Meatballs Without Eggs: Quick and Easy

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.

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.

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

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!

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

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!

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.

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

CHECK OUT LATEST POSTS