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This oven-baked meatball recipe is the easiest way to make the perfect meatballs! These meatballs are gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo, whole30, and can be made AIP.

oven-baked meatballs in skillet with wooden spoon

Oven-Baked Meatballs

The secret to perfect meatballs is searing them to make them crispy while also cooking it through! Seriously, who doesn’t want a crispy and tender meatball? The problem is that this method is usually a bit too multi-step for my liking. You have to sear it on the stovetop while evenly turning them, and then finishing them in the oven. When you combine that with babysitting the pasta and heating the sauce it’s a bit labor-intensive.

Want a method that’s a bit more set it and forget it for the perfect meatballs? This oven-baked meatball recipe is exactly that! You get the perfect crispy meatball by baking them in the oven, and then crisping them with the broiler setting so you can have perfect meatballs with only one step! Serve them over spaghetti for a classic weeknight meal.

These meatballs are gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo, whole30, and can be made AIP-friendly.

The Ingredients for Oven-Baked Meatballs

  • Ground beef. This recipe only uses ground beef rather than a blend.
  • Egg yolk. This recipe leaves out the whites of the egg.
  • Almond flour. This is a swap for regular flour or breadcrumbs. This helps to bind the meatballs.
  • Herbs.

How to Make Oven-Baked Meatballs

  • Form the meatballs: Using a large bowl, combine the beef, egg yolk, almond flour, and seasonings. Mix well to thoroughly combine. Using a cookie scoop, scoop out the meatball mixture and form into round, uniformly sized meatballs evenly spaced on the baking sheet.
  • Bake: Transfer to the preheated oven and bake for 20-23 minutes. The meatballs should be cooked through but not yet crispy.

meatballs before and after baking

  • Make the spaghetti: While the meatballs cook, cook the spaghetti as directed, strain, and seat aside.
  • Crisp the meatballs: Turn on the broiler and cook for 2-3 more minutes or until the meatballs are crispy. Remove from the oven and set aside.
  • Serve with the sauce: Using a large pot, add the pasta sauce and bring to a low simmer. Add the meatballs to the pot and stir for 2 minutes to allow to coat in the sauce.  Serve the meatballs over the spaghetti with extra sauce. Top with chopped parsley.

spaghetti and meatballs in a bowl with a fork

How do you make these meatballs AIP?

  • Leave the egg out. Add 1 tbsp of olive oil to account for the loss of moisture from the lack of egg.
  • Swap coconut flour for almond flour. You’ll only need 2 tbsp of coconut flour.
  • Serve with nomato sauce and cassava spaghetti. I always eat these meatballs with nomato sauce instead and trust me, it’s just as good!

What do you serve these meatballs with?

  • A good quality tomato sauce (or nomato sauce for AIP)
  • Gluten-free pasta or spaghetti
  • Veggie noodles like spaghetti squash or zucchini noodles

Do you have to serve these with spaghetti and tomato sauce?

Nope! You can serve these meatballs by themselves with a side of veggies if you’d prefer. Though, I think they’re really perfect for making spaghetti and meatballs!

spaghetti and meatballs in a bowl

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Oven Baked Meatballs

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews
  • Author: Michelle
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Diet: Gluten Free
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Description

This oven-baked meatball recipe is the easiest way to make the perfect meatballs! These meatballs are gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo, whole30, and can be made AIP.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 2 egg yolks (omit for AIP)
  • 3 tbsp almond flour (sub 2 tbsp of coconut flour for AIP, see notes)
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 tsp onion powder
  • 2 tsp dried parsley
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/3 tsp black pepper (omit for AIP)
  • 12 oz gluten-free spaghetti (sub Jovial cassava spaghetti, or spaghetti squash for AIP)
  • 24 oz tomato sauce (sub nomato sauce for AIP)
  • 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Using a large bowl, combine the beef, egg yolk, almond flour, and seasonings. Mix well to thoroughly combine.
  3. Using a cookie scoop, scoop out the meatball mixture and form into round, uniformly sized meatballs (about 1.5″ in diameter) evenly spaced on the baking sheet.
  4. Transfer to the preheated oven and bake for 20-23 minutes. The meatballs should be cooked through but not yet crispy.
  5. While the meatballs cook, cook the spaghetti as directed, strain, and seat aside.
  6. Turn on the broiler setting on the oven and cook for 2-3 more minutes or until the meatballs are crispy. Remove from the oven and set aside.
  7. Using a large pot, add the pasta sauce and bring to a low simmer. Add the meatballs to the pot and stir for 2 minutes to allow to coat in the sauce.
  8. Serve the meatballs over the spaghetti with extra sauce. Top with chopped parsley.

Notes

If making the meatballs AIP, also add about 1 tbsp of olive oil to add extra moisture to account for being egg-free.

All nutritional information are estimations and will vary. Estimations do not include optional ingredients.

  • Prep Time: 15
  • Cook Time: 45

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 serving
  • Calories: 535
  • Fat: 6.2g
  • Carbohydrates: 76g
  • Fiber: 5.9g
  • Protein: 39.2g