To make these lamb meatballs without breadcrumbs or eggs, we make use of a tapioca flour and a few simple seasonings. These delicious egg-free meatballs are also gluten-free, low histamine, paleo, and come together in just 5 minutes!
Drizzlem them over some garlic herb sauce or enjoy them with my nomato sauce & serve with your gluten-free pasta of choice.
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✔️ Why This Recipe is Great
A Note on Ground Meat: some people don't tolerate pre-ground meats so well, and can't grind their own for some reason. Alternatives in this case include tolerated sounrces of venison, bison, elk, goat, or even beef (if unaged).
Simple, Complementary Seasonings: with just a few different spices and seasonings you can create a complex and flavorful dish that will pair with any steamed or stir-fried side dishes you have on hand. If you have a favorite seasoning, you can also swap it for the za'atar in equal amounts.
🧅 Ingredients
Ground Lamb: this can be somewhat hard to handle for those with histamine intolerance, because ground meats can develop histamine more quickly than other types, due tot he increased air exposure during processing. If possible, grind your own meat at home. If that's not an option, buy fresh-frozen directly from your local farm; most will have some already-frozen options for you.
Mustard Toum: a very sharp, mildly lemony garlic spread that's a low histamine play off of the traditional Lebanese sauce. It's made up of minced garlic, oil, ground mustard seed, and salt.
Za’atar Seasoning: this Middle Eastern spice blend forms much of the flavoring for these meatballs. It consists of thyme, sesame seeds, coriander, sumac, and cumin, which offer a balanced flavor profile without affecting histamine production.
Tapioca Flour: also known as tapioca starch, this low histamine flour has a very unusual texture. It's sort of sticky but also extremely smooth, like powdered sugar, making it perfect for lamb meatballs without eggs. In reality, tapioca starch is the starchy portion of the yuca root (also called cassava), known for having almost no discernable taste, making it great as a thickener. A good alternative for lamb meatballs without breadcrumbs would be arrowroot starch.
See recipe card for exact ingredients and quantities.
🧆 How to Make Lamb Meatballs (Step-by-Step)
Step 1) Allow your lamb to defrost if using fresh-frozen meat, then preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C).
Step 2) Put the ground meat into a large bowl, along with all the other ingredients (image 1). Mix everything very well with your hands; this could take a few minutes (image 2).
Step 3) Then form the mixture into 16 even-sized lamb meatballs and place them at least an inch apart on a foil lined baking sheet (image 3), and bake the meatballs for 11 minutes on convection before checking whether the internal temp of the center meatballs has reached 145°F (65°C). Bake them for 2-3 more minutes, if needed.
🌿 Variations
- Protein Swap: Use ground beef, turkey, or goat instead of lamb for a different flavor profile while keeping it low histamine.
- Herb Adjustments: Replace za’atar with a mix of dried thyme, oregano, and rosemary if preferred or if za’atar isn’t available.
- Garlic-Free Option: Substitute mustard toum for the garlic-and-oil combination to reduce garlic intensity while maintaining flavor.
- Flour Alternatives: Swap tapioca flour with arrowroot flour or cassava flour for binding, depending on what you have on hand.
- Serving Style: Serve meatballs with a low histamine dipping sauce, roasted vegetables, or over mashed root vegetables for a complete meal.
♨️ Freezing and Reheating
Freeze the lamb meatballs, cooked or uncooked, for up to 6 months, and reheat or finish cooking them when ready to serve.
👨🏻🍳 Expert Notes & Tips
Easy to Freeze: whether you plan to make them now or later, you can prepare these lamb meatballs without eggs or breadcrumbs and then heat them up or finish cooking them whenever you're ready to eat. They'll keep frozen for up to 6 months, cooked or uncooked.
🥕 What to Serve With Lamb Meatballs
🙋 Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can substitute ground beef, turkey, or goat for lamb while keeping the recipe low histamine.
No, you can replace mustard toum with a mix of minced garlic, oil, and ground mustard if preferred.
Yes, omit the garlic or use mustard toum for a milder flavor suitable for sensitive diets.
Absolutely—these meatballs can be prepared in advance and frozen, cooked or uncooked, for up to 6 months.
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📖 Recipe
Dairy-Free Lamb Meatballs (No Eggs, No Breadcrumbs)
Equipment
- oven
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh ground lamb
- ¼ cup minced onion
- 2 Tablespoons mustard toum alt. 3 cloves minced garlic, 1 Tablespoon oil of choice, 1 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1 Tablespoon za'atar seasoning
- 1 Tablespoon tapioca flour alt. arrowroot flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Allow your lamb to defrost if using fresh-frozen meat, then preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C).
- Put the ground meat into a large bowl, along with all the other ingredients. Mix everything very well with your hands; this could take a few minutes.
- Then form the mixture into 16 even-sized lamb meatballs and place them at least an inch apart on a foil lined baking sheet, and bake the meatballs on convection for 11 minutes before checking whether the internal temp of the center meatballs has reached 145°F (65°C). Bake them for 2-3 more minutes, if needed.
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