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Perfect Gluten-Free Italian Meatballs

These are the perfect gluten-free Italian meatballs. They are great with your favorite gluten-free pasta, zucchini noodles, or on top of gluten-free pizza crust. They can also be served as an appetizer with marinara dipping sauce.

Course Main Course, Snack
Cuisine Italian
Keyword dairy free, gluten free, keto, paleo, sugar free, whole 30
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 4 family members
Author Kat

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup raw cashews
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 onion diced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 1/2 tsp dried basil
  • 1 1/2 tsp dried parsley
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 lb grass-fed ground beef or lamb

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

  2. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in medium saucepan. Add cashews and boil until softened, about 15 minutes. Drain and rinse well.

  3. While the cashews are boiling, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook until softened and lightly browned. Add garlic, oregano, basil, parsley, and red pepper flakes (optional) and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds).

  4. In your food processor, add the onion mixture, boiled cashews, egg, and salt. Process until a fine paste develops, about 1 minute. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.

  5. Add ground beef or lamb and knead with your hands until well combined.

  6. Roll mixture into 1 1/2 inch meatballs and place onto a foil-lined cookie sheet. I use a cookie scoop to make this process faster. 

  7. Bake meatballs in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until meatballs are browned and cooked through

Recipe Notes

Instead of baking the meatballs, you could brown them in a skillet over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Turn frequently to brown all sides. Then place your meatballs into sauce and simmer until meatballs are cooked through, about 10 minutes.