Meatball Recipe Without Breadcrumbs

We have used this basic meatball recipe without breadcrumbs for years. You can add them into spaghetti or sauced as an appetizer! They are easy to bake in your oven in just 10 minutes this week.

You definitely need a basic meatballs recipe in your back pocket because they are so versatile that you can use them for all sorts of meals!! You can make them with ground beef or ground sausage without breadcrumbs.

Whether you want to make a party appetizer, or spaghetti and meatballs for dinner, these will be a hit. You can make them in bulk and save some for later too. We buy bulk meat online or get 1/2 a cow from a local farmer each year. It is great because that means I go to the store less often and I know it is organic, grass fed meat.

Needless to say we have a lot of ground beef to use every year!! These are a favorite for sure in my house because they’re so versatile. Eat them as is for a protein packed, low carb dinner or dress them up with tasty sauces of all kinds. You can bake these, or steam them in your Instant Pot if you want too.

What can you use to make meatballs without breadcrumbs?

You will need some sort of binding agent to make these. Some use breadcrumbs (I have too at times) but we wanted an alternative once and found that the best one we found to be was quick oats. This will help keep them together to not fall apart and give them a great texture (and added fiber).

Crackers can be pulverized into a sand-like texture and used too. Quinoa can be made and incorporated instead, or flaxseed meal will help to bind ingredients and add fiber too.

What is the best meat to use?

Then you are going to want to choose what type of protein you’re going to use. We are using half lean ground beef and half of it will be ground sausage. Hot Jimmy Dean, probably my favorite combination to use.

An egg for me is a must for an easy meatball recipe and/or my quick meatloaf recipe. The addition of herbs and spices is a must to get bold flavors and have that wow factor! And a diced onion brings a bit of texture to them which we love, but optional.

Then it’s time to pop them in the oven or your air fryer or oven! When they are done you can just enjoy as is as a keto low carb snack or throw them into a meal. Sauced is wonderful too like our Swedish meatball sauce for a feel good comfort meal.

What can you use other than eggs to make meatballs?

If you cannot have eggs this is a good tip to have on hand. To make egg free meatballs just substitute 2 tablespoons tomato paste per egg during the mixing process. This works especially well for Italian style meatballs, or when serving the meatballs with a tomato sauce. You could mix in 1/2 cup of mashed potatoes in place of two eggs too. Use russet or Yukon gold potatoes for the least change in flavor.

Gluten Free Option

You can make these gluten free if necessary. And once they are made you can cook them however you like. In the oven is directed below but you can follow how to cook meatballs on the stovetop here as well. With sauce they are killer.

Add a bit of Worcestershire sauce to add more flavor. Whip up a a batch and bake or air fry them. Make a huge batch, use some and freeze the rest for later too! If you love batch cooking this is a great one to prepare ahead of time, use some now and more later.

Can you use ground turkey to make meatballs?

Lean ground turkey and/or ground chicken are a bit too wet in my opinion so I don’t use those. You will need a sheet pan for sure. For easier cleanup you could line it with a piece of parchment paper if you’d like or just lightly spray it with some non stick spray.

You can certainly make a double batch and freeze the amount you’d normally use for one dinner. Then you can take out 1 bag, defrost on the countertop and add into your Crockpot spaghetti and meatballs! Another idea is to defrost them and simmer an easy sauce together on the stovetop.

What do I serve meatballs with? 

A good old fashioned meatball sandwich with sauce comes to mind first. I throw these in to make Instant Pot spaghetti, super cheap meal we all love. You can serve them as is with a salad, relish or salsa for a keto friendly meal too. I love to make Instant Pot Swedish meatballs with these too.

Sauce for Meatballs

Our favorite above all else is tossed with our Swedish meatball sauce. Frank’s Red Hot buffalo meatballs are popular too though. Baked meatballs with honey mustard is great or just use spaghetti sauce with some shredded parmesan cheese on top

The easiest is to just pour a bottle of your favorite barbecue sauce on top and warm. Use our simple recipe for cranberry meatballs for the holidays too! If you’re having a party you can pour them into your Crockpot or Instant Pot and set to warm. Set toothpicks next to it and then people can enjoy them throughout the night.