This delicious meatballs recipe is made without eggs or breadcrumbs. They’re allergy-friendly, healthy and made with just a few whole food ingredients, including grass-fed ground beef. I also bake these simple meatballs in the oven, which makes cooking and cleanup a breeze!
With so many ways to enjoy these versatile meatballs, consider this a go-to base meatballs recipe. I enjoy them for dinner with a side of veggies or with pasta and marinara sauce. They also make a perfect base for your favorite cocktail meatballs when entertaining.
If you’re looking for something to make for dinner with grass-fed ground beef, I’ve got you. As one of the most economical cuts of grass-fed beef, I’m always happy to have a delicious new recipe to make with it.
And grass-fed ground beef is so nutritious you guys! We even wrote an entire article about grass-fed beef versus grain-fed beef here at Fed by the Farm.
So let’s dive into this homemade meatball recipe!
Ingredients to Make Meatballs Without Egg
These grass-fed meatballs are made without eggs OR breadcrumbs. They are dairy-free, gluten-free, keto AND paleo!
In short, these meatballs are great for just about any diet – except vegan.
1. Grass-fed ground beef – One pound of grass-fed ground beef makes between 16 and 22 meatballs depending on their size. I recommend 85% to 93% lean ground beef. Higher fat content makes juicy meatballs, lower fat content makes meatballs that are a little drier. Here are some tips on the best place to buy grass-fed beef (online and local options).
2. Almond flour – These gluten-free meatballs are made with almond flour rather than fresh breadcrumbs. The almond flour absorbs some of the fat from the beef, helping the meatballs to not dry out.
3. Yellow onion – Finely diced yellow onion for flavor and texture.
4. Seasoning – These grass-fed meatballs are seasoned with garlic powder, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Pure balsamic vinegar is a great substitute for worcestershire sauce in meatballs, and adds extra flavor.
See the recipe card at the bottom of the page for exact quantities of each ingredient.
How to Make Meatballs without Eggs
The truth is, eggs are not necessary to make homemade meatballs. Nor are eggs a necessary binding agent to keep the meatballs from falling apart.
I make eggless meatballs that don’t fall apart, and you can too!
1. Mix
Combine the grass-fed ground beef, almond flour, onion and seasonings in a large bowl and mix them together with your hands.
Using your hands, rather than a spoon, to combine the meatball mixture is a great way to keep the ground beef from getting too compacted. This helps prevent dense tough meatballs.
Mix the ingredients just until they are well-integrated.
2. Shape
Use your hands to shape clumps of the meat mixture into meatballs the size of a golf ball. You can also go a little smaller and make 1 inch meatballs for cocktail size, or larger if you prefer.
This meatballs recipe makes about 16 to 22 meatballs depending on the size you choose.
Place the meatballs on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and be sure they aren’t touching.
3. Bake
Bake the meatballs on the middle rack of an oven that’s preheated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cook them for 30 minutes, then turn on the broiler. Leave the meatballs under the broiler for another 2 to 3 minutes. Just enough to brown them a little, but watch that they don’t burn.
Store left-over egg-free meatballs in an airtight container in the fridge. Or they can be placed in a freezer bag and frozen until you’re ready to use them.
These delicious meatballs reheat well and are ideal for meal prep. The recipe can also be doubled or tripled if you need more meatballs to serve a crowd.
How to Serve Homemade Meatballs
These flavorful meatballs make an easy dinner all on their own with a side of vegetables. Or you can enjoy in different ways with your favorite sauce, including:
- Meatballs and spaghetti sauce over pasta
- Meatballs with creamy mushroom sauce
- Sweet and sour meatballs with rice
- Zucchini noodles topped with meatballs, marinara sauce and fresh parmesan cheeses
More Grass-Fed Ground Beef Recipes
Here are a few more delicious recipes made with grass-fed ground beef:
- Ground Beef & Summer Squash Skillet
- Shepherd’s Pie with Creamed Corn
- Gluten-Free Hamburger and Macaroni
Egg-Free Meatballs FAQ
Can you really make meatballs without eggs?
You can absolutely make meatballs without eggs and without an egg substitute. Egg is often used in meatball recipes as a binding agent, but it’s not necessary. You won’t notice the absence of eggs, which makes these the perfect meatballs if you have an egg allergy.
Is this a paleo meatballs recipe?
Yes these eggless meatballs are paleo. The paleo diet is centered around eating foods that our hunter and gatherer ancestors ate. Ground beef, nuts (almond flour), vegetables (onion and garlic), black pepper and even balsamic vinegar are paleo. Sources are split on whether salt is paleo, so feel free to omit the salt if it’s not part of your diet.
Is this a gluten-free meatballs recipe?
Yes these are gluten-free meatballs because they are made without bread crumbs. Instead of bread crumbs, we’re using almond flour. Almond flour is a great alternative to bread crumbs in meatballs!
Are these keto meatballs?
Yes this is a keto meatballs recipe. All of the simple ingredients are low-carb, including the grass-fed ground beef, onions, garlic powder and balsamic vinegar. Two teaspoons of balsamic vinegar contains just 1.8 net carbs.
Can I use regular flour instead of almond flour in meatballs?
I’ve heard that you can make meatballs with regular flour instead of breadcrumbs or almond flour – but I haven’t tried this. Honestly I don’t think that regular flour would have the same results (or the same taste). Regular flour is much more fine than almond flour and breadcrumbs. The purpose of the almond flour is to soak up the fats that are released as the ground beef cooks. This helps the meatballs stay juicy. I don’t think regular flour would achieve this as well, and because it isn’t something I’ve tried I’m reluctant to recommend it.
—
If you try this recipe and love it, I’d be thrilled if you gave it a 5-star rating!
Follow along on Instagram, Pinterest or Facebook for all my latest recipes and content. And if you’re curious, here are my favorite kitchen gadgets that I use to cook these recipes.
Grass-Fed Meatballs Recipe Without Eggs or Breadcrumbs
Ingredients
- 1 lb grass-fed ground beef 85%-93% lean
- 1/2 cup almond flour not almond meal
- 1/3 cup finely-diced yellow onion
- 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder not garlic salt
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp pepper
Instructions
- Combine the grass-fed ground beef, almond flour, onion and seasonings in a large bowl. Mix them together with your hands just until they are well integrated.
- Use your hands to shape clumps of the meat mixture into meatballs the size of a golf ball. You can also go a little smaller and make 1 inch meatballs for cocktail size, or larger if you prefer.
- Place the meatballs on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and be sure they aren’t touching.
- Bake the meatballs on the middle rack of an oven that’s preheated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.Cook them for 30 minutes, then turn on the broiler. Leave the meatballs under the broiler for another 2 to 3 minutes. Just enough to brown them a little but watch that they don’t burn.
- Remove from the oven and serve on their own or with your favorite meatball sauce.
Excellent recipe! Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed the meatball recipe Tim! Thanks for the 5-star review.