The Best Keto Meatballs Recipe - Low Carb Spark (2024)

Posted on February 13, 2019 by Ioana

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These keto meatballs are moist, tender, juicy, perfect without any breadcrumbs or flour. Learn how to make low carb meatballs that are perfect for meal prep, served as appetizers and great to take to work. I provide instructions for oven baking meatballs, pan-frying or air-fryer.

The Best Keto Meatballs Recipe - Low Carb Spark (1)

Try some of the best keto meatballs and turn them into your favorite flavourful dish. Use your preferred method to cook the meatballs and then create great recipes around them. I like to serve them with marinara sauce and zucchini noodles.

TABLE OF CONTENTS hide

  • Ingredients for the Keto Meatballs
  • How to Make Keto Meatballs?
  • To Bake Meatballs
  • How to Make Meatballs in the Air Fryer?
  • More Ground Beef Recipes For You to Try:
  • The Best Keto Meatballs Recipe

Ingredients for the Keto Meatballs

The ingredients you’ll need for the keto meatballs are effortless to find and delicious. This recipe is versatile and basic. You can enhance the flavors by adding red pepper flakes, smoked paprika, or oregano.

I stick with the more basic Italian version of these meatballs and used: ground beef, parmesan, eggs, garlic, onion, heavy cream (instead of milk), salt, and pepper.

Here are all the ingredients you’ll need:

  • 1 poundground meat, 85 % lean such as beef, pork, chicken, turkey, veal or mix
  • 1largeegg,beaten
  • 1/2cupparmesan cheese, grated
  • 1/4cupheavy cream
  • 2tbspfresh parsley, chopped
  • 1/4 small onionfinely grated onion
  • 1clovegarlic, minced
  • 1/2tspsalt
  • 1/4tspfreshly ground black pepper
The Best Keto Meatballs Recipe - Low Carb Spark (2)

How to Make Keto Meatballs?

It’s so easy to make these meatballs. All you have to do is to combine all the ingredients with your hands and form beautiful meatballs.

How to cook meatballs? Well, that’s up to you! Whether you chose to oven bake, fry them or use the Airfryer, I give detailed instructions for all the methods.

  1. In a bowl combine the beaten egg, salt, pepper, minced garlic, chopped onion, heavy cream, parmesan cheese, parsley. Whisk to combine.
  2. Add the ground meat to the egg mixture. Use your hands to incorporate the egg mixture into the meat. Try not to overwork the meat.
  3. Form about 12 meatballs. I use a scale (not mandatory!) and weigh my meatballs to make sure they are equal. This step helps the meatballs cook evenly.
The Best Keto Meatballs Recipe - Low Carb Spark (3)

To Bake Meatballs

  1. Preheat the oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with foil or use a silicone baking mat.
  2. Place the meatballs onto the sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes. The meatballs are ready when the outsides are brown.
  3. Serve the meatballs warm, topped with mozzarella or with Rao’s Marinara Sauce. Garnish with more freshly chopped parsley and enjoy!

How to Make Meatballs in the Air Fryer?

  1. Start by lightly greasing the basket of the Air Dryer. Combine all the ingredients and form meatballs using your hands.
  2. Set the Airfryer at 350F and cook for about 13-14 minutes until lightly browned and cooked through. I manage to fit all the meatballs in this recipe into my 6 QT Air Fryer.
  3. Serve the meatballs warm, topped with mozzarella, low carb tomato sauce, and zucchini noodles.

Fry the Keto Meatballs Method

  1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat add a few tablespoons of oil or bacon grease.
  2. Add meatballs and cook, occasionally turning until golden on all the sides (about 8-10 minutes).
  3. Remove from the skillet and place on a plate lined with paper towels.

More Ground Beef Recipes For You to Try:

Ground beef is such a versatile ingredient. I have so many favorite recipes using it as a main ingredient. Here are a few of them may love:

  • Unstuffed Cabbage Roll Soup
  • Best Low Carb Keto Chili
  • Zucchini Lasagna
  • Easy Low Carb Crack Slaw

The Best Keto Meatballs Recipe - Low Carb Spark (4)

The Best Keto Meatballs Recipe

4.97 from 29 votes

Prep time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Yelds 12 meatballs

Author Ioana Borcea from LowCarbSpark.com

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Description

These keto meatballs are moist, tender juicy, perfect without any breadcrumbs or flour. Learn how to make low carb meatballs that are perfect for meal prep, served as appetizers and great to take to work. I provide instructions for oven baking meatballs, pan frying or air-frying.

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Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground meat 85% lean such as beef, pork, chicken, turkey, veal or mix
  • 1 largeegg beaten
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese grated
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
  • 1/4 small onion finely grated onion
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Serving Suggestions

  • Zucchini noodles
  • Mozarella
  • Rao’s Marinara Sauce

Instructions

  • In a bowl combine the beaten egg, salt, pepper, heavy cream, parmesan cheese, parsley, onion, garlic. Whisk to combine.

  • Add the ground meat to the egg mixture. Use your hands to incorporate the egg mixture into the meat. Try not to overwork the meat.

  • Form about 12 meatballs. I use a scale (not mandatory!) and weigh my meatballs to make sure they are equal. This step helps the meatballs cook evenly.

Bake in the Oven Meatballs Method:

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C. Line a baking sheet with foil or use a silicone baking mat.

  • Place the meatballs onto the sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes. The meatballs are ready when the outsides are brown.

  • Serve the meatballs warm, topped with mozzarella or with Rao’s Marinara Sauce. Garnish with more freshly chopped parsley and enjoy!

Air Fryer Method

  • Start by lightly greasing the basket of the air fryer. Combine all the ingredients and form meatballs using your hands.

  • Set the Airfryer at 350°F/180°C and cook for about 13-14 minutes until lightly browned and cooked through. I manage to fit all the meatballs in this recipe into my 6 QT Air Fryer.

  • Serve the meatballs warm, topped with mozzarella, low carb tomato sauce, and zucchini noodles.

Fry the meatballs

  • Heat a large skillet over medium heat add a few tablespoons of oil or bacon grease.

  • Add meatballs and cook, occasionally turning until golden on all the sides (about 8-10 minutes).

  • Remove from the skillet and place on a plate lined with paper towels.

Notes

Store the leftover keto meatballs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Make-ahead keto meatballs: You can shape meatballs a day ahead and keep them in the refrigerator.

Freeze uncooked meatballs:Prepare the balls through step 3, then arrange them in a single layer onto a baking sheet and freeze. Transfer them to a container and freeze for up to 1 month. Before cooking, thaw the meatballs in the refrigerator overnight.

Freeze cooked meatballs: Arrange the completely cooled meatballs in a single layer onto a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Thaw the frozen meatballs in the refrigerator overnight or thaw them directly from the freezer!

Nutrition Facts

Amount per serving.

Calories

159kcal

Total Carbs

1g

Net Carbs

1g

Protein

11g

Fat

12g

Fiber

0.1g

Sugar

0.4g

How do we calculate the nutrition info?

These nutrition facts listed are determined using nutrition information from the USDA Food Database. Our nutrition facts are accurate, but if you are using different products, please make your calculations. Net carb count is calculated by subtracting both fiber and sugar alcohols because they don’t raise blood sugar.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Keyword low carb, meatballs

Tried this recipe?Mention @LowCarbSpark or tag #LowCarbSpark!

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The Best Keto Meatballs Recipe - Low Carb Spark (5)

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Ioana

Ioana is a food and travel lover. Her greatest passion is developing mouthwatering recipes that are comforting, easy to make, and budget friendly! She firmly believes that cooking should be fun! About me...

The Best Keto Meatballs Recipe - Low Carb Spark (2024)

FAQs

How many carbs are in keto meatballs? ›

However, this keto meatball recipe uses almond flour crumbs and can be enjoyed on any low carb or keto diet. How many carbs are in keto meatballs? These meatballs have 2.6g of carbs and 1g of fiber per serving. That comes to 1.6g net carbs per serving of 5 meatballs.

Should I fry or bake my meatballs? ›

Baking will result in meatballs with a crunchy exterior, though the caramelisation achieved from frying will be superior. Baked meatballs take the least amount of effort, as you'll only need to turn them once or twice throughout the cook and you can make a larger batch at once.

Are store-bought meatballs keto? ›

Just about every store bought brand of frozen meatballs is going to contain breadcrumbs or sugar or something that isn't completely keto friendly. If you are just tracking net carbs it shouldn't be a problem. There are some brands of gluten free meatballs that are probably more keto friendly, like Rosina or Farm Rich.

How many carbs are in meatballs with sauce? ›

Meatballs With Tomato Sauce (1 cup) contains 9.7g total carbs, 7.7g net carbs, 22.9g fat, 34.5g protein, and 386 calories.

How many net carbs will kick you out of keto? ›

To do so, you need to eat fewer than 50 grams of carbs per day. Eating more than 50 grams can kick your body out of ketosis ( 2 ).

Can you eat unlimited meat on keto? ›

Meat and poultry are popular with people on the keto diet because they're high in fat and very low in carbs. However, scientists have found links between eating too much meat on a regular basis and health conditions like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and excess weight.

Is it better to bake meatballs at 350 or 400? ›

For 1-2 inches of beef, pork, or turkey meatballs without any pre-cooking, use these guidelines for your wall oven:
  • 350°F wall oven:
  • 8–14 minutes for 1-inch meatballs.
  • 14–18 minutes for 2-inch meatballs.
  • 400°F wall oven:
  • 6–10 minutes for 1-inch meatballs.
  • 10–14 minutes for 2-inch meatballs.
  • 425°F wall oven:
Aug 16, 2023

Why do my meatballs fall apart when I fry them? ›

Because meat shrinks when cooked, mince proteins are likely to separate and crumble unless bound together. Whether it's breadcrumbs or egg (or both), or simply salt, binding the mince is a crucial step in maintaining the softness of your meatballs while preventing them from falling apart.

When to add sauce to meatballs? ›

Brown them first, then let them finish cooking in the marinara sauce. This results in a nice texture on the outside of the meatball but keeps it juicy and tender on the inside.

What meat is not keto friendly? ›

A lot of people think that the keto diet is all about consuming meat and meat alone. But eating too much meat that is processed, like sausages, smoked meat, bacon and hot dogs is definitely not good. These kind of meat contain gluten, preservatives and sugar, that will increase carb intake and kick body out of ketosis.

Why are meatballs not keto? ›

Typically, meatballs contain bread or breadcrumbs as the main ingredient. This helps the balls maintain their shape. The presence of bread is a direct Keto violation, but all is not lost.

What ground meat is best for keto? ›

Ground chuck is often the most popular as it's tender and juicy, and has 80% protein and 20% fat. It's an excellent choice for those who want more fat in their keto diet. If you prefer less, choose 85/15 ground beef.

Is tomato sauce OK for keto diet? ›

Tomato sauce can be incorporated into a ketogenic diet but in very moderate amounts due to its high carbohydrate content. The key to using tomato sauce on a keto diet is strict portion control and balancing it out with other low-carb, high-fat foods.

How many carbs are in a homemade meatball? ›

A two ounce meatball has 53 calories, 8.9 grams of fat, 1.76 grams f carbs, 10.9 grams of protein, and no fiber. If you want to lower the amount of calories in a meatball recipe, you can omit the breadcrumbs – that will also drop the carbs.

How many carbs are in meatballs without sauce? ›

Meatballs, without sauce, beef (3 ounce) contains 9.4g total carbs, 8.7g net carbs, 14.2g fat, 16.5g protein, and 236 calories.

Do you count carbs in meat on keto? ›

Fresh meat and fish

These foods tend to make up a large part of a keto diet, as they contain no carbohydrates but can be good sources of some nutrients.

Are meatballs high in carbohydrates? ›

There are carbs in meatballs. A traditional meatball made with breadcrumbs can have between 3 to 12 grams of carbs per meatball. If you are looking for low carb meatballs, try this keto meatball recipe. It is easy to make and great for meal prep.

Does keto crust have carbs? ›

According to the Blaze nutrition calculator, a pizza with classic dough packs 14 grams of carbohydrates per slice. Blaze's new keto crust weighs in at only three grams of carbs per slice. It substitutes wheat flour for flaxseeds, eggs, cheese, and other ingredients.

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