If you are a meat lover, you are going to love my new gluten free sausage meatballs recipe. These savory little meatballs are filled with flavor and nobody will know they have hidden veggies!
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This week I am excited because I have great plans for all of this lovely organic bok choy! I am starting to think about appetizers and holiday entertaining.
I just can't wrap my head around it. As my husband can testify, I am not typically a planner. I am the type to throw stuff in a suitcase clean or dirty at the last minute...usually, late the night before we leave. This drives him absolutely nuts.
If you love bok choy, check out these delicious ways to fall in love with bok choy recipes!
Why These Meatballs Are Great:
- This is the perfect flavorful recipe to make for game day, a party or any time you need a delicious appetizer.
- These meatballs are fun protein snacks for the kids...just don't tell them there are veggies hidden inside!
- You can make these meatballs ahead or freeze them so you always have them on-hand.
- Hidden veggies add more moisture and flavor!
If you love meatballs, you will also want to try these Instant Pot BBQ Turkey Meatballs.
Ingredient Notes:
- Shallots - I love to use shallots because they add a unique oniony garlic flavor, if you can't find them, you can substitute scallion.
- Bok Choy - You can use organic or regular bok choy. It is one thing I don't think can be substituted or you will change the flavor dramatically.
- Ground Pork Sausage - Use raw ground sausage, not pre-cooked.
- Ground Beef - Ground beef helps balance out the flavor. I used 90% lean ground beef. You can also use a ground beef and ground turkey blend.
- Gluten Free Panko Crumbs - you can use panko or bread crumbs. I like to make my own gluten free bread crumbs.
- Greek Yogurt - you can substitute non-dairy yogurt (plain) if you are dairy-free.
Recipe Step By Step Directions:
Step 1: The star of this recipe is bok choy with a few organic shallots. These veggies add beautiful flavor and moisture so your gluten free sausage meatballs stay moist!
Wash the bok choy and shallots. Place them onto a cutting board and chop them up into small pieces!
Step 2: Before using the food processor, cooked the shallot and bok choy in a skillet over medium heat for 3-5 minutes to to bring out their flavors.
Step 3: Add your shallot mixture and garlic, cilantro, gluten free panko, milk, and Greek yogurt to a food processor. Grind until it is slightly chunky but creamy.
I still can't say enough about the immersion blender my husband bought me. This small food processor attachment is so easy to use, and much easier to get the ingredients out of than my Vitamix.
Step 4: In a large bowl, add the puréd mixture to the bowl. Add the meats and combine them. I like to mix the meat and bok choy mixture by hand to really incorporate the bok choy mixture into the meat. (I HATE this part, but it makes a huge difference because you get flavor in every bite!)
If there is some kitchen gadget that would prevent me from having to mash all of the meat ingredients by hand, please let me know!
Step 5: Roll the meatballs into small bite-sized balls.
Step 6: Heat oil in a cast-iron skillet on medium heat. Add the meatballs to the pan and cook them, rolling them over to brown all around the outsides.
Move the meatballs to an 8x8 baking dish and bake them at 350º F for 15-20 minutes. Bake time will depend on how large you make your meatballs. Use a digital thermometer to check to see if the meatballs are done baking. The meatballs should have an internal temperature of 165º F.
If you love the combo of meats, try my Gluten Free Swedish Meatballs too!
Dipping Sauce Ideas:
Serve the meatballs with a dipping sauce!
Expert Tips and Recipe FAQ:
If you don't want to mix sausage and beef, you can easily use just one. The sausage will add the most flavor. I also love this recipe with ground turkey to make it lower in fat.
If you don't want crisp outsides, you can easily just bake these meatballs in the oven.
If you can't find bok choy, I recommend trying Swiss chard in these meatballs.
These meatballs will keep for up to 4 days in the refrigerator, or for up to 4 months in the freezer.
This post was updated from a very old October 2014 post with better photos and more information.
More Appetizer Recipes to Try:
- The 10 Best Gluten Free Appetizers
- Roasted Hatch Chile Hummus
- Crispy Cheddar Hash Brown Waffles
- Baked Turmeric Chicken Wings
Recipe
Gluten Free Bok Choy Meatballs
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon chopped shallot
- 1 cup small head of bok choy chopped
- 2 egg whites
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound ground pork sausage
- ½ pound grass fed ground beef
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon mint dried
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ⅔ cup gluten free panko crumbs
- ¼ cup milk * see note
- ¼ cup Greek yogurt * see note
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º F.
- In a pan, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and cook bok choy and shallot until tender.
- Add bok choy, garlic, shallot, cilantro, gluten free panko, milk, and Greek yogurt to a food processor. Grind until medium texture.
- In a large bowl, add meats, bok choy mixture, mint, cumin, salt, and all spice.
- Mix thoroughly.
- Heat remaining olive oil in a frying pan.
- Roll meat into meatballs and drop into the pan.
- Cook until all sides are browned.
- Remove meatballs onto a paper towel lined plate.
- Put meatballs onto a baking dish and bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes until cooked.
- Serve warm.
Notes
- Feel free to use any ground meat you have on-hand to make these meatballs.
- To make these meatballs dairy-free, use dairy-free milk and yogurt.
- If you can't find bok choy, you can substitute kale or Swiss chard.
- If you don't want to pan fry the outsides, you can just bake the meatballs for 20-25 minutes in the oven. (Bake time will depend on the size of your meatballs.)
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
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This post was updated from an older June 2015 post with more details and easier-to-follow directions.
Leela
I've only tried it in a stir fry.. these look tasty!
Sandi Gaertner
Thank you Leela 🙂
Jillian Babbel Mendioro
mmm - these sound easy and delicious. I feel like I always have leftover boc choy and this would be the perfect way to use it up.
Also for meat mixing - I have a box of disposable gloves. That way it's a little less cold, and you don't have to spend time scraping meat from under your fingernails 🙂
Sandi Gaertner
Thank you so much for the tip Jillian!! It is much appreciated.
Jade Asian Greens
What a creative, inventive way to use bok choy! We love it, and will feature it on our social media in the next couple of days, and link here so everyone can see your lovely photography and your recipe.
Thanks for keeping it green!
--Your friendly Southern California farmers at Jade Asian Greens
Sandi Gaertner
Wow, thank you so much. Bok Choy is fun to experiment with. I also have a Bok Choy Deviled Egg recipe that is delicious as well.
Healing Tomato
What a creative recipe! Bok Choy is one of my favorite salad ingredients. Bok choy in meatballs is a very interesting concept.
Sandi Gaertner
Thank you Rini! I would love to know what salad dressings you think go really well with bok choy.
Sonali- The Foodie Physician
These meatballs sound delicious! I love bok choy and incorporating it into a meatball is such a great idea!
Sandi Gaertner
Thank you Sonai 🙂