These dilly gluten-free matzo balls are light, fluffy and flavorful despite not using baking powder (the schmaltz is optional too if you are keeping them vegetarian!). They easily come together from meal or whole blitzed matzo, and can be boiled in advance before making their grand appearance in your Passover chicken soup bowls!
As I lamented in my matzo ball soup post, one of the downsides of not hosting seder at my own house is that I don’t get to make gluten-free matzo balls. (Luckily, this Passover brisket makes up for it). So I’ve taken to making matzo ball soup at other times of year to scratch the itch.
The hardest part of making gluten-free matzo balls is that it can be hard to find matzo meal at the store that is certified gluten-free. But otherwise, they come together in the same amount of time as a normal matzo ball. And in fact, should you not care at all about gluten (I’m jealous!), this recipe still works beautifully with regular matzo meal.
For the rest of you, you’ll want to start with gluten-free matzo and pulse it in a small food processor to create fine crumbs. If it ends up looking coarser than what’s normally in a matzo meal box, don’t stress. I promise they will still turn into delicious, light and tender gluten-free matzo balls!
Some people don’t consider baking powder Kosher for Passover, so I’ve made these gluten-free matzo balls without it. Because they are on the smaller side, I truly do not notice a difference in their texture. They are still fluffy and float to the top of your pot during the boiling process.
Making gluten-free matzo balls for soup step by step:
Deciding on the size of your matzo ball
As you can see from the images, the matzo mixture will expand when it boils, so you want to be careful not to make your balls too big. Some people like to have giant softballs in their bowls, but I prefer to keep things smaller than a golf ball so they fit on my spoon. It’s a personal preference, so you do you. My mind tricks me into thinking having 3 balls in my bowl is better than one big one!
I’ve sized these balls to be made from one tablespoon of batter, which renders about 2 dozen balls. If you make them bigger, just keep in mind they’ll need longer to cook in the broth.
What fat do you use for matzo balls?
The most authentic fat to use in these balls is schmaltz, which is rendered chicken fat. It is fairly easy to find at the regular supermarket these days, but if you can’t buy any, there are other neutral oils you can use: avocado oil, safflower oil, or even olive oil in a pinch (though the flavor will not be traditional).
If you’re a vegetarian, simply use the avocado oil variation.
How to cook matzo balls
The second source of flavor for your matzo balls will come from the liquid you boil them in.
You have a few options when it comes to cooking the gluten-free matzo balls. Some people like to use chicken stock (again, maximum flavor). But since the balls soak up so much liquid, I find it to be a little bit of a waste. Instead, I boil the balls separately from my matzo ball soup base in a pot of heavily salted water.
One happy medium would be to do half and half (or add a little better than bullion to your cooking water).
I prefer NOT to cook the matzo balls directly in my chicken soup because it leaves you with very little broth. Making and cooking the balls separately also means you can make non-gluten-free balls for some people without contaminating the whole soup.
Making the gluten-free matzo balls in advance
Making the matzo balls separately also allows you to split up the labor and make the soup in advance, then the balls the day of. The matzo balls can also be cooked and stored separately from the soup. You don’t want them to absorb more liquid and get soggy or disintegrate.
Instead, you can reheat them in the soup broth right before serving or add them directly to bowls and top with the broth.
More gluten-free Jewish holiday favorites:
- The best passover brisket
- Provencal Passover chicken
- Matzo ball soup
- Lemon Olive Oil Cake (Kosher for Passover)
Read on for this easy matzo ball recipe for Passover or any time of year!
With health and hedonism,
Phoebe
Matzo Balls for Passover (Gluten-Free + No Baking Powder)
Ingredients
- 1 cup gluten-free matzo meal or 1 cup finely ground matzo (from 4 squares)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 4 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped chives dill or parsley
- 1/4 cup chicken fat schmaltz, melted or avocado oil (for a vegetarian option)
- 1/4 cup seltzer
- 4 quarts water or stock or a combo
Instructions
- Combine the matzo meal, salt and garlic powder in a medium mixing bowl. Using a fork, whisk in the eggs. Add the herbs, chicken fat or neutral oil and seltzer; stir together until just combined (don’t overmix). The matzo mix will expand and firm up as it sits.
- Refrigerate until the matzo mixture has firmed up, at least 1 hour (you can also do this overnight or a few days in advance).
- Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Take a rounded tablespoon of the matzo ball mixture, roll it into a 1-inch ball (wet hands help – the mixture is sticky), and set aside on a plate (you should have about 24 matzo balls – they will double in size, so don’t worry if they look quite small). Alternatively, you can roll and plop the balls directly in the water.
- Gently add the gluten-free matzo balls to the boiling water and cover with a tight fitting lid. Cook, covered, over medium heat until floating, puffed to double their size, and cooked through, 15 to 25 minutes (check at the 15 minute mark, but don’t peak before then). The matzo balls are done when they are uniform in density and texture all the way through, lighter in color and fluffier compared to the raw matzo mix. You can always put them back in to cook longer and soak up more broth. If you see some stray strands in the water from the balls, don’t worry.
- Either save the matzo balls and serve later, or divide between bowls and top with my Jewish chicken soup (also known as the best matzo ball soup base). They keep decently well in one layer in the fridge for a few days.
Lauren says
Going to make these tomorrow and save the mix in the fridge until Thursday when we’re hosting a group of friends. Can’t wait!