Gluten-free Chicken Meatballs

These gluten-free chicken meatballs are tender, juicy and perfect for weeknight dinners, meal prep, or even holiday entertaining. They come together quickly, use simple ingredients, and bake up beautifully without needing a stovetop. Even if you’re used to classic beef or pork meatballs, these chicken meatballs are a lighter but still ultra-flavorful option.

These meatballs are tied with my Chicken Leg Quarters Recipe for our favorite meal. We make both at least a few times a month. I started making them when my son was a baby and we were doing baby-led weaning. Plain meat was too difficult to eat and I found that by combining it with sweet potatoes, the result was perfectly soft.

To crisp them up further, you can turn on the broiler for a bit. When I first made these chicken meatballs, I really thought that they’d be disgusting. I was so very wrong.

The sweet potatoes makes them slightly sweet, and I have to say I’ve never had any kind of meat that’s more addictive. It sounds strange, I know, but when these come out of the oven, we can’t stop eating them. I usually eat about a dozen before my husband realizes what I’m up to. They’re just SO good.

 

Ingredient Notes

Please scroll down for the full recipe (ingredient list and instructions are below). These notes just explain a few choices.

• Ground chicken – regular ground chicken with some fat works best for juiciness; if you only have very lean, expect slightly drier meatballs and consider adding a touch more oil. Also make sure to use good ground chicken. I live in Germany and was in the US in August. I bought some ground chicken at Trader Joe’s, and thought it was almost inedible. So if someone has a tip on where to get some good ground chicken next time, I’d love to hear it!
• Sweet potato – cooked and mashed sweet potato adds moisture and a touch of natural sweetness. You can steam, boil or pressure-cook it.
• Garlic & onion powders – I prefer powders here for even distribution and because fresh minced onion can add too much moisture.
• Coconut oil or olive oil – unrefined coconut oil gives a subtle sweetness I love, but olive oil is a fine swap if you prefer.

You can use whatever spices and herbs you like. I’ve also made these paleo chicken meatballs with smoked paprika, hot paprika, and other spices but prefer them with just garlic and onion powders. I think other spices just detract from the yumminess, but my husband prefers them with smoked paprika.

I suggest making them as written first, and then you can experiment. 🙂 Maybe even use the these leftover Roasted Sweet Potatoes in place of the plain boiled sweet potatoes!

How to Make Them

1. Preheat the oven to 400 °F (205 °C) and cut up the sweet potatoes in the meantime.
2. Cook the sweet potato until very tender – steaming, boiling, or using an Instant Pot all work well. Let cool slightly and mash until smooth with no lumps. Drain the sweet potatoes.
3. In a large bowl, combine the garlic powder, onion powder, salt and black pepper. Add the coconut or olive oil and stir.
4. Add the mashed sweet potato to the bowl and mix until smooth and homogenous. There should be no large chunks of sweet potato; use the back of a spoon or a glass to smash any remaining bits.
5. Add the ground chicken and mix until fully combined. The mixture will be sticky!
6. Form 1.5″ meatballs (a 1.5-tablespoon cookie scoop makes this fast) and place them on a rimmed baking sheet. They can almost touch.
7. Bake for 20 minutes. If you want crispier exteriors, finish under the broiler 1–5 minutes (watch carefully; many ovens only need 1–2 minutes).
8. Remove from oven and let rest a few minutes before serving. They’re excellent hot, at room temperature, or reheated from frozen.

Make Ahead, Storage and Freezing

The recipe doesn’t yield that many (or at least not for me) so I always quadruple the recipe and freeze most of them. They’re great defrosted! Not as delicious as straight from the oven with their slightly crispy exteriors but still awesome. And if you need them crisp, just defrost them and pop them under the broiler.

These meatballs are ideal for batch-cooking. Make a double or quadruple batch and freeze in a single layer on a sheet pan, then transfer to a freezer bag or container. They freeze well for up to 3 months.

Reheat from frozen in the oven at 350 °F (175 °C) until warmed through, or thaw overnight and reheat briefly under the broiler to crisp the exterior. Refrigerate cooked meatballs in an airtight container for 3-4 days.

Variations

• Smoked paprika – add 1/2–1 teaspoon for a gentle smoky note. I think other spices just detract from the yumminess, but my husband prefers them with smoked paprika. I suggest making them as written first, and then you can experiment. 🙂 Maybe even use the these leftover  in place of the plain boiled sweet potatoes!
• Spicy – stir in a pinch of cayenne or chili flakes to the dry spices.
• Different meat – ground turkey or a chicken + turkey blend both work.
• Baby-friendly – increase the sweet potato ratio to 50/50 with ground meat and omit salt. Steam or pressure-cook for extra softness.

Troubleshooting

• Meatballs fall apart – be sure the sweet potato is mashed smoothly and the mixture is well combined; chilling the mix helps firm it up.
• Dry meatballs – use slightly fattier ground chicken or add a touch more oil.
• Sticky mess when forming – dampen and dry your hands between rolls, or use a cookie scoop instead of hand-rolling.
• Burning under broiler – place the rack farther from the element and check every 30–60 seconds.

 

More chicken recipes

If it’s too hot to cook indoors, this Grilled Full Chicken is another kid-friendly paleo recipe that looks great! This Roast Chicken with Apples is also paleo, and for another yummy gluten-free meatball recipe, check out these Turkey Swedish Meatballs.