Ooo, these Salisbury Steak Meatballs are a quick and easy comfort food dish! All the cozy flavor of Salisbury steak without the laborious time-consuming prep!
Why We Love These Salisbury Steak Meatballs
- They are Whole30, Paleo, Keto, gluten-free, dairy-free, with nut-free and egg-free options! We know there are so many different allergen needs out there, and I tried to offer solutions for as many as possible with this recipe.
- Plus, they are a quick and easy 30-minute ground beef family dinner. I know you are busy and many don’t have more than 30 minutes to get dinner on the table. Use this delicious 30-minute meal to make that happen on a busy night!
- Also, my Salisbury Steak Meatballs are freezer-friendly and kid-approved! Trust me, I get picky eaters – my 5 boys were the WORST. These are kid-approved by my boys. And, they freeze great if you want to make a double batch and throw them in the freezer for a heat and eat dinner later. This makes them great for meal prep!
- And, they can be cooked in the air fryer or oven. We love options at our house! I love meatballs cooked in the air fryer, as they are super juicy. Learn more about what air fryer I have and love here. But, if you don’t have an air fryer, I include oven instructions as well.
- Finally, my meatballs are budget-friendly. This recipe uses simple ingredients I can find all at my local Walmart.
Ingredients
- 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.
- 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 – No soy is allowed on Whole30, so no soy sauce is allowed. But coconut aminos are a great soy sauce replacement and add a great depth of flavor. We can find coconut aminos at Walmart or Trader Joes.
- 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.
- Olive or avocado oil – We will just use a touch of this to saute the onion in.
- Onion – Yellow, white or sweet onion will all work in this recipe.
- Beef broth or beef bone broth – For budget reasons, I just use this Whole30 compatible basic beef broth from Walmart. But, if it’s in your budget to use beef bone broth – awesome! Bone broth has added nutrients and protein.
- Arrowroot or Potato Starch or Flour – These act like cornstarch to thicken the gravy sauce of this dish. I do not recommend using tapioca flour, as it will make the results tacky. Learn more about Paleo flours and how to use them here.
How to Make Salisbury Steak 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.
- 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 even as much 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 and cooked through.
- While meatballs are cooking, make the gravy. I also use this time to start a batch of my Creamy Mashed Potatoes to pair with it – so good!
- GRAVY: In a medium saucepan or pot, add oil over medium heat. Once hot, add sliced onions and saute for about 5 minutes, until translucent.
- While onions are cooking, whisk together all the remaining gravy ingredients. Add to onions once onions are cooked.
- Cook the gravy, stirring regularly, for about 4-5 minutes until it thickens.
- In a large serving dish, place cooked meatballs. Pour the gravy on top and serve! We love this served on top of mashed potatoes with a side of steamed peas or green beans.
- STORE leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 1 week or the freezer for up to 3 months.
Want More Easy 30-Minute Ground Beef Dinners?
Here are some of our other favorite quick + family-friendly dinners you’ll love!
- Salisbury Steak Meatballs(Whole30, Paleo)
- Ground Beef Stir-fry (Whole30, Paleo)
- Taco Soup (Whole30, Paleo, Stove or Instant Pot)
- Sloppy Joes (Whole30, Paleo)
- Taco Pasta (Gluten-free + Dairy-free, Paleo option)
Salisbury Steak Meatballs
A 30-minute family dinner remake of a comfort-food classic!
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 pound ground beef or half ground pork + half 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
Gravy
- 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil or avocado oil
- 1/4 medium yellow onion thinly sliced
- 1 1/2 cup beef broth or beef bone broth
- 1 1/2 tablespoon arrowroot or potato starch
- 1 tablespoon coconut aminos
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- 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 even as much 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 and cooked through.
- While meatballs are cooking, make the gravy. I also use this time to start a batch of my Creamy Mashed Potatoes to pair with it - so good!
- GRAVY: In a medium saucepan or pot, add oil over medium heat. Once hot, add sliced onions and saute for about 5 minutes, until translucent.
- While onions are cooking, whisk together all the remaining gravy ingredients. Add to onions once onions are cooked.
- Cook the gravy over medium heat, stirring regularly, for about 4-5 minutes until it thickens.
- In a large serving dish, place cooked meatballs. Pour the gravy on top and serve! We love this served on top of mashed potatoes with a side of steamed peas or green beans.
- STORE leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 1 week or the freezer for up to 3 months.
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 + almond flour (cannot just omit one, must omit both egg + almond flour to keep the moisture balance), the meatballs just won't be as tender.
Nutrition
Calories: 393kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 27gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 124mgSodium: 1325mgPotassium: 449mgFiber: 2gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 70IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 71mgIron: 3mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
A must try recipe! It’s delicious and easy. Family loved it. Will be sharing this and making it again and again;) thank you!
So happy to hear this—thank you! WOOT that your whole family enjoyed it and that you’ll be making it again 😊 Thank you so much for the comment, it really means a lot to me!
Delicious!
So glad you thought it was delicious—thank you for leaving a review!
Autumn!!! This one is such a winner!! We tried it for the first time tonight. I didn’t have almond flour but subbed Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-free all-purpose flour and it was fantastic. The tablespoon size allowed the meatballs to cook so fast. This is going to be a regular in our rotation for sure. Thanks for another banger!!
Ahh, this makes me so happy to hear! Love that the flour swap worked well and that it cooked up quickly—total win. Thanks so much for sharing and for the awesome review!
This recipe is a family favorite. I’m making it for the umpteenth time tonight and my boys are excited!
That makes me so happy to hear! 💛 Love that it’s become a family favorite — thank you for sharing and for making it again and again!
Made these meatballs with venison last night AND THEY ARE FANTASTIC! Thank you so much for these recipes! We recently decided to eat whole 30 and eliminate processed food from diets as much as possible. Your recipes have helped us so much! THANK YOU!
Aw, I’m so happy my recipes could make your Whole30 delicious! Glad you found me and thank you for the rave review of these!
Nice to see someone else using fresh game. I usually make mine with ground elk and they are a family favorite!
If these are anything like her Salisbury steak recipe in her cookbook, make them! Also, buy the cookbook! It is the best for families!
Well thank you all around! And YES, these a meatball version that has a similar delicious flavor to my cookbook version but with less time (no breading). THANK YOU for the comment and the cookbook love – so happy you are enjoying it!
The whole family loved this! I was super proud of how the gravy turned out (even though it had nothing to do with me!). The meatballs were amazing in the air fryer and my son even finished them off cold right from the fridge the next day. Thanks for this keeper!
Aw, I love that this empowered you in the kitchen and helped you create something you were proud of and the family loved. Let’s gooooo! Thank you for the review – those help me so much!
This recipe is delicious! If you have family of gravy lovers, I’d recommend doubling the gravy recipe. My family was fighting over the gravy. Haha! Thanks for sharing this delicious meal!
Gravy fights at the dinner table? That’s when you know it’s good! So glad your family enjoyed it—doubling the gravy sounds like a solid move. Thanks so much for the review!