Gluten Free Meatballs
These meatballs are the kind of deeply satisfying, Sunday-sauce comfort food that feels like it took all day — but comes together in a single skillet in well under an hour. The blend of ground beef and ground pork keeps every bite juicy and rich, while finely grated Parmesan, minced garlic, dried oregano, and basil build that classic Italian-American flavor from the inside out. The trick that makes these work without traditional breadcrumbs is soaking the gluten free breadcrumbs in whole milk first, creating a paste that binds the mixture and keeps the texture tender rather than dense or crumbly. A hard sear in olive oil before the meatballs ever touch the sauce locks in a gorgeous crust and adds real depth to the pan drippings, which get folded right into the crushed tomato sauce. Everything finishes together in that same skillet, so the meatballs soak up the garlicky, herb-forward sauce as they cook through. This recipe serves 4, and it's the kind of meal that disappears fast — so you might want to plan for leftovers.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the meatballs
- ½ lb ground beef (80/20)
- ½ lb ground pork
- ½ cup gluten free breadcrumbs
- 3 tbsp whole milk
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese, finely grated
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp dried basil
- ¾ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
For the sauce
- 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
- 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
For serving
- fresh basil leaves, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
In a large mixing bowl, combine the gluten free breadcrumbs and whole milk. Stir and let stand for 2 minutes until the breadcrumbs absorb the milk and form a paste.
- 2
Add the ground beef, ground pork, egg, Parmesan, minced garlic, dried oregano, dried basil, salt, and black pepper to the bowl. Mix with your hands until just combined — stop as soon as no streaks of breadcrumb remain; overmixing will tighten the meatballs.
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