These freezer-friendly dairy free meatballs are certainly perfect if you're looking for a high-protein, easy-to-prep dish. These flavorful meatballs work great for those busy weeknights when you don’t have much time to cook but equally want to make a healthy meal. They come together especially easily in one bowl. Without knives or fresh produce, and no cutting board needed!
Lastly, once you're done mixing the gluten free chicken meatballs, you have a few different options. Either bake the meatballs immediately and eat or freeze them or if you'd like to keep them on hand for a rainy day, just freeze the uncooked meatballs, then bake them when you're ready to eat them. I always prefer to bake them or freeze them, but otherwise, either option works just as well as the other!
These gluten free meatballs are so versatile! You can certainly serve them with your favorite pasta, with zucchini spirals, roasted potatoes, or any of your go-to meal side dishes or veggies. Additionally, you can try them with your favorite healthy barbecue sauce just by following the tip in the recipe below.
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Ingredients
- ground chicken
- oregano
- parsley
- sea salt
- basil
- onion
- gluten free panko breadcrumbs
- olive oil
- egg
See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Make the meatballs:
- First, combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. *I recommend using food-safe gloves and coating them with olive oil to prevent the meat from sticking.
- Next, line a baking tray with parchment paper, for easy clean up, and place the meatballs and cook at least 1.5 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
- Then, once your mixing is done, you can choose to either bake then freeze, or freeze then bake. *I always prefer to bake them or freeze them, but either option will work equally well.
If baking immediately:
- Bake the meatballs at 400°F for 15 minutes.
If freezing to bake at a later time:
- First, place the tray with meatballs in the freezer for 1 hour.
- Next, remove the tray from the freezer, place it in a freezer bag, or airtight container, and freeze it until you are ready to use them.
- Finally, bake frozen meatballs at 400°F for 27-30 minutes.
Substitutions
You may certainly substitute your favorite ground meat for ground chicken. If you're looking for a healthy vegetarian option, try substituting crumbled tofu or your favorite ground vegetarian protein substitute for ground chicken. Additionally, you can certainly swap out the Italian spices for your favorite cuisine's spices (e.g. Mexican meatballs, add cumin and chili powder in place of the oregano/basil and fresh chopped cilantro in place of the parsley)
Equipment
No special equipment is required for this recipe.
Storage
Store cooked meatballs in the refrigerator, in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Additionally, you may freeze uncooked meatballs according to the instructions noted in recipe.
Top tip
Toss these into a healthy barbecue sauce and cook in a lid-covered pot on medium heat for 20 minutes then serve over your favorite roll. For proper food safety, be sure the meatballs are heated to an internal temperature of at least 165°F prior to serving.
Food safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with a high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
Related
Looking for other delicious gluten-free recipes? Try these:
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📖 Recipe
Dairy Free Meatballs with Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground chicken
- ¼ teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon parsley
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon basil
- 1 teaspoon onion minced
- ½ cup gluten free panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large egg
Instructions
Make the meatballs:
- First, combine all ingredients into a bowl and mix well. *I recommend using food safe gloves and coating them with olive oil to prevent meat from sticking.
- Next, line a baking tray with parchment paper, for easy clean up, and place the meatballs and cook at least 1.5 inches apart on prepared baking sheet.
- Once your mixing is done, you can choose to either bake the meatballs, then freeze, or freeze the meatballs, then bake. *I always prefer to bake them and freeze, but either option will work well.
If baking immediately:
- Bake the meatballs at 400°F for 15 minutes.
If freezing to bake at a later time:
- Place tray with meatballs in the freezer for 1 hour.
- Remove from freezer, and place in a freezer bag, or airtight container and freeze until you are ready to use them.
- Bake frozen meatballs at 400°F for 27-30 minutes.
Notes
- These Italian chicken meatballs can be served with nearly anything. Try them with pasta and sauce, over zucchini noodles, with rice, or any side or vegetable of your choice.
- Pro tip: Toss these into a healthy barbecue sauce and cook in a lid-covered pot on medium heat for 20 minutes then serve over your favorite roll. For proper food safety, be sure the meatballs are heated to an internal temperature of at least 165°F prior to serving.
Sarah L. says
I tried this recipe with your BBQ sauce suggestion and the whole family loved it. I had dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes too!
Stephanie Westman says
I cannot believe these were gluten and dairy free! I followed the step by step easy recipe and my spaghetti and meatballs dish came out super delicious. Everyone loved it! Can't wait for the next Italian inspired healthy dish. I think I'll try the BBQ sauce version next time.
NKendrick says
Thank you for sharing your experience!
nancy says
love that these chicken meatballs are dairy free. I love how easy this recipe is to make!
Swathi says
Diary free meatballs looks delicious I like that with chicken. My son loved it. Thanks for sharing this.
Lathiya says
I made this for dinner and it is an instant hit in our family. Definitely, making this again.
NKendrick says
Thank u so much for sharing!
Leslie says
These chicken meatballs are so perfect! I really want to try this with BBQ sauce next time! YUM!
Alexandra says
These chicken meatballs are so delicious and tender. The parsley and basil adds great flavour and they can be served alongside so many things.
Clare says
Hi Nicole, do you think we could use almond meal/flour in place of the bread crumbs?
NKendrick says
Yes, absolutely! I have used almond flour before!
Kristie says
All 3 of my kids love these and that says a lot! I like to use fresh parsley and basil and I also throw in a tsp of fresh minced garlic. Thank you for the recipe!
NKendrick says
SO HAPPY to hear this and your additions! They sound delicious!
Erin says
I'm DF and just love how these meatballs came out! I didn't miss the dairy at all. Thanks! 🙂
Swathi says
Diary-free meatballs with chicken is delicious make a great family meal. I was going to make it more often.
Criss says
Just made these dairy-free chicken meatballs, and they turned out amazing! So simple and delicious.
NKendrick says
So happy to hear that, thank you for sharing!
Tisha says
My family loved this! They had so much flavor!