These Gluten Free Sage Chicken Meatballs are easy, flavorful and moist. They are loaded with fresh sage, parsley, shallot, garlic and some sneaky spinach, and then oven baked or air fried to perfection. The meatballs are best served over a bed of creamy, sweet potato carrot mash for a healthy dinner that feels like comfort food! It’s a unique dinner recipe that you’ll find yourself craving all fall and winter.
I’m a self-proclaimed meatball queen, but I’ve been slacking lately. Turning my favorite flavor profiles into a meatball has just been a fun hobby for me. But seriously, I think meatballs are amazing because they are easy, packed with protein and flavor, and ground meat is usually pretty cheap and un-intimidating.
So, my next recipe in the meatball series is these Gluten Free Sage Chicken Meatballs. Chicken meatballs run the risk of being dry and bland…but not these ones! These are flavorful and surprisingly moist. And they’re air fried or oven baked (you pick) so they’re a lighter option than frying in oil.
Of course, I had to come up with something delicious to pair these meatballs with and a Sweet Potato Carrot Mash came to mind! It’s pretty much mashed sweet potatoes but we’re sneaking in some hidden veggies. The sweet, earthy flavors and the creamy texture work so well with the sage chicken meatballs! I must admit, this combo feels cozy and divine for the fall or winter. Hope you love it!
Why You’ll Love these Gluten Free Sage Chicken Meatballs with Sweet Potato Carrot Mash
- This meal is healthy yet comforting and cozy – perfect for winter nights!
- These Gluten Free Sage Chicken Meatballs can either be baked in the oven or air fried.
- This recipe is gluten free and can easily be made dairy free.
- These meatballs are super flavorful and surprisingly moist!
- There are tons of veggies hidden in both the chicken meatballs and the sweet potato carrot mash!
- If using the air fryer method, you can have this meal on the table in just about 30 minutes.
- This recipe is a unique winter dinner idea and a fun way to use up ground chicken.
What You Need to Make Gluten Free Sage Chicken Meatballs with Sweet Potato Carrot Mash
For the Gluten Free Sage Chicken Meatballs:
- Ground Chicken: Ground chicken is a great, lean source of protein! You can also use ground turkey instead.
- Egg: 1 egg helps hold the meatballs together and provides moisture which is definitely key when using a leaner protein like ground chicken!
- Spinach: This is optional, but you can’t even taste it so why not sneak some extra veggies into these chicken meatballs!?
- Almond Flour: To keep these meatballs gluten free, I like to use almond flour instead of bread crumbs. Although I haven’t tried it, this should work with an equal amount of panko breadcrumbs if you’re not gluten free.
- Shallot: For some additional flavor, add in 1 chopped shallot. You can also use chopped red onion instead (about 1/4 cup).
- Sage: Sage has a bold, almost floral flavor and it’s really lovely in these chicken meatballs!
- Parsley: More fresh herbs to add flavor to the meatballs!
- Garlic: I like a lot of garlic in my meatballs so I use 3 large cloves, but feel free to adjust to your preference.
- Salt & Pepper: It’s hard to “season to taste” with raw meat lol so I usually add about 1 tsp of diamond kosher salt and 1/4 tsp of black pepper.
For the Sweet Potato Carrot Mash:
- Sweet Potato: You’ll need 1 lb, which is roughly equivalent to one medium-sized sweet potato. Peel it and then cut into large chunks (about 1.5″)
- Carrots: This is a sneaky hack to get in more veggies! The carrots blend in seamlessly with the sweet potato because they’re the same color and don’t have a strong flavor. Works like a charm! Make sure to cut them smaller than you did the sweet potato, as they take longer to get tender.
- Butter: A staple in any potato mash. You can easily make this dairy free by using a vegan butter such as Country Crock Plant Butter.
- Greek Yogurt: I love the tanginess that greek yogurt provides! Just make sure it’s plain full-fat greek yogurt for the best flavor and richness. You could also use sour cream. For a dairy free option, use a thick style non-dairy yogurt such as Siggi’s Plant-Based, or even a vegan sour cream.
- Salt: Season to taste with diamond kosher salt!
How To Make Gluten Free Sage Chicken Meatballs with Sweet Potato Carrot Mash
This recipe has two components – the gluten free sage chicken meatballs and the sweet potato carrot mash – both of which are very easy and can be done almost simultaneously! The key is to get started on boiling the sweet potato and carrots while your meatball mixture is chilling in the fridge, then rolling into balls, and completing the mash while your meatballs are cooking.
Mix Together the Gluten Free Sage Chicken Meatball Mixture:
Time to get your hands dirty! (Or you can wear gloves or use a spatula if that’s your thing lol). Start by whisking an egg in a large bowl. Then, add remaining chicken meatball ingredients and mix with your hands until incorporated. Place this chicken mixture in the fridge for 10-15 minutes to make it less sticky.
Boil & Mash the Sweet Potato and Carrots:
Meanwhile, add the sweet potato and carrots to a large pot and cover with about 1″ of water. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, heavily salt the water, stir and then reduce to a gentle boil (about medium heat). Let the sweet potato & carrots cook for about 10-15 minutes or until fork tender. Then, drain off the excess water and add the sweet potato, carrots, butter, greek yogurt and salt to a food processor. Blend for several minutes until it’s nice and smooth.
If you don’t have a food processor, you can fall back onto using a masher or a ricer but you may notice that the result is less smooth. It’ll still taste delicious though, so it’s really a matter of personal preference. You can always add more butter, yogurt or even milk to help get it to your desired consistency.
Bake or Air Fry the Meatballs:
After the chicken mixture has chilled, form it into 2 tbsp sized balls and place on a parchment lined baking sheet (if using the oven method) or in a greased air fryer basket. They can be pretty close together because they obviously won’t spread like cookies would lol.
For the oven method, bake the meatballs at 400F for about 20 minutes. For the air fryer method, air fry at 400F for 10 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches at least 165F.
Plate & Enjoy:
Finally, serve your gluten free sage chicken meatballs over a bed of sweet potato carrot mash and optionally, top with some chopped parsley! Dig in and enjoy 🙂
Is it Better to Cook the Gluten Free Sage Chicken Meatballs in the Oven or Air Fryer?
This is honestly a matter of personal preference! I always reach for my air fryer when making meatballs because it’s just really easy and quicker than the oven. I also notice that they get a nice golden finish when you do it in the air fryer (see photos for comparison between oven method and air fryer method).
However, if you don’t have an air fryer or if your air fryer basket is really small, you may be better off baking these chicken meatballs in the oven. That way, you’ll be able to fit them all on one baking sheet.
Equipment Recommendations:
- Ninja Combi: If you’re using the air fryer method, this is the air fryer that I own and love! It’s technically a multi-cooker because it has many features beyond air frying. One of my favorites is the ‘Combi Meals’ function which allows you to cook a protein, veggie and grain/pasta all at once in under 20 minutes. I used it for this Maple Pecan Salmon recipe!
- Food Processor: I always get asked which food processor I have…it’s the Magic Bullet Kitchen Express, which has both a food processor and blender attachment. I love it because it’s the perfect size and doesn’t take up much space in my kitchen! Plus it’s super affordable.
- Cookie Scoop: Using a cookie scoop to portion out meatballs is one of my favorite cooking hacks. Although it’s not crucial for this recipe, I like that it ensures that the meatballs are all equal in size.
Substitutions:
To Make this Dairy Free:
The sage chicken meatballs are already dairy free but if you want to make the sweet potato carrot mash dairy free as well, it’s super easy! Just swap out the butter for your favorite vegan butter. I really like Country Crock Plant Butter because it tastes so similar to real dairy butter. Likewise, just swap out the greek yogurt for a thick dairy-free yogurt (Siggi’s Plant-Based is great) or even use a vegan sour cream.
Other Ground Meats:
This recipe will definitely work with ground turkey as well! Just make sure it’s a similar level of leanness as the ground chicken I used. You could also try using ground beef but I think the sage flavors lend themselves better to poultry than red meat. I’ll experiment with it at some point and report back to you!
For the Almond Flour:
If you’re allergic to nuts or don’t have any almond flour on hand, I would try replacing it with an equal amount of panko breadcrumbs – normal or gluten free. I personally haven’t tried it yet, but assuming it should work!
In other meatball recipes, I’ve also utilized gluten free oat flour and that works well. Almond flour definitely lends more moisture to the meatballs than oat flour, so I would try reducing the amount to 1/3 cup and go from there. If the mixture seems like it’s too sticky and won’t roll into balls, then add more oat flour.
For the Fresh Herbs:
Fresh herbs are king! Nothing beats them. I always have some on hand, and usually have leftovers from other recipes. However, if you don’t want to buy fresh sage and parsley just for this recipe, you can try experimenting with their dried equivalents instead.
Typically, the conversion between fresh and dried herbs is 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs to 1 teaspoon of dried herbs. So, if you’re in a pinch…use 1-2 tsp of dried sage and 1-2 tsp of dried parsley. Let me know how it goes!
For the Shallot:
Shallots are in the onion family but are smaller and have a milder flavor. They are widely sold at grocery stores, usually right near the onions or garlic. If you can’t find them, you can definitely substitute 1/4 cup of finely diced red or yellow onion.
Find the full recipe below. As always, please let me know if you tried it by commenting below or tagging me on Instagram, @munchinwithmaddie_.
Looking for more Cozy, Gluten Free Dinner Recipes?
- Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Skillet
- Buffalo Chicken Chili
- Pumpkin Curry with Turkey Meatballs
- Gluten Free Chili Cornbread Casserole
Gluten Free Sage Chicken Meatballs with Sweet Potato Carrot Mash
Equipment
- 2 tbsp cookie scoop (optional)
- Air Fryer (or baking sheet + parchment paper)
- large pot
- Food Processor (or ricer or masher)
Ingredients
For the Gluten Free Sage Chicken Meatballs:
- 1 lb ground chicken (92% lean)*
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup finely chopped spinach
- â…” cup almond flour (packed)
- 1 shallot finely diced (or about 1/4 cup diced red or yellow onion)
- 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh sage
- 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp diamond kosher salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
For the Sweet Potato Carrot Mash:
- 1 lb sweet potato peeled & cut into large chunks (1.5")
- ½ lb carrots peeled & cut into ¾" chunks
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter **
- ¼ cup plain whole milk greek yogurt or sour cream**
- diamond kosher salt to taste
Instructions
For the Sage Chicken Meatballs:
- Preheat oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper – SEE NOTE***
- Add egg to a large bowl and whisk. Then, add remaining Sage Chicken Meatball ingredients to the bowl. Mix together with your hands or a spatula, until incorporated. Let the mixture chill in the fridge for 10-15 minutes to make it less sticky.
- Once the meatball mixture is done chilling, roll it into 2 tbsp sized balls and place on a parchment lined baking sheet (for oven method) or on a greased air fryer basket. It should make 20 meatballs.
- If using the oven method, bake for 20 minutes. If using the air fryer method, air fry at 400F for 10 minutes, or until the internal temp reaches 165F.
For the Sweet Potato Carrot Mash
- Add chopped sweet potato and carrot to a large pot and cover with 1" of water. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, heavily salt the water and then reduce it to a gentle boil (about medium heat). Let them cook for 10-15 minutes or until fork tender.
- Drain off the water. Add the sweet potato, carrots, butter, yogurt and salt to a food processor and blend for several minutes until smooth. If you don't have a food processor, you can use a masher or ricer instead, however, the texture may not be as smooth. You can always add more greek yogurt, butter or even milk to get it to your desired consistency.
- Enjoy the sage chicken meatballs over a bed of the sweet potato carrot mash and garnish with chopped parsley, if desired!
Notes
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @munchinwithmaddie_ on Instagram and/or hashtag it #munchinwithmaddie.
Unbelievably good. Would give six stars if I could.
Honored!! Thank you so much!
These meatballs + mash were SO GOOD. We used panko instead of almond flour, meatballs were still fantastic. It’s like a fancy restaurant meal in the comfort of your own home! We can’t wait to make this for dinner again.
Thank you Meredith! I’m so glad it worked out with the Panko 🙂
This was so good and easier than I anticipated! my husband, who usually likes to add cinnamon and sugar to his sweet potatos, felt like they didn’t need anything added! Huge win in our
That’s definitely a win! Yay! Thank you Katlyn 🙂
The coziest flavors! The sweet potato with the sage in the meatballs literally warms you up as you take a bite. This is definitely a must-try!
The best combo! Thank you Marissa 🙂