Seasoned with chili powder, cumin, and cilantro, these gluten-free Southwest Turkey Meatballs can be served with salsa, tomato sauce, or romesco. They’re an easy dairy-free weeknight dinner that’s made entirely on a sheet pan in the oven and can be customized to be egg-free or low-FODMAP!
In my new cookbook, CARBIVORE, I share many methods for making gluten-free meatballs. I have a few go-to formulas that can be applied to any flavor or meat base, including these gluten free ground turkey meatballs.
A classic Italian meatball uses either dried breadcrumbs or stale bread soaked in milk (the Marcella Hazan technique), egg, and usually a good helping of grated Parmesan to help the meat mixture hold together as it cooks.
If you can’t really take it all, don’t worry. I’ve made gluten and dairy free meatballs a half dozen different ways and they always turn out amazing.
One way to make gluten-free meatballs super easy is to simply bake them on a sheet pan in the oven instead of trying to cook them on the stovetop. If you don’t need to flip or disturb them, you’re really giving the folder a chance to do its job.
In these Gluten Free Beef Balls and these Classic Italian Gluten Free Chicken Meatballs, my favorite binder is ground whole oats. They add more fiber and nutrients than regular gluten-free breadcrumbs and essentially disappear in the balls. Since they’re fairly dry, this technique works best with egg.
But my second favorite option to use in this gluten-free turkey meatballs recipe is chia seeds. When combined with liquid, chia seeds soak up moisture and become plump and gelatinous. If you’ve made chia pudding or gluten-free overnight oats with these super seeds, you know what I mean.
Because of this, chia seeds work beautifully with egg. There’s just enough liquid to fill them up and they melt away in the oven while all of their nutrients and fiber stay in the mix.
Make gluten-free, egg-free turkey meatballs
If you are egg free, there are many workarounds that work well with the chia seeds. One of my favorites that I use in these gluten-free ground turkey burgers is thawed frozen spinach. You want to get the most moisture out, but the greens still retain enough water to replenish the chia seeds and you get the extra plant power in your gluten-free turkey meatballs.
The same trick could be done with shredded zucchini and chia seeds, this is the technique I use in my low FODMAP turkey meatballs recipe in my book SIBO Made Simple.
How to Freeze Gluten Free Turkey Meatballs
Meatballs are a great option to freeze for later. Just transfer them to an airtight container. You can separate the rows with parchment if you want to avoid sticking. If you have space, you can always pop the parchment-lined sheet pan straight into the freezer and then transfer the balls to a container once they’re already frozen.
How to make low FODMAP meatballs
Since this recipe is already gluten and dairy free, you’re halfway on the low-FODMAP front. Simply omit the garlic and onion and you’re done. Since there is chilli powder, cumin and coriander, they are sufficiently aromatic.
Here’s how to serve these gluten-free Southwestern Meatballs
Because these gluten-free meatballs are flavored with warming Mexican-inspired spices, you can be creative with how you serve them. I love tossing them in a cereal bowl with rice, avocado, and salsa. You can also serve them traditionally in gluten-free tomato sauce over spaghetti.
My Gluten Free Romesco Sauce from a Jar of Roasted Peppers is also a quick and easy option that requires no cooking. It can also easily be made low-FODMAP.
Finally, if ground turkey isn’t your thing, you can easily substitute ground beef (try finding dark meat), ground beef, or even ground lamb. As you can see in this gluten-free lamb meatballs recipe, cumin and lamb make an excellent combination.
More gluten-free meatball recipes:
Read on for these gluten-free meatballs from southwestern Turkey!
With health and hedonism,
Phoebe
Gluten Free Turkey Meatballs from the Southwest
portions 4
ingredients
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1 small shallot chopped
- 1 clove of garlic chopped
- 1 big egg beaten
- 1 tablespoon Chia seeds
- 2 tablespoon finely chopped fresh coriander leaves
- 1 teaspoon sea-salt
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon chilli powder
instructions
-
Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
-
In a medium mixing bowl, combine turkey, egg, chia seeds, coriander, salt, smoked paprika, cumin, and chili powder. Using clean hands, toss the turkey until well combined, being careful not to break the meat up too much. Let the mixture sit in the fridge at room temperature for at least 10 minutes or longer to give the chia seeds time to activate.
-
Shape the meat into about 16 equal balls, about 2 tablespoons of meat each (I like to use an ice cream scoop for portioning). Place on the prepared baking sheet and bake in the center of the oven until lightly browned on top and cooked through, about 25 minutes.
-
Serve the meatballs warm over your favorite gluten-free pasta, zoodles, rice, or completely “naked” with salsa, romesco sauce, or marinara kick on top.
If you do, tag @phoebelapine and #feedmephoebe – I’d love to see it!