low carb meatballs

These Harissa Chicken Meatballs are a fun twist on meatballs. Plus, they’re low- carb, grain-free, and gluten-free since I use cauliflower rice instead of breadcrumbs.

Harissa Chicken Meatballs

chicken

salt

smoked paprika

frozen riced cauliflower

onion

parsley

garlic

Olive-oil cooking spray

jars (10 oz each prepared mild harissa sauce (I love Mina Harissa))

Place chicken in a large mixing bowl, break- up slightly. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and smoked paprika.

Add frozen cauliflower, parsley, onion, garlic, and egg and mix just until ingredients are combined.  Avoid over-mixing. Divide chicken mixture into 16 portions ( about 1 1/4 ounce each); gently shape into balls.

Heat a heavy-duty non-stick large skillet (with tall sides) over medium-high heat.

Spray with olive oil cooking spray, add meatballs and cook, turning occasionally to brown on all sides, about 6 minutes.

Pour in harissa and allow mixture to reach a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low and continue to simmer for 20 to 25 minutes.

These Mediterranean meatballs are about flavor, comfort, and ease. Plus they&#039;re perfectly tender and also get a 5-star freezer rating!

Mediterranean Meatballs

onion (roughly diced)

parsley leaves only

beef (80/20 (note 1))

ground pepper

cumin

oregano

cinnamon

Prep. Preheat oven to 400 F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Food processor. Toss onion (1) and garlic (6 cloves) in a food processor and pulse using 1 second intervals. You&#39;ll want to pause the processor and scrape down the sides occasionally to incorporate everything. When the onion is &quot;minced&quot; add the parsley and continue to pulse everything together until everything is minced.

Combine + shape. Add parlsey (1/2 cup), onion and garlic to a large bowl together with the beef (2 pounds), pepper (1 teaspoon), salt (2 teaspoons), cumin (2 teaspoons), oregano (2 teaspoons), and cinnamon (1/4 teaspoons), and combine using your hands. Shape into 32 golf ball sized meatballs.

Bake in the preheated oven until cooked through, about 18-22 minutes.

A delicious keto Meatballs Parmesan recipe that the entire family will love!  Low carb, Atkins, gluten free and kid friendly!

Keto Meatball Parmesan - Low Carb

beef (80/20)

pork

fresh parsley, chopped

parmesan cheese

almond flour (or crushed pork rinds)

eggs

black pepper

garlic powder

onion flakes

water

mozzarella cheese

Combine the ground beef, pork, parsley, parmesan, almond flour, eggs, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion flakes, oregano, and water in a large bowl and mix well.

Bake at 350 degrees (F) for 20 minutes, OR fry in a large skillet over medium heat until cooked through.

Pro-tip &#8211; try frying in bacon grease if you have any &#8211; it adds another level of flavor. Frying produces the golden brown color shown in the photos above.

Place all of the cooked meatballs in an oven safe dish.

Spoon approximately 1 tablespoon of marinara sauce over each meatball.

Cover with approximately 1/4 oz of mozzarella cheese each.

Bake at 350 degrees (F) for 20 minutes (40 minutes if meatballs are frozen) or until heated through, and the cheese is golden and melted.

Garnish with fresh parsley and serve hot.

I cut the dairy &amp; use 1/4 cup Nutritional Yeast. To me, they taste the same as when I made them using the original recipe. FYI One time I went up to 1/2 c and my husband said "Did you do something different his time?" (haha) He still liked them, but we both like the 1/4 c version best.
I make these every or every other week! 
Just wanted to add this update as I found this comment when I was trying to figure out if these could be dairy free. Melissa, Thank for the recipe &amp; suggestion on how to alter.

I made these for appetizers for family dinner today.  They are so delish!  I haven't even put the sauce and cheese on them yet and already I'm sold!  I used 93% lean beef and doubled most of the spices.  This is going to be my goto recipe for ground beef!

Hi:  I see you haven't commented on this recipe for about a year, but I hope you still check it. Can you tell me (us) how many carbs it would be if you used the pork rinds instead of the almond flour (per meatball)?  I'd really appreciate it.  Thanks!

Hi Mellissa, Italian mom here, and yes, this recipe stands up to my mother- in-laws! Tough thing to do too. I use a mix of pork, beef, and veal (per the italian way of my family) to make meatballs. Thank you for all your hard work to make my life not only easier but able to sit at the table with them while they eat!
assolutamente delizioso!

Omg! Omg! Omg! I came across this recipe on Pinterest on Friday. I made these last night for dinner and having some leftovers today. This recipe is by far the best Meatball Parmigiana recipe I've ever tried and the fact that they are low carb, even better. My boyfriend who is anti-low carb even loved it. This is my new go to recipe. Thank you so much!!

These are all sorts of AWESOME!!! I did make a little upgrade, in that I fresh-grated some imported Asiago in place about 1/2 of the Parmesan, and the flavor was nothing short of stellar. Also amped up the flavor by adding about 1/2 a Tb of chicken base to the mix. The meat mix was pretty sticky and not easy to shape, but I found that dipping my hands in cold water and shaking off the excess before rolling them helped considerably. (Normally I use a disher, but I'm not home right now.) Would have never believed that almond flour could so successfully replace bread crumbs if I hadn't seen for myself. After baking them I steep them in a tomato-basil sauce, and they become permeated with that flavor, and become even softer. I make low carb bread, which I shape into sub rolls, and we have meatball Parmigiana subs. Many thanks for the recipe. What a treat!!

I do have dried onion flakes and garlic powder in my kitchen.  I plan on making these great looking meatballs with a pound of ground beef and half a pound of spicy Italian sausage.  My abuela is from Mexico, but always open to new flavors and recipes.  Low Carb is hard for me as I've grown up on tortillas and beans (sob).  Thank You for providing interesting  and delicious alternative dishes.

So good! Tender and flavorful. Easy to double.

Tradditionally, meatballs are cooked in the sauce, not the oven or fry pan, so Yes  yum!

First time I made this I missed the part about adding warm water, but they turned out absolutely amazing &amp; my husband loved.  I tried making them again tonight &amp; realized about the 1/2 cup warm water.  Well, the mix was a soggy mess &amp; would barely form a meatball shape despite measuring everything else exactly.  I have no idea what I did wrong, but keeping my fingers crossed they turn out okay.  I know next time I probably will omit the water.  May I ask why you add it???

Ahh!!  That makes sense.  I will absolutely be making them again and will probably omit the water or maybe just add a little less, lol!!!.  My husband couldn't stop raving about how good they were.  Thank you so much for such a great recipe. :D

I made these for my grand children while babysitting for two weeks. Ended up making a triple recipe and freezing them. The kids just loved them and couldn't get enough!  All the adults loved them too!  Am going to make them now with pork rinds for my ailing in-laws. My father-in-law can't eat nuts so I figured that was best.  Thanks for all the great recipes!

Super delicious!! I made these for dinner and they were a huge hit. Can't wait to make them again soon. Thank you!!

Loved them!  Used 1lb ground turkey and 1/2 ground beef and they turned out great.  Never thought to use almond meal, usually grind sprouted bread for breadcrumbs but never again!  Newly dx diabetic and your recipes are a godsend!  Thank you

These are the best meatballs I have ever tasted.  Thank you for making low carb keto attainable.

Thank you so much for this recipe! We love meatballs, and since I went to low carb, I have had a hard time finding a recipe that still tasted good and wasn't dry. These are perfect.

I hate meatballs with a passion, never ever-EVER would I willingly subject myself to biting into a ball of meat. No thanks. Frankly, I dislike meat as a whole, but when I went keto I didn't have much of a choice meat wise! I was tasked with making dinner Saturday, something keto, something the family will eat. Including the picky little sister.

It was a hit! I absolutely adore these! I made it according to the recipe Saturday, but I had no parsley so I used rosemary and Italian seasoning, and no water. Doubled the recipe today, again no water and with my substitutions. I've already had around 5. They're not gonna last as long as I hope! Love these!

Just made this tonight. 
SO fast and SO easy. 
Wow wow wow. 
Thank you! I am thrilled.

These are absolutely the BEST meatballs I have ever eaten!!!  I made them exactly by the recipe, and I am totally in love with them.  I did make them a bit smaller, got about 35 or so, but that's just personal preference.  I could have eaten every single one of them as soon as I took them out of the oven!!  I will never use any other recipe for meatballs again.  No one would ever know that they are low carb and gluten free!!  Thanks so much for sharing this recipe.  I'll be making these on a regular basis for sure!!!

These meatballas (and all of Mellissa's other meatball recipes) are a HUGE hit at my house and a regular go-to.  We keep these babies frozen then pop them in the oven on busy weeknights for a delicious, quick dinner.

By far THE BEST MEATBALL recipe ever!, period!

These meatballs are delicious. I made mine w/ meatloaf mix (beef, pork, veal). But one thing i’m unsure of is why each of my “baked meatballs are coming out to 5.5 net carbs. I doubled recipe and my doubled batch made 40 regular sized meatballs. I put all ingredients into carb manager app. We’re your meatballs much smaller?

My kids wanted to spaghetti and meatballs for dinner so I googled keto meatballs and your recipe came up first. I ended up making your exact recipe with cheese and sauce for myself and my niece, and i just made meatballs in tomato sauce with spaghetti noodles for my kids. My niece and I loved the baked cheesy meatballs. They were so juicy and tasty. My kids gobbled them up too. I love this recipe. I ate mine with cheesy sautéed brussels sprouts. I was so happy with the way this meal came together. Will be making them again for sure! Thank you :)

Followed the recipe exactly and it was delicious! Made it with pasta and the kids made meatball sandwiches with the extra meatballs :)

Thanks for a great recipe!

Soak the almond flour and parm cheese in half cup of water or milk first then add to meat, and it is not runny at all.

This recipe is amazing! So easy to make. It is a little time consuming if you fry the meatballs first, then bake for 20 minutes, then bake again if you add the marina and cheese. But they are so worth the wait! I followed the recipe exactly with the exception of the water amount.  I added 1/4 cup water and it was perfect! I made Keto garlic flatbread and caesar salad to go with it. I kept thinking wow this is a diet?! How is this allowed?! I can eat this and still lose weight! Woo hoo!

Thank you for this recipe. Best meatballs I've had. Was completely surprised how good they were. Didn't use any water. Browned them on skillet then covered them on low to low/medium, to steam them. Came out moist and tender. Also, didn't bother with the sauce or cheese at end. These will be my go to snacks along with boiled eggs and homemade ranch dip with veggies.

Awesome, but my balls were destroyed when I was gonna turn them :( any tips? Looked like they were too "watery".

Why are you so rude? They simply were confused and asked for some clarity. Definitely won't support someone who is so rude.

I think the reply came from another reader, not the recipe author/blog poster Melissa. I agree it was rude, but wouldn’t want you to blame the recipe creator and miss out on her many terrific recipes.

The best meatballs I’ve ever made, seriously.  So moist and flavorful.  Yes, fried in bacon drippings.

I see that I commented here two years ago. Still coming to this page and this is now my family’s favorite meal. I follow the recipe exactly as written. Big hit with my family. It’s in our regular rotation. My kids ask for them all the time.

Best recipe I've tried. I add a little extra seasoning, almond flour, and 1/2 lb of pork to make extra and freeze. I tried pan frying, but prefer the oven. I always use Rao's marinara and use the extra sauce on zucchini noodles.

Made this recipe 4 times so far... Really delicious! Made it also with ground chicken, it needs more almond flour to hold it together but they sure are yummy in my tummy!

Delicious! I used sugar free pasta sauce to top. Thank you!!

These meatballs are amazing!  I never post comments on recipes but these were so good that I had to share.  The flavor and texture were perfect.  I did fry them in bacon drippings.  And they are excellent the next day, too!

I don’t usually write comments and gives rating. But I can’t hold myself, to thank you for this amazing recipe. This meatballs is perfect! We all love it!

Delightful meal! I used Pork Panko and gave it all a nice bake in the oven with a broil to brown it at the end and served over spaghetti squash. Absolute yum times, people!!

So delicious and tasty. The Parmesan adds a nuttiness and savor.

Perfect keto comfort food. Recipe works well as described.

Easy and great to eat.  Used hamburger alone

These were delicious! My teenagers even opted to skip their Whataburger day for these! The leftovers reheated nicely.

I am so going to make this. I think I could actually get my baby sister to eat this!!! 
THANKS!

Delicious recipe that is a hit with non-keto family members. Very versatile

Easy to make, great flavor and my hubby ate his over spaghetti and loved it, he is not on keto

Delicious - whole family loved them! Will be making again.

Thanks for the great recipe. Will definitely be trying these.

I love these! A go to for every occasion!

We love meatballs and these were no exception! Thank you for another great recipe!

Love this with shirtake noodles. Just like eating pasta! quick and easy....and delicious.

Love these with Marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese , I sometimes form the cheese inside the meatball as a tasty surprise too. 
Delicious!

I love all of Melissa’s meatball recipes. I also enjoy that I can easily switch from a meatball to a meatloaf if I’m short on time!

Delicious! You can't go wrong with a simple but flavorful dish like this!
After reading some comments, of course you can always adjust to your preferences but the recipe is great as it is, too!

Great taste and texture, I really appreciate all the discussion on alternative options

Love making these and freezing leftovers. Great to whip them out and have a great meal ready in minutes. Family loves them.

These are crazy delicious and easy to make. Going to be on regular rotation!!

This Meatball recipe sounds and looks good.  I am going to make it today! Thanks for sharing all your knowledge.

The Keto Meatballs Parmesan recipe looks like it's going to be a real winner around here.

Love these. I use them as a portion control when I want meatloaf for dinner.  Make a batch, keep out a few and freeze the rest.

Now I love a good meatball and I haven't had meatballs in forever as a side dish dinner or as  meal. I think I will be making these at some point this week. I love cheese and I never actually had a Meatball Parmigiana before.

Love meatballs of all kinds but these are wonderful!!

I love a good meatball and this recipe does not disappoint.  I usually make extras up and freeze the meat.  It makes a great tasting, nutritious meal for the family.

Was fantastic! Made 1inch balls rather than 2inch and it was still amazing!

This recipe looks amazing! I can't wait to try it.  I love Italian meatballs!

These meatballs are easy to make so I always make 2 or 3x the recipe and freeze the rest. One way I've used them frozen was to put it in the crock pot along with spaghetti squash (cut hamburger way) seeds removed and placed cut side down along with 2 cups of marinara sauce.  Leftovers can also be frozen for another meal. These meatballs are full of flavour and my non keto kids enjoy this meal too.

I tried this recipe and my family loved it. It was so good &lt;3

I love this recipe and make it often.. especially with homemade tomato sauce.

I love that you can literally use any combination of ground meat in making these meatballs. They reheat well. I like to make them in prepping for the week. Super easy lunch option!

I love this recipe! I’ve made it many times over the years and my husband still has no idea it’s keto! 😄

Super easy prep.  You can freeze and pull out for a quick dinner or appetizer.

LOVe meatballs!  Thank you for this recipe.😊

these would be so good to have on-hand in the freezer.

Cannot wait to give this recipe a try, sounds delicious.

Love these meatballs. So tender and moist.

I LOVE all your meatball recipes, but this one is very yummy as I'm partial to Italian anything.  DELISH.

Definitely one of my favorite meatball recipes!

A family favorite! Love when a recipe satisfies my carb loving kids as well as those of us who are watching our carbs. Makes meal time easy.

THE BEST MEATBALLS! I love a recipe that works for everyone, regardless of there diet preference. Awesome for company :)

These look so good!  My family will love it!

My family loves this recipe as much as I do.

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/7RufvRIT.mp4

Meatballs alla Parmigiana

Juicy, tender low carb meatballs in a rich tomato sauce topped with melted mozzarella - comfort food both grown-ups and children will love. I like to make a triple portion and freeze a big batch for later.

Italian Keto Meatballs

olive oil

onion (finely diced (70 grams))

garlic (minced)

1.1 lb ground beef (500 grams, fatty is best)

tbsp dried oregano (10.8 grams)

tbsp coconut aminos (or soy sauce)

egg (large)

pepper

tbsp pecorino (15 grams, grated,

21 oz chopped tomatoes

tomato puree (30 grams)

mozzarella (113 grams)

Preheat the oven to 400F / 200C / 180fan.

Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a skillet or non stick sauté pan. Add the onion and fry for 3 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and sauté for a further 30 seconds. Remove from the pan and wipe out the pan ready for the meatballs.

Place the meat, 1 tbsp dried oregano, half of the cooked onion and garlic mix, 1 tbsp coconut aminos, egg, a good pinch of salt and pepper and 1 tbsp pecorino in a bowl and mix to combine. Using wet hands, roll into meatballs about 3 cm in size.

Heat 1 tbsp of  oil in your skillet or sauté pan and fry the meatballs, turning frequently for 5 - 7 minutes until browned. Remove from the heat. (Transfer to an oven proof dish if you’re not using a cast iron pan that can go in the oven or temporarily remove the meatballs from the skillet whilst you make the sauce.)

To a clean skillet / pan, add the chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, remaining garlic and onion, 1 tbsp coconut aminos, 1 tbsp oregano, season and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes until thicker in consistency.

Coat the meatballs in the tomato sauce. Top with shredded mozzarella, 2 tbsp pecorino and bake 15 - 20  minutes until the cheese has fully melted. Top with fresh oregano and cracked black pepper.

This recipe puts a low carb, gluten free spin on an Italian Classic.

Low Carb Italian Meatballs

ground Beef 73% lean will add good moisture

Parmesan cheese (grated)

eggs (beaten)

garlic (minced (medium in size to taste))

salt and pepper

olive oil (plus more if needed)

Add the ground beef, parmesan cheese, eggs, parsley and garlic to a large bowl.

Mix well with your hands, squeezing the mixture through your fingers until combined.

Using an ice cream scoop, scoop some of the mixture into your palm and roll between your palms to form a firm ball. Continue with the entire mixture (24 Meatballs).

Heat about ½ cup of vegetable oil into a large skillet. You'll want about ½-inch of oil in the pan.

Add the meatballs to the heated oil about 2 inches apart and brown them until crisp, turning with a pair of tongs so that they are evenly browned. Do this in batches rather than crowding the pan.

Once browned, transfer to paper towels to blot.  Add to low carb tomato sauce of your choice. Cook until heated through.

https://mediavine-res.cloudinary.com/video/upload/t_original/v1576172248/mswuarvy4oknlwijbxsl.mp4

Whether following a Keto Diet or just cutting Carbs, with this recipe for Low Carb Italian Meatballs you'll have flavorful gluten-free meal.

It only takes 5 ingredients and 15 minutes to make the BEST Keto Meatballs! These meatballs are made in the oven without cheese and can be served an an appetizer or meal.

Keto Meatballs

beef

Italian seasoning

sea salt

marinara sauce

zucchini

Preheat the oven broiler to high.

Mix all of the ingredients for the meatballs together in a bowl.

Roll the meatball mixture into 24 small balls.

Place the meatballs on a parchment-lined baking sheet and into the oven on the middle rack.

Broil for 7 minutes.

Prepare the zucchini, either in the air fryer or oven.

Assemble the bowls, combining the meatballs and zucchini, topped with marinara sauce and parmesan cheese.

Keto turkey meatballs are easy to make oven baked ground turkey meatballs. This keto turkey meatballs recipe is my kids favorite keto snack and wonderful party food recipe!

Keto turkey meatballs

Turkey meat (thighs or breasts) 820 g/29 oz

onion 55 g/1.94 oz

Almond flour 1/4 cup 25 g/0.88 oz

Parmesan cheese 1/4 cup 25 g/0.88 oz

Salt 1/2 tsp

Pepper 1/4 tsp

Powdered garlic 1/4 tsp

Ground paprika 1/2 tsp

basil

Preheat the oven to 175 C/350 F.

Combine all ingredients in food processor and grind...

Combine all ingredients in food processor and grind for 2 minutes or until mixture suitable for meatballs is prepared. If you don't have food processor, use ground meat and combine everything in the bowl.

Form meatballs with the spoon, ice/cream scooper or...

Form meatballs with the spoon, ice/cream scooper or with your hands. It's easier if you have wet hands.

Place meatballs on a sheet pan layered with...

Place meatballs on a sheet pan layered with a parchment paper and bake in a preheated oven on 175 C/350 F for 40 - 50 minutes.

Top 7 low carb meatballs recipes from across the web

The most viewed low carb meatballs recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

Harissa Chicken Meatballs

Mediterranean Meatballs

Keto Meatball Parmesan - Low Carb

Italian Keto Meatballs

Low Carb Italian Meatballs

Keto Meatballs

Keto turkey meatballs

Top 7 low carb meatballs recipes from across the web

The most viewed low carb meatballs recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Harissa Chicken Meatballs

Mediterranean Meatballs

Keto Meatball Parmesan - Low Carb

Italian Keto Meatballs

Low Carb Italian Meatballs

Keto Meatballs

Keto turkey meatballs

The most viewed low carb meatballs recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine