 2 tablespoon of the meat mixture at a time and form into balls on the prepared baking sheet. Continue until you have 20 meatballs.
- Use your hands to shape the meatballs, wetting your hands with water to make them less sticky. Brush or spray the tops with olive oil (optional).
- Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes. The meatballs are done cooking when the internal temperature reaches 165℉ (75°C) with a meat thermometer. Cooking time will vary depending on the size of the meatballs and the oven.
Video
Notes
- If you prefer a finer texture, blend the oatmeal in a blender for about 15-30 seconds before adding it to the meatball mixture.
- Don't overmix the meatball mixture because it will cause them to get tough.
- Use a cookie scoop to make evenly-sized meatballs to ensure they cook equally.
- Refrigerator - store leftover meatballs in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days. Reheat on the stovetop in a large skillet, in your air fryer, in the oven at 350℉ (177°C) or in the microwave.
- Freezer - store the cooked meatballs in a freezer bag or other freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. If stored in the freezer, I suggest freezing them before adding sauce. To defrost, put the meatballs in the fridge overnight until thawed and then reheat on the stovetop, in the oven at 350℉(177°C) or in the microwave.
Shawnna
Amaze-balls! These came out delish and were super easy to make! Definitely something I will have on rotation as one of my go -to's. I had the meatballs with spaghetti squash which was great but next time will try using them to do meatball sandwiches since they are gluten free. Can't wait 😉
Mallory
Thank you so much for taking time to leave a review, friend! 🙂 I'm SO happy you love the meatballs!! Can't wait to hear how the sandwich is!
Randi
I made a double batch of these but also made 1 lb with beef to make and freeze for later. I was curious what the nutrition value might be according to your numbers with the beef. Thank you 🙂
Mallory
Hi Randi!! I just did the calculation using lean ground beef and looks like it'll be 64 calories, 4g fat (1g sat fat), 23mg cholesterol, 2g carbs, and 6g protein per meatball using lean ground beef! I hope that helps and I really hope you enjoy the meatballs!!! 🙂 -Mallory