These juicy baked meatballs are ready fast. Made without breadcrumbs, they are low-carb, gluten-free, and one of my go-to weeknight dinners because everyone loves them.
The meatballs are delicious with or without the glaze, but I usually add it since it's so easy to make.
Whenever I'm short on time or unsure what to make for dinner, I take a package of vacuum-sealed ground beef out of the fridge - I always have a few since they keep for so long - and make these baked meatballs.
I'm a big fan of baking. It's a hands-off cooking method that requires far less attention and vigilance than pan-frying. In addition to these meatballs, I also bake these pork meatballs, Asian meatballs, and keto meatballs.
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Ingredients
Here's an overview of the ingredients needed to make these meatballs. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below.
For the meatballs:
- Lean ground beef: I use a mixture of 85% lean and 15% fat.
- To season: Kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.
- Parmesan cheese: I use finely grated parmesan and not coarsely shredded.
For the sauce:
- Unsweetened ketchup: I get it at Whole Foods or on Amazon.
- Maple syrup: You can use a sugar-free alternative, as shown in the photo below.
- Soy sauce: I use reduced-sodium soy sauce in most of my recipes. You can use a gluten-free alternative if needed.
- Spices: Garlic powder and cayenne pepper.
Variations
- While I don't recommend using extra-lean (93% lean) ground beef, you can use fattier beef, such as 80% lean or 75% lean.
- You can make this recipe with ground chicken, pork, or turkey.
- Sometimes I add more spices - 1 teaspoon of paprika and ½ teaspoon of thyme.
- Instead of parmesan, I sometimes use ¼ cup of almond flour. But parmesan is more flavorful.
Baked Meatballs Instructions
Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps for making this recipe:
- Mix the meatball ingredients in a bowl.
- Form them into meatballs.
- Arrange the meatballs on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet.
- Bake them for 15 minutes at 400°F.
- Gently heat the sauce ingredients in a saucepan. Add the meatballs to the sauce and toss to coat.
- Serve immediately.
Expert Tips
- I don't recommend using extra-lean ground beef in this recipe. It's too dry, so the meatballs won't be as juicy.
- To keep the meatballs juicy, don't overbake them. 15 minutes at 400°F should be enough for them to be cooked through without becoming too dry. However, ovens vary, so check with an instant-read thermometer to ensure they are ready.
- If you need to feed a crowd, this recipe scales beautifully. I often double it to ensure I have tasty leftovers for several days.
Recipe FAQs
You can make meatballs with no filler at all, just like a burger patty.
If you'd like to use a filler, you can use crushed pork rinds, almond flour, or grated parmesan cheese.
No. In fact, if you add too many breadcrumbs, you risk them becoming too dry and falling apart. But when you make them with just ground beef and seasonings, they are perfect.
Yes. Baking is easier than frying - it's a hands-off cooking approach, which I appreciate. The meatballs cook beautifully in the oven and come out evenly cooked.
These meatballs are excellent plain, without any sauce. They are well-seasoned and flavorful. But the glaze is so quick and easy that I usually make it. It adds a lovely flavor to the dish.
Serving Suggestions
I like to serve these baked meatballs on top of something that would absorb the tasty sauce, such as cauliflower rice, mashed cauliflower, zucchini noodles, or hearts of palm pasta.
I also add a vegetable side, such as any of the following:
Storing Leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. Reheat them in the microwave, covered, at 50% power. You can also freeze the leftovers for up to three months.
You can also enjoy them cold. One of my favorite lunches is a plate of cold leftover meatballs, hard-boiled eggs, Dijon mustard, fresh-cut veggies, and quick pickles.
More Meatball Recipes
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Recipe Card
Baked Meatballs (No Breadcrumbs)
Ingredients
Meatballs:
- 1 pound ground beef - 85% lean
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt - or ½ teaspoon of any other salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese - grated - not shredded
Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened ketchup
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup - or a sugar-free syrup
- 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce - or a gluten-free alternative
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- â…› teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with high-heat-resistant parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, use your hands to mix together the meatball ingredients: ground beef, kosher salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and parmesan.
- Form the mixture into 20 meatballs. It's easiest to shape the mixture into a log, slice it into five slices, then divide each slice into four parts and shape those into meatballs.
- Place the meatballs on the prepared baking sheet, not touching each other. Bake them until they are cooked through, about 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, whisk together the sauce ingredients: ketchup, maple syrup, soy sauce, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper.
- Five minutes before the meatballs should be done, heat the sauce gently over medium-low heat. If it seems too thick, add a tablespoon or two of water.
- When the meatballs are done baking, use tongs to transfer them to the sauce. Gently toss to coat.
- Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- I don't recommend using extra-lean ground beef in this recipe. It's too dry, so the meatballs won't be as juicy.
- To keep the meatballs juicy, don't overbake them. 15 minutes at 400°F should be enough for them to be cooked through without becoming too dry. However, ovens vary, so to ensure they are ready, check with an instant-read thermometer.
- If you need to feed a crowd, this recipe scales beautifully. I often double it to ensure I have tasty leftovers for several days.
- You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. Reheat them in the microwave, covered, at 50% power. You can also freeze the leftovers for up to three months.
Nutrition per Serving
Disclaimers
Cup measurements refer to the standard American cup, which is 240 milliliters. Most of my recipes are low-carb (or keto) and gluten-free, but some are not. Please verify that a recipe fits your needs before using it. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate, and the carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Nutrition info may contain errors, so please verify it independently. Recipes may contain errors, so please use your common sense when following them. Please read these Terms of Use carefully before using any of my recipes.
Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. 
Anita
I came across this recipe because I wanted to make meatballs for my toddler but I had no breadcrumbs, and he absolutely loved these, my husband also said they were better than his favourite Swedish meatballs from ikea so thank you for these! Will definitely make these regularly now. I had the meatballs in for exactly 15 minutes and in my oven they were perfect.
Vered DeLeeuw
I'm so glad this recipe was a success, Anita! Thank you for taking the time to write a detailed review.
Nancy
Very tasty but for me dry when following recipe as stated. An instant thermometer read a temp over 185. My thermometer says it should be160 for medium. So if I make this again I will have to lower the time maybe to 11 min and then decide if they go back in.
Vered DeLeeuw
Hi Nancy,
Thanks for the feedback! Oven temperatures vary. Your plan to check on them next time after 11 minutes is perfect.