Easy Gluten Free Sweet and Sour Meatballs
This is an easy recipe for gluten free sweet and sour meatballs. I share two ways to cook them, either stovetop or slow cooker.
Ingredients
For Meatballs
- 1 pound ground turkey note you can use any ground meat
- ¼ cup onion diced
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup gluten free panko or bread crumbs see note
- 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro chopped finely
- 3 tablespoons tamari see note
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon salt
For Sauce
- 1 ⅓ cups crushed pineapple with juice
- ⅓ cup rice vinegar see note
- ¼ cup brown sugar light or dark
- ¼ cup tamari see note
- ¼ cup ketchup
- ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
Optional Ingredients (add one or the other, or neither)
- ⅓ cup grape jelly
- ⅓ cup cranberry sauce
Instructions
- Add the meat, diced onion, egg, and chopped cilantro to a large mixing bowl. Add the seasonings and tamari. Mix well.
- Roll the meat mixture into little meatballs and put them on a tray. You can make the meatballs any size, but I prefer bite-sized cocktail meatballs.
- Note: The amount of meatball shrinkage will depend on the type of meat you use. Ground beef and pork are a higher fat content so make those meatballs a little bigger than if you are using ground turkey or chicken.
- Add the sauce ingredients to a pot. I used a large sauce pan. Stir it then cover the pot. Bring to a low boil over medium-low heat.
- Add the meatballs to the sauce. Cover the pot and continue to cook on medium-low heat.
- Do not stir the meatballs in until they have been cooking in the sauce for 15 minutes. Otherwise, they will fall apart. Add water if you notice the liquid level getting low. This can happen if you are using ground chicken or turkey because they have a lower fat level.
- Gently use a spoon to stir the meatballs. Use a meat thermometer to ensure your meatballs are 165º F if you are cooking chicken or turkey meatballs and ground beef to 145º F (minimum.)
- See notes for slow cooker directions.
Notes
- You can use ground turkey, chicken, beef, pork, or vegan meat.
- You can use store-bought gluten free panko or bread crumbs or make them from scratch with my gluten free bread crumbs recipe.
- Use tamari, gluten free soy sauce, or coconut aminos.
- Always read the label when buying rice vinegar to ensure there is no malt.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- You can freeze these meatballs in a freezer bag.
- Follow the directions above to make your meatballs.
- Pour all sauce ingredients into the slow cooker. Add 2/3 cup water instead of the 1/2 cup and mix well.
- Add the meatballs to the Crock Pot and add the lid.
- Slow cook for 5 hours at low temperature or 4 hours at high temperature. I do recommend giving them a gentle stir after the first hour so all of the meatballs are coated in the sauce.
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: 1meatballCalories: 72kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 5gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0.4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.004gCholesterol: 18mgSodium: 359mgPotassium: 102mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 37IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 8mgIron: 0.4mg
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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.