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Home » Healthy Dinner Ideas » Meatballs Without Eggs: Quick and Easy

September 7, 2022 30 Minute Meals

Meatballs Without Eggs: Quick and Easy

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Homemade meatballs without eggs make a delicious quick and easy dinner. They're tender, juicy, and cook in under 20 minutes. You can pair these eggless Italian meatballs with spaghetti, use them in subs, or enjoy with sauce and cheese for a healthy weeknight meal.

meatballs without eggs in cast iron pan with pasta, sauce, and basil.

These delicious homemade eggless meatballs are the absolute best! They're so juicy and tender and hold together well despite being both gluten free and egg free.

You just need 5 main ingredients and a few pantry staple spices to make this healthy weeknight dinner. Simply mix all ingredients together, roll into balls, and bake, pan fry, or air fry for a 20 minute meal.

These are delicious coated in tomato sauce and used on top of spaghetti, zucchini noodles, or mashed potatoes. You can also use them to make incredible meatball subs and sandwiches, or freeze for those busy weeknights when you don't feel like cooking. Either way, these egg free meatballs are sure to become a new family favorite.

Be sure to also check out these gluten free meatballs or these delicious air fryer turkey meatballs!

WHY ARE EGGS IN MEATBALLS?

Traditionally, there are eggs in meatballs to bind the meat, breadcrumbs, and spices together. The yolk adds fat which helps impart more flavor while the white holds all ingredients together and keeps them from falling apart when cooked.

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE MEATBALLS WITHOUT EGGS

ingredients for egg free meatballs labeled with black text.

Kitchen Tools:

  • Large mixing bowl
  • Cookie scoop
  • Baking sheet

Ingredients:

  • Ground beef: I prefer to use lean, 93/7 ground beef
  • Oat flour: This helps to binds the meatballs together and keeps them gluten free
  • Parmesan cheese: Be sure to use grated parmesan for best results
  • Yogurt: I use whole milk, plain yogurt to add moisture, bind the ingredients, and keep the meatballs moist
  • Onion: You want to grate the onion because it combines better with the meat and adds necessary moisture
  • Spices: You will need Italian seasonings, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper

Substitutions:

  • The ground beef can be substituted with ground pork or ground turkey
  • Oat flour can be changed to gluten free breadcrumbs or almond flour
  • Substitute the parmesan cheese with vegan parmesan
  • Yogurt can be changed out for regular sour cream or dairy free sour cream

HOW TO MAKE EGGLESS MEATBALLS

  1. In a large glass bowl combined chilled ground beef, oat flour, parmesan cheese, yogurt, grated onion, and spices
  2. Use your hands to gently combine everything until JUST mixed
  3. With a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop, roll your meatballs and place them onto a parchment lined baking sheet
  4. Cook them with one of the methods listed below
  5. Once cooked, transfer the meatballs into your favorite sauce and enjoy!
ground beef, spices, onion, flour, and yogurt in white bowl.
Add all ingredients into a large bowl
healthy meatball mixture in a white bowl with a cookie scoop.
Gently mix and use a cookie scoop to divide into equal portions
healthy meatballs rolled on parchment paper.
Roll into balls and place on parchment lined baking sheet
egg free meatballs cooked on parchment paper.
Bake at 400 F for 15-18 minutes

DIFFERENT COOKING METHODS

Sauté Pan:

  1. In a large non-stick skillet, heat some oil over medium heat
  2. Place a few meatballs into the hot oil being sure to not crowd the plan
  3. Cook them until golden on all sides (about 2 minutes a side), using tongs to flip them.
  4. Once cooked through, about 15 minutes, transfer the meatballs to a large pot of tomato sauce and enjoy!

Oven:

  1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
  2. Place rolled meatballs 1 inch apart on your prepared baking sheet and lay the tray into the hot oven
  3. Cook for 15-18 minutes, then carefully pull the eggless meatballs out of the oven
  4. Transfer the meatballs from the baking sheet to your favorite sauce and enjoy!

Air Fryer:

  1. Preheat your air fryer to 350 degrees F and spray the air fryer basket with non-stick cooking spray
  2. Place rolled meatballs in a single layer into the preheated basket
  3. Cook for 8-10 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F
  4. Use tongs to pull the meatballs out of the air fryer and coat with your favorite sauce

EXPERT TIPS

  • Keep the meat cold when mixing up the meat mixture
  • Be sure to use grated onion NOT chopped. It adds necessary moisture
  • Don't overmix or your eggless meatballs will tough
  • Use a cookie scoop to keep them all the same size
  • These are great in tomato sauce, on meatball subs, or make mini ones and add them to soups
  • They're also great for meal prep and freezing
egg free meatballs in tomato sauce with basil.

FAQs

Will meatballs stay together without eggs?

Yes, as long as you use another type of binder. In this case I use oat flour and yogurt.

Can I make eggless meatballs ahead of time?

Absolutely! These are a fantastic make ahead and meal prep option. You can either make and roll the meat mixture and keep them in the fridge until you're ready to cook, or you can cook them and freeze for quick meals.

How long do they take to cook?

It depends on your method of cooking, but generally about 15-20 minutes on the stovetop or in the oven.

What do I serve with meatballs without eggs?

You can serve them traditionally with spaghetti or as cheesy, saucy subs. A good low carb choice is spaghetti squash or zucchini noodles, but mashed potatoes are also a popular option. Check out this post for more healthy side dish options!

gluten and egg free meatballs in cast iron pan with sauce and fresh basil leaves.

STORAGE AND REHEATING INSTRUCTIONS

Storage:

You can store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Freezing:

These juicy meatballs are also great to freeze and keep for quick and easy dinners. Let them cool completely before placing in a freezer safe bag and going into the freezer.

Reheating:

To reheat refrigerated leftovers, place them into a microwave safe bowl with a teaspoon of water. Cover with a paper towel and cook for 30 seconds at a time until warmed through.

If you're reheating frozen leftovers, let them thaw in the fridge overnight before following directions listed above.

eggless meatballs in sauce with spaghetti and basil.

LIKE THIS RECIPE? TRY ONE OF THESE!

  • Air fryer turkey meatballs
  • Gluten free meatloaf
  • Air fryer turkey burgers
  • 5 ingredient chili

Did you make this recipe?

If so, I would greatly appreciate you leaving a comment and star rating down below. Additionally, follow me on Instagram and tag me if you make this or any other of my healthy dinner recipes.

Print

Meatballs Without Eggs

meatballs without eggs in cast iron pan with pasta, sauce, and basil.
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

These delicious meatballs without eggs and a quick and easy 20 minutes meal. They're tender, juicy, hold together, and are also gluten and egg free. Coat in your favorite sauce and extra cheese for a healthy weeknight dinner.

  • Author: Nicole Radcliffe
  • Prep Time: 10 Minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 Minutes
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 18 Meatballs 1x
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: Italian
  • Diet: Gluten Free

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 pound lean (93/7) ground beef- chilled
  • ⅓ cup oat flour
  • ⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 3 tablespoons plain yogurt
  • ¼ cup grated onion
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasonings
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
  2. In a large glass mixing bowl add the chilled ground beef, oat flour, grated parmesan cheese, yogurt, grated onion, Italian seasonings, garlic powder, paprika, kosher salt, and ground black pepper
  3. Use your hands to gently mix everything together until JUST combined- do not overmix
  4. With a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop, divide the meatball mixture into 18 portions and use your hands to roll them into balls
  5. Place raw meatballs onto your prepared baking sheet and bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F
  6. Carefully take the tray out of the oven and transfer eggless meatballs to your favorite sauce, serve, and enjoy!

Notes

  • Air fryer and pan frying cooking methods are listed in the post
  • Keep the meat cold when mixing up the meat mixture
  • Be sure to use grated onion NOT chopped. It adds necessary moisture
  • Don't overmix or your eggless meatballs will tough
  • Use a cookie scoop to keep them all the same size
  • These are great in tomato sauce, on meatball subs, or make mini ones and add them to soups
  • They're also great for meal prep and freezing
  • Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days

Keywords: eggless meatballs, gluten free egg free meatballs, gluten free meatballs without eggs

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