If you love meatballs but are looking for a lower-fat option, these ground turkey meatballs are tender and delicious!! This healthy gluten free meatballs recipe is sure to please even your pickiest eaters!
Meatballs are a staple in our house. You can enjoy them as appetizers, healthy snacks, over spaghetti, or in a meatball sub. They are a great source of protein and make a great part of a healthy meal.
Juicy and moist, your family will love every delicious bite! If you love meatballs as much as we do, you will want to check out my best gluten free meatball recipes!
These were so yummy…just make sure your dough is slightly sticky. Adding a touch more milk if needed. My batch came out a bit dry, my family still scarfed them though!
Christine S., Pinterest user.
Why Make These Meatballs:
- This recipe is not only popular with kids, but it is also easy to customize!
- You can use any ground meat you like because of this versatile recipe! Low-fat meats include ground turkey and ground chicken, and higher-fat meats include ground pork and ground beef.
- One of the reasons I love this recipe is because the meatballs are slowly cooked in a tomato sauce in your slow cooker. The sauce’s flavor cooks into your meatballs, making them tender and perfect for a gluten free submarine sandwich!
- This gluten-free turkey meatball recipe has two options: slow cooker or stovetop.
- These meatballs are easy to freeze.
These were amazing. I substituted the breadcrumbs for ground flax and I still loved them! Will make these again! ❤️ ❤️”
J.C., Pinterest user
Don’t forget to check out my delicious homemade gluten free slow cooker recipes while you are here :-).
Ingredient Notes:
- Ground turkey – you can use ground turkey to keep this recipe low-fat or ground beef or pork.
- Pasta sauce – You can use store-bought pasta sauce or make my homemade gluten free marinara or gluten free meat pasta sauce. Many ask what pasta sauces are gluten free. Rao’s, Mezzetta, Newman’s Own, and Barilla are my favorites.
- Gluten free bread crumbs – Use store-bought, or make your own. Making gluten free bread crumbs is so easy!
This is the slow cooker I own. I bought it a couple of years ago, and it is still going strong! This Crock Pot can hold a whole 3-pound chicken and does a great job cooking!
- Holds a lot of food
- Easy cleanup
- Cooks evenly
- It doesn't have an auto-switch from high to low temp
Recipe Step-By-Step Directions:
Step 1: In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey, gluten free bread crumbs, egg, milk, and seasoning. Mix well so that the bread crumbs and seasonings are mixed evenly through the meat mixture.
Step 2: Use your hands to roll the turkey mixture into balls and drop them into the pasta sauce.
Step 3: Use a spoon to cover the meatballs with sauce. Cover and cook the meatballs one of two ways:
Slow Cooker Instructions:
To cook these meatballs in a slow cooker, add your pasta sauce to the slow cooker. Drop in the raw meatballs and spoon sauce over them. Cover with a lid and cook for 3-4 hours on the high-temperature setting or 4-5 hours on the low-temperature setting.
Stovetop Directions:
To cook these meatballs on the stovetop, add your sauce to a large pot. Drop your raw meatballs into the sauce and spoon the sauce over them. Cover with a lid and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 45 minutes.
Serve with:
- This kid-friendly Kale and Apple Salad recipe makes a great side.
- Cream cheese mashed potatoes are always a big hit!
- These pizza-stuffed Hasselback potatoes are a big hit with the kids!
You will also love my Grandma’s Cabbage and Meatballs recipe!
Expert Tips and Recipe FAQ:
You can easily use other ground meats. If you want to reduce the amount of fat, try ground turkey or chicken. Ground beef also works very well!
If you can’t find gluten free bread crumbs, feel free to use gluten free panko, crushed corn chips, crushed crackers, or something you have on hand.
You want to ensure your meatballs have an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
You can choose to make them any size! Note that smaller meatballs cook much faster, so if you make cocktail/appetizer-sized meatballs, you will want to reduce the cooking time.
Yes, you can bake these meatballs. The only difference is they will not slowly cook in the tomato sauce the same way.
Use these gluten free turkey meatballs in this simple 4-Cheese Meatball Casserole recipe. If you have ground chicken, these Gluten Free Ground Chicken Meatballs are tender and delicious.
Gluten Free Ground Turkey Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground turkey
- ¼ cup gluten free bread crumbs
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
- ½ to 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried basil *See note
- 1 jar pasta sauce *See note
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add the ground turkey, gluten free bread crumbs, seasonings, egg, and milk.
- Mix the mixture to evenly distribute the ingredients.
- Use your hands to roll the meat into medium sized balls.
- If you plan to cook these with a slow cooker, add jarred sauce to the slow cooker. Drop your meatballs into the slow cooker. Cover with sauce. Cook on high heat for 3-4 hours or low heat for 4-5 hours.
- If you prefer to cook these meatballs stovetop, the process is similar to the slow cooker. Add your sauce to a pot and drop in the raw meatballs. Cover the meatballs with sauce. Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes.
- Serve over pasta, in a sub sandwich, or as appetizers.
Notes
SPECIAL NOTE
Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn’t test, you may need to adjust your moisture levels in your baked goods.
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.
This post was updated from an older June 2020 post with more detailed information.
Where can I “print” this recipe from. I don’t follow Pinterest …so I can’t “pin” it, thx!
Hi Pam, if you hit the Jump to Recipe button, you will see a print button in the recipe card.
Love this recipe! I made my meatballs, dropped them raw into the crock pot with 2 jars of Prego Sauce (I used 2 pounds of ground turkey for the meatballs) and cooked on high for 4 hours – perfection!! And SO easy. Two things I do to keep the sauce from being too thin is several times during the cooking process I lift the lid of the crockpot straight up so I don’t drip the water that has gathered on the inside of the lid and let it drain into the sink, dry quickly with a towel and place back on the crockpot. I do this very quickly so I don’t lose too much heat. The other thing is to add parmesan cheese to the sauce once it’s done cooking. This is a delicious and natural thickener to the sauce.
Another thing I love about this recipe is that while almost all of the meatballs hold their shape beautifully, a few do break down into the sauce giving it some texture and an even more delicious flavor.
I am so glad you loved this recipe. I appreciate the tips with the lid as well. Thank you so much.
This is amazing! I’ve made it numerous times-now my go-to recipe. Today I’m trying it with beef. I’ve also played around with Almond flour instead of bread which turned out great. Thank you so much!
I am so glad you love this recipe. I will have to try almond flour sometime, I love the idea of adding extra protein.
This such a good recipe! So easy. I did mine in a dutch oven on the stovetop and they came out perfectly. This is a keeper for sure!
I am so glad you loved the recipe. I often use a Dutch oven as well.
I’ve never made meatballs this way, but they were excellent. I dropped the raw meat into rows tomato sauce in a crockpot. 4 hrs later done and delicious. Ty!
I am so glad you loved them…I love making my meatballs this way because it is so much easier. Thank you for coming back to leave a comment :-).
Love these gluten free turkey meatballs. I’d like to have a healthier diet in the new year, and will try them out!
I am so glad you are trying them Cindy. My kids love them.
Love that these are gluten free and made with turkey! So tasty!
I am so glad you like them 🙂