Low Carb Keto Meatballs that are tender, flavorful, and use minimal ingredients. You are going to love how quickly these meatballs pull together.
You can make them in an oven or a slow cooker!
Just make sure to save room for dessert. This Keto Chocolate Mug Cake is perfect and ready in a minute or two.
Why you'll love this recipe
First off, the flavor of these meatballs is insanely delicious. They're packed with healthy ingredients and savory spices, so the flavor is truly out of this world.
Second, they're so simple to make and they use minimal ingredients. Also, they work with all types of sauces like BBQ sauce, marinara sauce, and cream based sauces.
They also store really well, which we share more about below. They are truly perfect, juicy meatballs and can be made by anyone.
They work as a great keto appetizer and a full keto meal! And if you love meatballs, you might like these Venison Meatballs.
For an allergy friendly meatball recipe, try these Gluten Free Dairy Free Meatballs.
Recipe ingredients
Ground beef - 80/20 grass fed ground beef has the best meat to fat ratio for juicy meatballs. You can also use ground pork, ground chicken, ground turkey, or a combination of ground meat. When we make up a double batch, we like to mix two different proteins.
Almond meal (or additional Parmesan Cheese) - You can also use crushed keto crackers, pork rinds, keto bread crumbs or these keto chips, crushed, in place of the almond meal if you like.
Parmesan cheese - Fresh grated is better, in our opinion, but you can use store bought grated parmesan.
Salt - For flavor and to enhance the other flavors.
Black Pepper - Use as much or as little as you like.
Onion Powder - Make sure you're using onion powder, not onion salt.
Garlic Powder - Make sure you're using garlic powder, not garlic salt.
Dried Parsley - We recommend using dried parsley but you can add fresh chopped parsley if you like.
Egg - Don't leave this out! It helps hold everything together and adds more fat and protein.
Low carb sauce of choice - Pick up a bottle of sugar-free tomato sauce at your local grocery store. This keto gravy is incredible on meatballs. You can also use Keto BBQ Sauce.
For a list of quantities, please see the recipe card below.
Step by step instructions - Oven
You guys are going to think I’m ridiculous, but it only take four easy steps to make these meatballs.
- Preheat your oven and line your baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix all the ingredients in one large bowl.
- Roll the meat mixture into balls. You can also use a small cookie scoop.
- Bake.
Yeah, it’s that easy. And it’s less expensive than buying the same amount at the store. Please do yourself a favor and give this low carb keto meatball recipe a try next time you are craving them.
How to make in a Slow Cooker
We love serving these at parties and BBQ’s. Sometimes we toss them in a slow cooker and let them cook in our favorite sauce – one jar of a keto friendly marinara sauce + one jar of our Keto salsa recipe.
Here’s what you need to do to cook meatballs in a slow cooker.
Pour 28-32 oz of your favorite keto friendly tomato based marinara sauce (or 1 jar of marinara sauce + 14 oz. of your favorite salsa) into a slow cooker.
Tuck each meatball into the sauce, making sure that they are submerged. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 6 hours.
Not all slow cookers are created equal, so please check to make sure that the internal temperature is at least 160F, or that you can’t see any pink.
You can keep these low carb tender meatballs warm on the warm setting, just make sure to give them a stir before you serve them.
Expert tips
To achieve the best meatballs, here are a few tips
- Don't overmix the meat mixture - this may cause dense, hard meatballs.
- Gently form - you don't want to roll them too tightly.
- If you want a golden crust - simply fry them in a skillet using a little bit of oil for 5 to 6 minutes before baking.
- Add moisture - our favorite way to stop meatballs from drying out is to sneak a little bit of veggies into your meat mixture. Mushrooms and Zucchini are perfect, as they release a lot of moisture as they cook. Also a nice way to sneak in some nutrition.
Serving suggestions
These low carb Italian meatballs pair perfectly with:
- Keto-Friendly Pasta - like our Garlic Parmesan Zucchini Noodles. You can also purchase low carb pastas like Miracle Noodles or Spaghetti Squash.
- Veggies - serve your tender meatballs over our Parmesan Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Sauteed Zucchini or Keto Green Bean Casserole.
- Keto Bread - make a meatball sub using keto bread or mini sliders using keto rolls
- Appetizer - wow your guests by serving these delicious keto meatballs with other appetizers like keto stuffed mushrooms, keto mozzarella sticks or add them as part of a Charcuterie board.
Storage instructions
- Fridge - Allow to cool before placing into an airtight container. Best stored for 5 to 7 days.
- Reheat - You can reheat in the microwave or in a 350 degree oven. Stovetop works as well, just add a little water to the pan to ensure they stay juicy.
- Meal Prep - If you like to plan ahead, store in desired serving portions. This way it's a quick reheat and your dinner is ready. An easy meal for those busy weeknights.
- Freezer - as mentioned earlier, it is best to freeze no longer than three months. Even though the USDA says meat can be frozen indefinitely, after three months it starts to lose its quality and texture.
How to make dairy free
If you can’t have dairy you can always leave the Parmesan out or substitute in your favorite dairy-free cheese.
The Parmesan adds to the flavor and texture but these low carb meatballs will still be tender and flavorful without it.
FAQs
For this recipe you can use beef, pork, bison chicken, or turkey. They all work beautifully and if you'd like you can use a combination of meats.
The key is in the fat content of the meat you are using. We like a 80/20 grass fed ground beef.
Chicken and turkey tend to be leaner, so your meatballs may be a bit drier. Add grated zucchini or diced mushrooms to add moisture.
Our low carb meatball recipe has 0 grams of net carbs. If you add a Keto tomato sauce, the net carbs will rise to 3 grams.
Traditional meatballs are made with breadcrumbs or oatmeal, so they are way too high in carbs to work on a strict keto diet.
By switching the breadcrumbs to Almond meal or cheese or another keto friendly binder, you can easily make the best keto meatballs.
25 Keto Ground Beef Recipes
Here are some of the best low carb ground beef recipes that we have and some others from our favorite bloggers.
Meatloaf - A no-fail Low Carb Meatloaf Recipe that’s easy to make, packed with flavor, and comforting any night of the week.
Big Mac Salad - A delicious version of the classic big mac sandwich, this Big Mac Salad is comfort in a bowl. It offers all of the flavors of a traditional big mac but in a healthy low-carb recipe without the bun. It's packed with protein and ready in just 15 minutes.
Beef Enchiladas - Enchiladas with ground beef, melty cheese, and a mildly spicy, savory sauce will quickly become a family favorite meal. We love enjoying enchiladas with keto salsa.
These Keto Stuffed Peppers are made the classic way with ground beef, tomato, garlic, onion and spices topped with melty cheese.
For the rest of the list plus 20 Keto Friendly side dishes, read our round up of Keto Ground Beef Recipes.
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Did you make these low carb meatballs? Please leave a starred rating AND a comment below letting me know what sauce you enjoyed them with.
📖 Recipe
Low Carb Meatballs (Keto Meatballs)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground beef 80% for best meat to fat ratio
- ¼ cup almond meal or an additional ¼ cup of Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons dried parsley
- 1 egg
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F.
- Line a 13x9-inch baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
- In large bowl, mix all ingredients. Shape meatball mixture into 24 (1 ½-inch) meatballs. Place 1 inch apart on your baking sheet.
- Bake uncovered for 18 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160°F.
- Serve warm with your favorite keto friendly sauce.
Video
Notes
- Slow Cooker Option: Pour 28-32 oz of your favorite keto friendly tomato based meatball sauce (or 1 jar of keto friendly marinara sauce + 14 oz. of your favorite salsa) into a slow cooker. Tuck each meatball into the sauce, making sure that they are submerged. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 6 hours.
- Dairy-Free Option: If you can't have dairy you can always leave the Parmesan out or substitute in your favorite dairy-free cheese.
- You can use any ground meat or mix different ones together: Bison, pork, chicken, or turkey
- Don't overmix the meat mixture - this may cause dense, hard meatballs.
- Gently form - you don't want to roll them too tightly.
- If you want a golden crust - simply fry them in a skillet using a little bit of oil for 5 to 6 minutes before baking.
- Add moisture - our favorite way to stop them from drying out is to sneak a little bit of veggies into your meat mixture. Mushrooms and Zucchini are perfect, as they release a lot of moisture as they cook. Also a nice way to sneak in some nutrition.
- Storage - Allow to cool before placing into an airtight container. Best stored for 5 to 7 days in the fridge or up to 3 months in the freezer.
- Reheat - You can reheat in the microwave or in a 350 degree oven. Stovetop works as well, just add a little water to the pan to ensure they stay juicy.
Jen
Looking forward to making these based on the reviews! Still seeing 331 calories for 3 meatballs....would you be able to provide the correct yield/serving size/nutritional information?
Thanks
Four Score Living
Hi Jen,
Sorry about that! When the nutrition calculator updates, it sometimes throws the numbers off. It's updated now. We hope you love them!
Cheers,
The Four Score Living Team
Sharon Leslie
Delicious and easy! Substituted nutritional yeast for Parmesan. Will make again!
Four Score Living
We're so glad you loved it. Thank you for taking the time to stop back by and let us know.
The Four Score Living Team
Cassy
Just wanted to say these were delicious and a major hit with my family! I did substitute the almond meal for equal amount of crushed pork rinds, but wow did they turn out great! Thanks will definitely be making again!
Four Score Living
I am so glad your family loved them. Thank you for letting me know.
Rebecca
How well do these hold up with only parmesan cheese. These are very similar to my regular meatball recipe but without the bread. I want something easy without the almond flour or using pork rinds
Four Score Living
They should hold up between the parmesan and egg.
Cherie
I haven't tried the meatballs yet, they sound amazing. I was wondering what side dish could you have with them or just a salad. Im having to change my way of cooking, my husband has just found out he is a diabetic and has to watch his sugar and carbs.
Four Score Living
Hi Cherie,
For side dishes you can add a green vegetable, like brocolli, or a salad, and you could do something like a keto roll or keto "pasta". There are several versions of hearts of palm made into "rice" or "pasta" that we really like. Check Trader Joes and Amazon. You can also make flavored "rice" with cauliflower rice. I hope that helps.
Nicole
Can these be meal prepped and frozen?
Four Score Living
Yes, I recommend baking them, letting them cool to room temp, and then freezing them.
Robin
Hi just wondering the yield at the top says 24 but the yield in the nutritional info says 8? 24 seems like a lot for 1 lb no? Sounds yummy tho!
Four Score Living
Thanks for the catch Robin. This recipe makes 24 1-inch meatballs.
Sue
I made these for dinner tonight! I made them with Isernio’s Ground Chicken with Garlic and Herbs. I made them with the 1/2 Almond Flour. Next time I think I will use less. They were a little “doughy”, if that makes sense. I put some Sugar Free Bbq sauce on them and it helped. I was able to get 24 meatballs. Just used a regular small spoon as the guide. I also cooked them on a bar pan with parchment paper with canola oil spray to prevent sticking. Thank you for the recipe!
Four Score Living
I am so glad you liked them. Thank you for sharing what you used. Ground chicken is a softer/more tender than ground beef, which could be why they were a little soft.
Fitoru
This meatball recipe looks so delicious! I can't wait to try this one. Thanks for sharing!
Gail
Hi,
Just curious what do you normally serve with the meatball? I think might try these tonight.
Gail
Four Score Living
Hi Gail,
If you have some carbs left for the day (assuming you are counting net carbs), you could do a sugar free marinara sauce. These also taste really good with cream sauces and medium salsa.
Robin Rose
Hi I'm wondering about the nutritional information. It says 3 meat balls are 314 calories and 28 grams of protein. Is that correct? For 3 little 1 inch balls? The yield says 8 in the nutrition, but at the top it says 24... is the 3 balls really what it says it is or is that based off of the percentage of the yield being 8? I'm confused! Lol tastymeatballs tho, no denying that!
Four Score Living
Hi Robin,
It sounds like the nutritional info must've reset when the plugin updated. I will fix it. But no, there are not 314 calories in 3 meatballs.
Donna L
Hi Crystal, I have them assembled and ready to slow cook for a labor day cookout tomorrow. I doubled the amount of meat but have no idea how you got 24 out of 1 lb! I got 30 out of 2 lbs and made them at 1 & 1/4 ounces each. I also forgot to put the parm in them and realized it afterwards. Can't wait to try them tomorrow!!
Four Score Living
Hi Donna,
There's a chance that I rolled them smaller the day I was keeping track of how many I made. I'll double check next time 🙂 How did they turn out without the parm?