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A plate filled with mashed potatoes and Swedish meatballs and gravy on top.

Gluten Free Swedish Meatballs

Kaleena Martinez
This gluten free Swedish meatball recipe with creamy dairy free gravy uses simple ingredients to create the most perfect comfort dish.
3.60 from 5 votes
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Dinner
Cuisine Swedish
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

For the meatballs:

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • ¼ cup almond flour
  • ¼ cup dairy free milk
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon ghee
  • 2 teaspoons dried parsley
  • 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon allspice
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg

For the gravy

  • 2 cups broth beef or chicken
  • ½ cup dairy free milk
  • ¼ cup ghee
  • 2 tablespoons coconut aminos
  • 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
  • 2 teaspoons dijon mustard

EQUIPMENT NEEDED

  • 1 Large mixing bowl
  • 1 Medium mixing bowl
  • 1 large skillet

Instructions
 

Cooking the meatballs

  • Add the ghee to a large skillet and melt over medium heat
  • Add all the remaining meatball ingredients to a large mixing bowl and combine well
  • Using your hands, an ice cream scoop, or a cookie scoop, roll the meatball mixture into 1.5 inch balls and place them in the pan. You can make them smaller or bigger if you prefer.
  • Cook the meatballs for about 5-7 minutes and then turn them upside down and cook the other side for another 5-7 minutes
  • Once you have cooked both sides of the meatballs, using tongs, turn the meatballs on their sides and cook each side for 2 minutes then remove from the skillet and place on a plate

Making the Gravy

  • To the skillet that you cooked the meatballs with all the pan drippings, add the ghee and let it melt a minute or two on medium heat then whisk in the arrowroot flour and let cook for 1-2 minutes
  • Add the dairy free milk, broth, coconut aminos, and dijon mustard to a medium mixing bowl and whisk together
  • Add the gravy mixture to the skillet and whisk to combine
  • Let the gravy thicken for about 5 minutes on medium heat whisking occasionally (see notes if your gravy isn't thick enough)
  • Once the gravy is thickened add the meatballs back into the pan with the gravy and turn the heat to low. Let the meatballs and gravy cook on low for 5 minutes.

Notes

Substitutions
Almond flour- Gluten free breadcrumbs can be used. You can also use regular bread crumbs if you don't have a gluten allergy.
Dairy free milk- Any unsweetened dairy free milk will work in this recipe, almond milk, oat milk, coconut milk, or cashew milk. For the gravy- you can use coconut cream or dairy free sour cream.
Ground beef- If you don't want to use ground beef, you can use ground bison, ground chicken, ground pork, ground turkey, or any ground meat you have.
Coconut aminos- You can use Worcestershire sauce or gluten-free soy sauce.
Arrowroot flour- If you don't have arrowroot powder, tapioca flour can be used.
Beef broth- If you don't have beef broth or beef stock then you can use chicken or vegetable broth, stock, or bone broth.
Ghee- If you have a dairy allergy you can use avocado oil, coconut oil, or olive oil.
Egg- You can use a flax egg. A flax egg is 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseeds and 3 tablespoons of warm water. Mix the ground flaxseeds with the warm water and let it sit for about 5 minutes then add it to the meatball mixture.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between Swedish meatballs and regular meatballs?
Swedish meatballs use seasonings like nutmeg and allspice whereas regular Italian meatballs use seasonings like basil, parsley, and garlic.
How do you keep gluten-free meatballs from falling apart?
Using a gluten free binder like almond flour or gluten free breadcrumbs helps to hold your meatballs together.
What to use instead of breadcrumbs in meatballs?
You can use almond flour, gluten free crackers crumbled up, or even gluten free panko.
What to serve with
I love serving these flavorful meatballs with my Whole30 mashed potatoes but here are some other great options you can serve them with.
    • cauliflower rice
    • cauliflower mash with fresh parsley
    • gluten-free noodles or pasta
Tips/notes
If you feel like the gravy sauce isn't getting thick enough, you can make an arrowroot slurry to help thicken it up. Spoon out a few tablespoons of the gravy into a small bowl, add 1 teaspoon of arrowroot flour, whisk it together well, and then add it back to the gravy and stir. It should start thickening up more. You can repeat this if you feel you need the gravy to be even thicker.
Use an ice cream scoop or a cookie scoop to spoon out an even amount of the meatball mixture. That way your meatballs are all the same size.
Storing/reheating
Store these meatballs in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
I reheat these meatballs in the microwave with some of the leftover gravy.

Nutrition

Calories: 434kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 27gFat: 32gSaturated Fat: 15gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 153mgSodium: 1072mgPotassium: 465mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 488IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 103mgIron: 3mg

*nutrition information is an approximate

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