Easy Gluten-Free Chicken Piccata Meatballs Recipe
These tasty, easy gluten-free meatballs are smothered in a lemon caper sauce and are everything you love about chicken piccata in a quick and easy 30-minute recipe! Simple ingredients, juicy meatballs, an easy dinner the whole family will love!
What is Chicken Piccata?
Chicken piccata is a classic Italian dish made with chicken breasts that are dredged in flour, sautéed until golden brown, and then simmered in a savory sauce made with lemon juice, capers, and white wine.
The dish is typically garnished with a sprinkle of fresh parsley and can be served with pasta or rice as a side dish. The tangy and zesty flavors of the sauce perfectly complement the mild and tender chicken.
You may have tried my gluten-free chicken piccata, but I’ve leveled up this amazing dish and made it into delicious gluten free meatball recipe that is ready in under 30 minutes!
What Makes This Recipe Great
There’s just something about meatballs! They’re quick, easy, and flavor-bursting with every bite. Kids and adults love them, and they’re easy to pair with various sides. They’re also easy to freeze and the perfect protein to have on hand when there’s absolutely no time to cook dinner.
These homemade gluten-free meatballs are no exception! I transformed your classic chicken piccata flavors into meatball form, and you are going to love it! The amazing taste and tender, juicy texture are unmatched!
Juicy ground chicken, minced garlic, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, salt, black pepper, and capers come together to create a delicious twist on a much-loved classic Italian dish! Ready in just 25 minutes from prep to serving, this recipe will be a staple on your rotation in no time!
Ingredient Notes
Gluten-Free Meatballs
- Ground Chicken: You can also use ground turkey if you prefer, but sticking to the Chicken Piccata theme, I prefer ground chicken for this recipe. For this reason, I don’t recommend using ground beef or ground pork.
- Nutritional Yeast: This adds amazing cheesy flavor to the meatballs without needing parmesan cheese! You can easily find this at Trader Joe’s, Sprouts, and other local grocery stores.
- Almond Flour: Almond flour is what binds these gluten-free meatballs and keeps them low-carb! This is in place of gluten-free breadcrumbs. You can use your favorite gluten-free flour substitute, but my preference is almond flour.
- Minced Garlic
- Salt and Pepper
- Egg
- Lemon Zest
- Parsley
Lemon Caper Sauce
- Olive Oil
- Ghee or Butter
- Lemon Juice
- Chicken Broth: You can use chicken stock or bone broth as well.
- Capers
- Arrowroot Powder: You can substitute tapioca starch if preferred.
- Water
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Add meatball ingredients to a mixing bowl and mix until just combined – don’t overwork the meat! Roll the meatball mixture into 15-16 meatballs (about 1.5 inches in diameter – I use a cookie scoop!)
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the meatballs and sear for 4-5 minutes, cooking on all sides. Work in batches if you need to! Remove the meatballs and set them aside on a plate. (It’s ok if they aren’t cooked through, they will finish cooking in the sauce).
- Add the ghee to the skillet and scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan using a wooden spoon.
- Pour in the chicken broth, lemon juice, and capers. Stir and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir in the arrowroot powder and water together to create a slurry.
- Continue to stir it into the lemon broth mixture (this is to help thicken it). Add the meatballs back into the pan and continue to cook over medium heat for 4-5 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through.
Mary’s Tips & Tricks
- White Wine: You’ll notice I omitted the white wine from this recipe. I like to keep things simple and diet/lifestyle friendly, and these gluten-free meatballs are just as delicious without the wine!
- Baking Option: If you prefer preparing the meatballs by baking in the oven, follow the first instruction to make the meat mixture. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Then, place the meatballs onto a prepared baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 20 minutes. The internal temperature should read 165 degrees on a meat thermometer. Prepare the sauce in a skillet according to Step 4 and place the baked meatballs in the sauce and finish them off as directed in Step 5.
- Dairy Free: This recipe can be made dairy free by substituting butter or ghee for vegan butter. The rest of the ingredients are dairy-free friendly.
Serving Tips
- Serve these gluten-free meatballs and sauce over mashed potatoes or gluten-free pasta, and garnish with fresh herbs! I love Jovial gluten-free spaghetti or Tagliatelle. A side of broccoli and your favorite gluten-free bread would pair nicely, as well!
Storage Tips
- Store leftover meatballs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or over the stove top.
- To freeze, cool the gluten-free meatballs completely. In an airtight, freezer-safe container lined with parchment paper, place the cooked meatballs in a single layer separated by parchment paper so they don’t stick together. You can also use freezer bags if preferred. Freeze for up to 6 months!
- I do not recommend freezing the raw meatballs.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! The carb count for 1 meatball with sauce is just 1 net carb per meatball! Serve with a keto side dish to keep this whole meal low-carb! This is why these are the best gluten-free meatballs.
In this recipe, I use almond flour, which is a great gluten-free substitute for breadcrumbs.
More Gluten-Free Meatballs!
Paleo Baked Butter Chicken Meatballs
Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
Gluten-Free Italian Meatballs with Homemade Marinara Sauce (Perfect for meatball subs!)
Gluten-Free Turkey Meatballs in the Air Fryer
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Easy Gluten-Free Chicken Piccata Meatballs Recipe
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 1 egg
- ½ cup almond flour
- 2 tsp nutritional yeast
- ¾ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
Sauce
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp ghee or butter
- Juice from 1 lemon
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth
- ¼ cup capers
- 1 tsp arrowroot powder
- 1 tbsp water
Equipment
- cookie scoop for meatballs (optional, but helpful)
Instructions
- Add meatball ingredients to a bowl and mix until just combined – don't overwork the meat! Roll into 15-16 meatballs (about 1.5 inches in diameter – I use a cookie scoop!)
- Add olive oil to a large skillet and heat over medium heat. Add the meatballs and sear for 4-5 minutes, cooking on all sides. Work in batches if you need to! Remove the meatballs and set them aside on a plate. (It's ok if they aren't cooked through, they will finish cooking in the sauce).
- Add the ghee to the skillet and scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan using a wooden spoon.
- Add in the chicken broth, lemon juice, and capers. Stir and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Stir the arrowroot powder and water together to create a slurry.
- Stir it into the lemon broth mixture (this is to help thicken it). Add the meatballs back into the pan and continue to cook over medium heat for 6-7 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through.
- Serve the meatballs and sauce over mashed potatoes or gluten free pasta! I love Jovial spaghetti or tagliatelle. A side of broccoli would pair nicely, as well!
Notes
Mary’s Tips & Tricks
- White Wine: You’ll notice I omitted the white wine from this recipe. I like to keep things simple and diet/lifestyle friendly, and these gluten-free meatballs are just as delicious without the wine!
- Baking Option: If you prefer preparing the meatballs by baking in the oven, follow the first instruction to make the meat mixture. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Then, place the meatballs onto a prepared baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 20 minutes. The internal temperature should read 165 degrees on a meat thermometer. Prepare the sauce in a skillet according to Step 4 and place the baked meatballs in the sauce and finish them off as directed in Step 5.
- Dairy Free: This recipe can be made dairy free by substituting butter or ghee for vegan butter. The rest of the ingredients are dairy-free friendly.
Serving Tips
- Serve these gluten-free meatballs and sauce over mashed potatoes or gluten-free pasta, and garnish with fresh herbs! I love Jovial gluten-free spaghetti or Tagliatelle. A side of broccoli would pair nicely, as well!
Storage Tips
- Store leftover meatballs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or over the stove top.
- To freeze, cool the gluten-free meatballs completely. In an airtight, freezer-safe container lined with parchment paper, place the cooked meatballs in a single layer separated by parchment paper so they don’t stick together. Freeze for up to 6 months!
- I do not recommend freezing the raw meatballs.
49 Comments on “Easy Gluten-Free Chicken Piccata Meatballs Recipe”
Such a delicious and simple recipe! Subbed cornstarch for slurry, Used bone broth for extra protein and added additional cup of liquid to have extra sauce to soak up! Highly recommend
Love it – thanks Michelle!
Wow! I just made these meatballs for dinner. Delicious!! Tastes just like chicken piccata, before I was gluten free. Happy to be able to have it again. So quick and easy to make too. Thanks for another great recipe, Mary!
Thanks Charlotte!
This was so delicious! I made it using ground turkey because I was out of ground chicken and served it over GF spaghetti with a side of fresh broccoli. Beautiful and delicious! Thanks for another great recipe!
Thank you!!
This was AMAZING!!!!!!!
Thank you so much!
So easy and delicious. I followed the recipe as written. Another hit from Mary!
Thank you Jodi!!
Very yummy, healthy, and flavorful
Another delicious recipe
I did have issues with the sauce thickening but added more slurry. Served with asparagus.
I’m glad you enjoyed them! Yes, more arrowroot can always be added 🙂
Delicious! Trying to find healthier ways to eat favorite dishes while my husband is going through radiation treatments. We both loved this recipe and didn’t feel like we were missing out on anything! Another one of your recipes that will be made again and again! Thank you!
Thanks Mary Jo! Sending best wishes to you both!
Yummy and so simple!
Is there a different type of flour that you can sub almond flour for?
1:1 gluten free flour will work too!