These Gluten-Free Swedish Meatballs are a healthy, hearty dinner!
Juicy meatballs are coated in a thick, creamy sauce. They’re great with mashed potatoes, rice or cauliflower rice.
And you don’t even need gluten-free breadcrumbs!
Plus they’re dairy-free, keto, low carb, Paleo and Whole30 friendly.
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Why this recipe works
Swedish meatballs are typically made with beef and pork and then covered in a thick, creamy gravy.
And while they’ve been popularized by IKEA, the furniture store, the recipe actually originated in Turkey (so they should really be called Turkish Meatballs).
But since the meatballs use breadcrumbs and the gravy uses dairy, Swedish meatballs are off-limits for those of us who are gluten-free, dairy-free and/or Paleo.
So I made a few simple swaps so now even more people can enjoy them!
Out go the breadcrumbs. We won’t even need gluten-free breadcrumbs. Instead, we’ll use nutritional yeast, which adds a subtle umami flavor and, along with an egg, helps bind the meatballs.
We also need a dairy-free Swedish meatball sauce. So instead of heavy cream or sour cream, we’ll use coconut cream, the thick part from a can of unsweetened coconut milk. Trust me, with all the other ingredients, you won’t taste the coconut!
Plus we’ll make a slurry out of arrowroot flour/starch and water to thicken the sauce.
And that’s how you make Swedish meatballs gluten-free, dairy-free and Paleo!
It’s all made in one pan, too.
And this recipe keeps well in the fridge or freezer, too, so it’s great for meal prep.
See the FAQ below for serving ideas.
What you need
See FAQ below for substitutions.
Ingredients for the meatballs:
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil, plus 1/4 cup, divided – Avocado oil has a neutral flavor and high smoke point, but you could also use extra virgin olive oil.
- 1/2 cup peeled, diced shallots – You’ll need about 2 large or 3 medium shallots.
- 2 peeled, minced garlic cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus 1 teaspoon, divided
- 1 pound lean ground beef (90-93%) – Using lean ground beef keeps the meatballs from being too greasy, especially since the ground pork will also add some fat.
- 1/2 pound ground pork
- 1/3 cup nutritional yeast – This adds a subtle umami flavor and helps bind the meatballs instead of using breadcrumbs.
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg – The nutmeg and allspice add the subtle, familiar flavors of traditional Swedish meatballs. Don’t skip them!
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
Ingredients for the sauce:
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 tablespoon coconut aminos – This replaces Worcestershire sauce used in traditional recipes, which often has sugar and sometimes other non-Paleo ingredients.
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar – This adds a bit of tang to the sauce, the same way sour cream adds tanginess to the traditional recipe.
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard – This also adds tanginess, color and body to the sauce.
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3/4 cup coconut cream – Chill a can of full-fat unsweetened coconut milk in the fridge for at least 24 hours. Open the top, scoop out the thick coconut cream at the top and use the coconut water for something else (like a smoothie).
- 1 tablespoon arrowroot flour/starch + 1 tablespoon cold water – The arrowroot and water will be mixed together to make a slurry that will thicken the sauce.
- 3 tablespoons chopped Italian (flat-leaf) parsley, divided (optional)
Equipment:
- a large skillet or saute pan
- measuring spoons
- measuring cups
- a large measuring glass (4-8 cup)
- a cutting board
- a chef’s knife
- a medium mixing bowl
- a small mixing bowl
- 2 dinner plates
- a whisk
- cooking tongs
- a spatula (the kind for stirring, not flipping)
- paper towels
- a 2-tablespoon ice cream/cookie scoop (optional)
How to make Gluten-Free Swedish Meatballs
Step 1
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots, garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt and saute, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
Step 2
In a medium mixing bowl, add the beef, pork, nutritional yeast, egg, 1 teaspoon salt, oregano, black pepper, nutmeg and allspice. Add the shallot/garlic mixture and set the pan aside (no need to clean it; it will be used later). Using a spatula or your hands, stir everything together.
Step 3
Using a 2-tablespoon ice cream/cookie scoop, a tablespoon or your hands, form the meat mixture into 2-tablespoon-sized balls (rolling each one between your palms) and place on a plate.
Step 4
Wipe the skillet with a paper towel to get rid of any little bits of shallot or garlic. Heat the 1/4 cup oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and brown them on all sides, about 3-4 minutes per side (most of them will need to be cooked on 3-4 “sides”), using cooking tong to turn them. Remove the cooked meatballs to a new, clean dinner plate.
Step 5
While the meatballs are cooking, prepare the sauce: in a large measuring glass, whisk the broth, coconut aminos, vinegar, mustard, dried parsley and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
Step 6
Once you’ve removed the meatballs from the pan, add the sauce to the skillet. Use a whisk or spatula to scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan (adding flavor to the sauce and making the pan easier to clean later).
Step 7
Add the coconut cream and whisk or stir until it has blended in.
Step 8
Bring the sauce to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium and let the sauce simmer for about 5 minutes, until slightly reduced and thickened.
Step 9
In a small bowl, whisk the arrowroot with 1 tablespoon cold water until it blends together to create a slurry. Whisk the sauce while you slowly pour in the slurry, then keep whisking to make sure it’s evenly blended into the sauce.
Stir in most of the flat-leaf parsley, if using.
Step 9
Add the meatballs back to the pan and turn them over to coat them in the sauce. Let them get warm while the sauce continues to simmer and thicken. Once the meatballs are warmed through, sprinkle with the remaining parsley and serve.
The sauce might form a skin on the surface as it sits – just whisk it back into the sauce.
You can use a mixture of 3/4 pound lean ground beef and 3/4 pound ground pork.
You can use ground turkey in place of the beef or pork.
You can use yellow or white onion in place of the shallots.
Don’t have fresh garlic? Add 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder to the meatball mixture instead.
You can use chicken broth in place of the beef broth (or a combination of both).
You can use grainy mustard in place of Dijon.
You can use lemon juice in place of the apple cider vinegar.
You can remove the apple cider vinegar and coconut cream and instead use dairy-free sour cream. I like Kite Hill (for dairy-free) or Forager (for dairy-free/Paleo/Whole30).
Yep! The meatballs and sauce can be stored together in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in a skillet over low heat.
Yep! The meatballs and sauce can be frozen together for up to 3 months.
Or you can freeze them separately. Place the meatballs on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until frozen through, about 1-2 hours. Then transfer to an airtight container or baggie.
The sauce can be frozen in an airtight container or baggie.
Reheat the meatballs and sauce together in a skillet over low heat.
You can serve them with a lot of different sides: long, thick noodles; zucchini noodles, mashed potatoes; mashed cauliflower; rice, or try cauliflower or other veggie rice.
Yep. We’ve removed any dairy products used in the traditional version and have replaced them with dairy-free alternatives like coconut cream (or dairy-free sour cream; see substitutions above).
Yes. The recipe as written uses all Paleo-friendly ingredients. There is no gluten, grains, dairy, legumes or other non-Paleo ingredients used.
Yes. The recipe as written uses all Whole30-compatible ingredients. There is no gluten, grains, dairy, legumes or other non-Whole30 ingredients used.
Yes. They have 14 grams of carbs per serving and 3 grams of fiber, so they have 11 grams of net carbs. Plus they’re a good source of protein and are high in fat, making them appropriate for a keto lifestyle.
Yes. They only have 14 grams of carbs per serving, making them appropriate for a low carb lifestyle. To keep the whole meal low carb, serve the meatballs with low carb noodles (such as zucchini or spaghetti squash), mashed cauliflower or cauliflower rice.
You might also like:
- Whole30 Turkey Meatballs (gluten-free, dairy-free, Paleo)
- 3 Easy Paleo Meatballs (gluten-free, dairy-free, Whole30)
- Paleo Mashed Potatoes (dairy-free, Whole30)
- Whole30 Shepherd’s Pie (gluten-free, dairy-free, Paleo)
Gluten-Free Swedish Meatballs (Paleo, Whole30)
Ingredients
For the meatballs:
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil, plus 1/4 cup, divided
- ½ cup peeled, diced shallots from about 2 large or 3 medium shallots
- 2 peeled, minced garlic cloves
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, plus 1 teaspoon, divided
- 1 pound lean ground beef 90-93%
- ½ pound ground pork
- ⅓ cup nutritional yeast
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
For the sauce:
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 tablespoon coconut aminos
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¾ cup coconut cream see notes
- 1 tablespoon arrowroot flour/starch + 1 tablespoon cold water
- 3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf (Italian) parsley optional
Instructions
For the meatballs:
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots, garlic and ¼ teaspoon salt and saute, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, add the beef, pork, nutritional yeast, egg, 1 teaspoon salt, oregano, black pepper, nutmeg and allspice. Add the shallot/garlic mixture and set the pan aside (no need to wash it; it will be used later). Using a spatula or your hands, stir everything together.
- Using a 2-tablespoon ice cream/cookie scoop, a tablespoon or your hands, form the meat mixture into 2-tablespoon-sized balls (rolling each one between your palms) and place on a plate.
- Wipe the skillet with a paper towel to get rid of any little bits of shallots or garlic. Heat the ¼ cup oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and brown them on all sides, about 3-4 minutes per side (most of them will need to be cooked on 3-4 "sides"), using cooking tongs to turn them. Remove the cooked meatballs to a new, clean dinner plate.
For the sauce
- While the meatballs are cooking, prepare the sauce: in a large measuring glass, whisk the broth, coconut aminos, vinegar, mustard, dried parsley and ¼ teaspoon salt.
- Once you've removed the meatballs from the pan, add the sauce to the skillet. Use a whisk or spatula to scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan (adding flavor to the sauce and making the pan easier to clean later).
- Add the coconut cream and whisk or stir until it has blended in.
- Bring the sauce to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium and let the sauce simmer for about 5 minutes, until slightly reduced and thickened.
- Add the meatballs back to the pan and turn them over to coat them in the sauce. Let them get warm while the sauce continues to simmer and thicken. Once the meatballs are warmed through, sprinkle with the remaining parsley and serve.The sauce might form a skin on the surface as it sits – just whisk it back into the sauce.
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