Meatballs are just the best all-around: They’re easy to assemble and cook without fail, and they make a mean meal prep starter. Not to mention, they’re endlessly satisfying and the purest form of comfort food around. However, the traditional breadcrumb binder renders them off limits if you’re trying to cut gluten out for one reason or another (talking to you, keto dieters!). Sure, many gluten-free or breadcrumb-free meatball recipes exist on the interwebs, but we challenge you to find one that results in light, fluffy, tender chicken meatballs like these game-changers. The secret ingredient? Almond flour!

Ricotta Chicken meatballs

(Makes about 24 meatballs)

Recipe Notes: Serve these naked, with a cream-based or a tomato-based sauce alongside zucchini noodles, a roasted vegetable, or a gluten-free pasta if your diet permits. Always garnish meatballs with more ricotta no matter how you serve them, because ricotta makes everything tastier.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup blanched almond flour
  • 1/2 cup grated high quality Parmesan cheese
  • 1 tablespoon dried Italian herbs
  • 1/2 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup grated onion
  • 1/2 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • cracked black pepper
  • 2 pounds ground dark meat chicken

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F (preferably convection if you have it), and line a sheet pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil.

2. In a medium mixing bowl, stir all of the ingredients except for the chicken together using a fork until well combined.

3. Place ground chicken in a large mixing bowl, and stir in the ricotta mixture with a fork using large circular motions until well incorporated. (Mixture should seem slightly wet.)

5. Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, scoop balls onto the parchment-lined sheet pan. Try to space them out evenly. It’s okay if they touch.

6. Place in oven and roast for 25 minutes, turning pan halfway through.

7. Remove meatballs from oven and serve immediately with the accoutrements of your choice.

Show us your take on these meatballs by tagging @BritandCo on Instagram!

(Recipe and photos via Ashley Bare / Brit + Co)

Ashley Bare
Ashley primarily works as a nomadic private chef happily serving her international clientele all over the world. She also does freelance recipe R&D, having recently worked with cookbook authors Mads Refslund, James Peterson, Candice Kumai, Tama Matsuoko, and Alison Cayne. In her former NYC life, she was a culinary instructor. Teaching people how to cook with confidence remains her professional passion. She hopes to open a cooking school in the next couple years. In addition to building a food and cooking empire, Ashley also obsesses over travel (see @cendrenue), learning languages, interior design, dance cardio, and amaro liqueurs.