Photo: Chris Emeott
My son has celiac disease, and it’s been a culinary adventure to find gluten-free recipes that taste like their wheat-filled counterparts. After trial and error, this is his favorite meatball recipe. If you can find certified gluten-free barbecue sauce, feel free to use that instead of making it from scratch. For spices, not all are gluten free. Our family uses the Badia brand, which can be found in local grocery stores.
Discover more Thanksgiving recipes from editors Feroza Mehta and Renée Stewart-Hester.
Gluten-Free Cranberry Meatballs
Meatballs
- 2 lbs. ground beef
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese, grated
- ½ cup gluten-free breadcrumbs
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/3 cup yellow onion, diced
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- ½ tsp. black pepper
Cranberry Sauce
- 12 oz. cranberries, fresh or frozen
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup water
- 2 Tbsp. orange juice
- 1 cinnamon stick, optional
- ⅛ tsp. kosher salt
Barbecue Sauce
- 1 cup chicken broth
- ½ cup ketchup
- ¼ cup dark molasses
- 2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
- 1 tsp. smoked paprika
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
Preheat the oven to 450 F. Line two baking pans with aluminum foil; set aside. Place ground beef, eggs, milk, Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, garlic, onion, salt and pepper into a large mixing bowl. Mix with your hands until loosely combined. Roll into 1-inch sized balls. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes or until they are cooked through. Let cool on the pan for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack with a plate underneath to catch fat drippings. While the meatballs are cooling, start the cranberry sauce. Add water, cranberries, sugar, orange juice, cinnamon and salt to a saucepan, and turn the stove to medium-high heat. Stir occasionally. Allow the mixture to come to a rolling boil; reduce to a simmer. Cook until the cranberries start to pop. Using a potato masher, gently squish the berries until the mixture turns into a jam-like consistency, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat, and let cool for 30 minutes. For the barbecue sauce, place broth, ketchup, molasses, onion powder, vinegar, smoked paprika and lemon juice in a medium sized saucepan. Mix with a wire whisk to combine. Cook on medium-low heat until mixture thickens, whisking often, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. In a slow cooker, add barbecue and cranberry sauces. Stir to combine. Add meatballs and be sure to coat all of them in the sauce. Cover, and cook on low for 2 hours. Stir before serving.
