My homemade gluten-free egg-free meatballs are filled with zucchini and ricotta cheese. They make a delicious and satisfying meal for any hungry family. These meatballs are also gluten-free and are a great way to sneak in some veggies too!

A plate with gluten free pasta with a large meatball on top.

I am always on the lookout for easy gluten-free dinner ideas. When school is in session, our family barely gets 30 minutes to sit together to enjoy a family meal. Thank goodness I have a few recipes that are so easy to make. These meatballs are perfect for meal prep because you can make a big batch and freeze some, so you have them on hand for busy days. This is a huge time saver! You can make this recipe as I did with ground beef or use lower-fat ground turkey or chicken.

This recipe is perfect for meatball lovers. You can even make these meatballs into an amazing Gluten-Free Meatball Sub sandwich!

Allergen Information:

This ground beef meatball recipe is gluten-free, egg-free, oat-free, nut-free, and soy-free. I have not tested any dairy-free ricotta brands. If you have a brand you enjoy, you can use it to make this recipe dairy-free. VioLife has an excellent dairy-free parmesan cheese.

Photos of the egg free meatballs ingredients.

Ingredient Notes:

  • Ground Beef – I use 90% lean ground beef in this recipe. You can also use ground turkey, chicken, pork, or bison.
  • Pasta Sauce – Most pasta sauce brands should be gluten-free, but always read the labels if you are using store-bought sauce. You can also make a homemade Gluten-Free Pasta sauce with meat or a Gluten-Free Marinara pasta sauce.
  • Ricotta Cheese – This is what helps hold the meatballs together since this is an egg-free recipe.
  • Zucchini – you can use dark green, light green, yellow, or any heirloom type. Shred it, and be sure to use a paper towel to get the extra moisture out.
  • Gluten-Free Bread Crumbs – There are several brands of gluten free bread crumbs, like Ians, but it is cheaper to make your own Gluten-Free Bread Crumbs. My kids hate the ends of bread loaves, so I save them in the freezer. I just make bread crumbs when I have a few slices saved up.
  • Garlic – Freshly minced is best, but you can use garlic powder in a pinch. Use ½ teaspoon.
  • Gluten-Free Pasta – Use any gluten free pasta brand you enjoy, including legume pasta. Don’t forget to check out my tips to avoid mushy pasta!

Step-By-Step Directions:

Photos of getting the sauce heated and mixing the meatball ingredients.

Step 1: First, use a gluten-free jarred sauce or make a delicious homemade sauce recipe I linked in the Ingredient Notes section above. I am sure many others are gluten-free; just make sure to read the labels.

Step 2: Add all of your meatball ingredients to a large mixing bowl and mix well. I find mixing by hand is the best way to incorporate all of the ingredients together. You can also use a large fork or spoon.

Photos of the meatballs before and after being baked.

Step 3: Form the ricotta meatballs in the size you want and put them onto a greased baking pan. If you want to make clean up easy, line the baking dish with parchment paper.

Step 4: Bake the meatballs at 350º F in your oven until they are cooked through. Use a meat thermometer to check to ensure they have an internal temperature of 165º F.

You can cook the meatballs in the sauce if you want the tomato flavor to slow cook into the meatballs! Use the instructions in this Gluten-Free Slow Cooker Meatballs Recipe.

Cooked meatballs in a silver bowl.

Recipe FAQ:

Can you add other vegetables to these meatballs?

You can easily use different vegetables. Try shredded carrots or chopped mushrooms.

How long will these meatballs keep fresh?

These meatballs will keep fresh for up to 4 days in an airtight container in your refrigerator.

Can you freeze these gluten-free meatballs?

These meatballs freeze really well! Place them into a freezer-safe container or zipper bag. To defrost them, you can reheat them in the microwave oven or add tsome sauce in a pot and cook on the stovetop.

The top view of two plates full of spaghetti and meatballs.

Reader Review:

Reader Tony D's photo of his cooked meatballs on a baking sheet

Here is a photo of the cooked meatballs. They were great!”

Tony D

Love This Recipe?

If you made and enjoyed this recipe, I would be incredibly grateful if you could leave a comment below. This helps others know that this recipe is tried and true. Thank you!

a plate with gluten free pasta with a large meatball on top

Gluten Free Meatballs with Zucchini and Ricotta

Sandi Gaertner
Gluten free ricotta meatballs with zucchini are a comforting and satisfying meal for any hungry family. Learning to eat gluten free is easy AND delicious with a gluten free meatball recipe like this one.
5 from 3 votes
an egg free allergen icon
gluten free allergy icon
nut free allergen icon
soy free allergy icon
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Meal Recipes
Cuisine Italian
Servings 6 people
Calories 288 kcal

*As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound ground beef * see note
  • ¼ cup gluten free bread crumbs * see note
  • ½ cup ricotta cheese
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder * see note
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup shredded zucchini * see note
  • 1 box gluten free pasta * see note
  • 4 cups pasta sauce

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 375º F.
  • Put the first 6 ingredients into a large bowl and mix well.
  • Shape meatballs and place onto a greased baking dish.
  • Bake meatballs for 20 minutes.
  • While the meatballs are baking, set a pot of water on the stove with high heat to boil.
  • Add your favorite gluten free pasta when the water is boiling. Cook the pasta to the box directions.
  • Heat the pasta sauce on low heat.
  • When pasta is cooked, toss in the pasta sauce.
  • Remove meatballs from the oven and place one to two on top of your pasta. Serve with more sauce if you like 🙂

Notes

  1. I used 90% lean ground beef. You can use any ground meat including ground chicken, turkey, pork, or bison, to make these meatballs.
  2. Use either gluten free bread crumbs or gluten free panko. It is also very easy to make your own homemade gluten free bread crumbs.
  3. Use garlic powder or two cloves of fresh minced garlic.
  4. Tip: when using shredded zucchini, make sure to squeeze out the extra liquid with a paper towel.
  5. These meatballs will keep up to 4 days in an air-tight container, or up to 4 months in the freezer.

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

Serving: 1gCalories: 288kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 18gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 64mgSodium: 1315mgPotassium: 869mgFiber: 3gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 877IUVitamin C: 18mgCalcium: 84mgIron: 3mg
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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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17 Comments

    1. Hi Eddie, I have not personally frozen these meatballs, but I am sure you can. Would you please come back and comment back if you try it? I know other readers will benefit from your feedback. Thank you so much.

  1. Do these lovelies absolutely ‘need’ the gluten-free breadcrumbs for proper binding?…Or could one use psyllium husk flakes or crushed buckwheat crackers if trying to avoid grains? Thanks so much for any insight! (I also use 100% buckwheat (or sarrasin) pasta as well. This offering looks spectacular AND spectacularly fast after a harried day!

    1. Hi Donna, I imagine they wouldn’t need any breadcrumbs because of the ricotta cheese being a bit “sticky.” If you try with psyllium husk, or without the breadcrumbs, can you please write back so other readers know? It would be so helpful to everyone. Thank you so much for your note 🙂 Sandi P.S. I haven’t seen buckwheat pasta. What brand are you using?

  2. Love the addition of zucchini in these meatballs. Looks like perfect comfort food!

  3. Love the idea of adding zucchini to meatballs. Great way to amp the veggie intake!

  4. Meatballs filled with zucchini and ricotta? Sounds amaaazing! I can’t wait to give these a try! 🙂