Gluten-free Honey Garlic Meatballs

These Gluten-free Honey Garlic Meatballs are one of those recipes that earns a regular spot in the dinner rotation. They’re simple, flavorful, and flexible enough to work for busy weeknights or easy entertaining. Sweet, savory, and made with familiar ingredients, they check all the boxes for a meal that feels comforting without being complicated.

What makes this recipe especially helpful is how adaptable it is. These meatballs are naturally gluten-free and dairy-free, with a nut-free option and egg-free option if needed. They come together quickly and can be cooked just about any way you like — air fryer, oven, slow cooker, or Instant Pot — which means you can use whatever works best for your schedule.

The honey garlic sauce is simple but packed with flavor. It’s lightly sweet, garlicky, and coats the meatballs perfectly without being heavy. Paired with rice, cauliflower rice, or tucked into lettuce wraps, these meatballs make an easy dinner that feels a little more exciting than the usual ground beef recipes.

Best of all, this is a true 30-minute meal when cooked in the air fryer, oven or Instant Pot, making it a great option for nights when you need something reliable and fast — but still homemade.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Naturally gluten-free and dairy-free, with Paleo option
• Includes a nut-free option and egg-free option
• An easy recipe made with simple ingredients
• A delicious, easy appetizer for your next party or game day
• Ready as a 30-minute meal
• Can be cooked in the air fryer, oven, slow cooker, or Instant Pot
• Family-friendly flavors that pair with lots of sides

These are the kind of meatballs that work for dinner, meal prep, or even casual entertaining.

Ingredients

These Gluten-free Honey Garlic Meatballs are made with straightforward ingredients you likely already have on hand:

Meatballs:

• Ground beef – I use 85/15 ground beef for this meal. Or, for an even more tender and juicy meatball, use 1/2 pound ground beef and 1/2 pound ground pork. 
• Almond flour – Traditional meatballs use breadcrumbs to add bulk and tenderness. We use almond flour instead! Need a nut-free option? Use 1/2 cup mashed potatoes instead. Or, you can leave out the egg + almond flour (cannot just omit one, must omit both egg + almond flour to keep the moisture balance), but the meatballs won’t be as tender. 
• Egg – To make these eggless, use 1/4 cup mashed potatoes instead of the egg. Or, you can leave out the egg + almond flour (cannot just omit one, must omit both egg + almond flour to keep the moisture balance), but the meatballs won’t be as tender. 
• Dried minced onion – I find this spice in the spice of most grocery stores, like this one here at Walmart.
• Garlic powder – Granulated garlic or garlic powder will both work well in this recipe. 
• Salt and pepper – Regular old table salt and black ground pepper here.
• Coconut aminos – Coconut aminos are a great soy sauce replacement and add a great depth of flavor. We can find coconut aminos at Walmart or Trader Joe’s. 
• Minced garlic – Adds flavor and moisture to these meatballs. Can be freshly minced from cloves, or I use pre-minced garlic to save time. 

Sauce:

• Coconut sugar – We use just a touch of coconut sugar to increase the sweetness. If you aren’t Paleo, you can also use an equal amount of brown sugar.
• Honey – Brings that sticky-sweet balance to the smoky chipotle. Look for 100% honey with no other ingredients. 

• Ketchup – Adds tang and thickness to the glaze. Use whatever ketchup works for your family. If you just need these to be gluten-free and/or dairy-free, a basic ketchup like Heinz Simple Organic works well. For Paleo, use a ketchup sweetened only by honey like this one.
• Coconut aminos – Coconut aminos are a great soy sauce replacement and add a great depth of flavor. We can find coconut aminos at Walmart or Trader Joe’s. 
• Garlic salt 
• Additional coconut aminos and minced garlic

Each ingredient plays a role in keeping the meatballs tender and the sauce balanced with just the right mix of sweet and savory.

How to Make It

• If cooking the meatballs in the oven, turn on your oven to broil (high). Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and place a baking rack inside it (like this one), if you have one. 
• MEATBALLS: In a medium mixing bowl, combine all of the meatball ingredients, being careful not to over-mix. The more you mix the meatballs, the less tender they will be!
• Shape into 20 1-tablespoon meatballs, trying to keep the sizes as even as possible so they will cook at the same rate. I use a cookie scoop like this one to make that easier. 
• OVEN: Place all meatballs on the baking rack or lined baking sheet, spacing at least 1″ apart. Broil for 10 minutes, or until browned, flip, and then broil for another 3 minutes or until cooked through.
• AIR FRYER: Place meatballs in a single layer in air fryer basket. You may need to do this in two batches. Air fry at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes, until browned. I like to then brown the outside a little more by air frying at 425 for 5 more minutes. 
• While meatballs are cooking, make the sauce. 
• SAUCE: In a medium saucepan or pot, add oil over medium heat. Once hot, add the minced garlic and saute until fragrant for 2-3 minutes. 
• Whisk together the remaining sauce ingredients and add to the pan with the minced garlic. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 5-6 minutes for flavors to combine. 
• In a large serving dish, place cooked meatballs. Pour the sauce on top and serve! We love this served on top of steamed riced cauliflower (Paleo), or cooked rice (gluten-free). 
• STORE leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 1 week or the freezer for up to 3 months.

These Gluten-free Honey Garlic Meatballs are simple, dependable, and full of flavor — the kind of recipe that makes dinner feel doable even on the busiest days.

Gluten-free Honey Garlic Meatballs

An EASY dinner or appetizer that is full of protein and a sweet, tangy sauce.

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 4 6 1"-meatball servings

Calories 475 kcal

1/2x1x2x3x

Ingredients

 

Meatballs

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 cup almond flour *see notes for nut-free
• 1 large egg *see notes for egg-free
• 1 tablespoon fresh minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon coconut aminos
• 1 tablespoon dried minced onion
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Sauce

• 1 teaspoon olive oil or avocado oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh minced garlic
• 1/2 cup sweetened ketchup meaning, not unsweetened ketchup
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons coconut sugar or brown sugar, if you don't need Paleo
• 2 tablespoons coconut aminos
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

 

MEATBALLS

• If cooking the meatballs in the oven, turn on your oven to broil (high). Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and place a baking rack inside it (like this one), if you have one. 
• In a medium mixing bowl, combine all of the meatball ingredients, being careful not to over-mix. The more you mix the meatballs, the less tender they will be!
• Shape into 20 1-tablespoon meatballs, trying to keep the sizes as even as possible so they will cook at the same rate. I use a cookie scoop like this one to make that easier. 
• OVEN: Place all meatballs on the baking rack or lined baking sheet, spacing at least 1″ apart. Broil for 10 minutes, or until browned, flip, and then broil for another 3 minutes or until cooked through.
• AIR FRYER: Place meatballs in a single layer in air fryer basket. You may need to do this in two batches. Air fry at 425 for 12-13 minutes, until browned on the outside and cooked through. This is my favorite way to cook meatballs - keeps them nice and moist + tender!
• While meatballs are cooking, make the sauce. 
• SAUCE: In a medium saucepan or pot, add oil over medium heat. Once hot, add the minced garlic and saute until fragrant for 2-3 minutes. 
• Whisk together the remaining sauce ingredients and add to the pan with the minced garlic. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 3-4 minutes for flavors to combine. 
• In a large serving dish, place cooked meatballs. Pour the sauce on top and serve! We love this served on top of steamed riced cauliflower (Paleo), or cooked rice (gluten-free). 
• STORE leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 1 week or the freezer for up to 3 months.

Video

Notes

Need a nut-free option? Use 1/2 cup mashed potatoes or instant mashed potato flakes instead.

Need a nut-free + egg-free option? You can leave out the egg and almond flour (you can't omit just one; you must omit both to maintain the moisture balance). The meatballs won't be as tender. 

PALEO: If you need a Paleo option, use a ketchup that is only sweetened by honey or monk fruit, like Primal Kitchen Tad Sweet Ketchup. Add additional coconut sugar to taste, if needed as those ketchups are often less sweet to start with.

CAN I MAKE THESE IN SLOW COOKER OR INSTANT POT? I don't recommend cooking the meatballs in the slow cooker or the Instant Pot; the results aren't great. But, if you make the meatballs in the air fryer or oven, you can then combine it in the instant pot or slow cooker. For the INSTANT POT, set on Saute and cook the sauce as described above. You can then add the meatballs into the sauce and keep warm in the instant pot for a party. For the SLOW COOKER, add the cooked meatballs and all the sauce ingredients to the slow cooker bowl. Cook on high for 1 hour or low for 2-3 hours. 

Nutrition

Calories: 475kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 26gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 124mgSodium: 1233mgPotassium: 403mgFiber: 2gSugar: 24gVitamin A: 69IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 67mgIron: 3mg

Keyword budget-friendly, dairy-free, easy, egg-free, gluten-free, kid-friendly, main dish, nut-free, paleo

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