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Easy Crockpot BBQ Meatballs – Gluten Free


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4.5 from 2 reviews

  • Author: Amy Estes
  • Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
  • Yield: 20 Meatballs 1x
  • Diet: Gluten Free

Description

These Crockpot BBQ Meatballs make the perfect quick and easy appetizer or main meal served over pasta or cauliflower rice. Kids and adults love them and they are loaded with flavor and come out wonderfully tender and delicious. 


Ingredients

Scale

For the meatballs

  • 1 pound lean ground turkey – 93/7
  • 1 large egg – lightly whisked
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
  • 1/4 cup minced shallot
  • 1/3 cup gluten free breadcrumbs – any type will work
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Other

  • 1.5 cups of your favorite gluten free BBQ Sauce

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F, line a baking sheet with foil, and lightly spray with cooking spray.  Set aside. 
  2. Add all meatball ingredients to a medium size mixing bowl. Mix well to combine into a meatball mixture. Make sure not to over-mix.
  3. Use your hands to roll the meatballs into 1 tablespoon size balls and place them about 1 inch apart on the foil-lined (for easy clean up) baking sheet. Lightly spray the foil with cooking spray to prevent the meatballs from sticking.
  4. Bake the meatballs in the 400-degree oven for 12-15 minutes. Then remove them and let them cool for a few minutes. Use a meat thermometer to check that the meatballs are 160 degrees F. They will continue to cook to 165 degrees while cooling.
  5. Allow the meatballs to cool for 5 minutes then add the meatballs to the bottom of a crockpot or slow cooker. Pour the BBQ sauce over the meatballs and lightly toss them in the sauce. Secure the lid and set the slow cooker to low and cook for 2-3 hours.  You can also cook them on high for 1 hour.
  6. Once the meatballs are done cooking, toss them in the sauce a little more to get them all nice and coated, and transfer them to a serving platter or plate and top with dried parsley for garnish. Serve hot with extra BBQ sauce for dipping on the side. See the post for more serving suggestions.

    Notes

    • Make sure not to overtax the meat mixture. Once you notice the ingredients are well mixed and incorporated into the meat then stop mixing. I recommend cracking and whisking the egg in a separate bowl first so that you don’t have to mix in so much with the meat.
    • Roll the meatballs into even size balls. This is important because you want them all to cook at the same time. I used a round tablespoon to measure each of the meatballs and this recipe yielded exactly 20 meatballs that were 1 tablespoon each. You can also use a small cookie scoop as well.
    • Use a meat thermometer to test the doneness of the meatballs. These turkey meatballs should be cooked to 160 degrees F (they will continue to cook after you remove them from the oven, up to 165 degrees F (i.e carryover cooking time). I always use a meat thermometer to ensure they are properly cooked. It should take roughly 12-15 minutes for them to cook.
    • You can store these meatballs after cooking them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Easily reheat them in the microwave.
    • After you have rolled the meatballs you can either cook them right away or freeze them. 
    • To freeze these meatballs after being cooked: Once you have baked the meatballs before you combine them with the BBQ sauce, let them cool completely, transfer them to a freezer-friendly container and keep them in the freezer for up to 30 days. When ready to use, add them to the crockpot with the BBQ sauce and cook as directed in the recipe.
      • Prep Time: 10 minutes
      • Cook Time: 2 hours
      • Category: Healthy Dinner Ideas
      • Method: Crockpot
      • Cuisine: American