Gluten Free meatballs baked in the oven with gooey mozzarella cheese on top! Enjoy these Italian style meatballs cooked in a low carb marinara sauce, that's great over zucchini noodles or Palmini noodles!
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Jump to:
- ❤️ Why You'll Love This Keto Italian Meatballs Recipe
- 🛒 What's in Low Carb Italian Meatballs
- 🔪 How to Make the Best Keto Meatballs
- What Can I Serve with Italian Meatballs Instead of Pasta?
- Can you Eat Italian Food on Keto?
- Tips to Make the Best Keto Meatballs
- Keto Italian Meatballs FAQ's
- More Keto Ground Beef Recipes
❤️ Why You'll Love This Keto Italian Meatballs Recipe
- Tender and flavorful classic Italian meatballs
- Braised low and slow in a tangy low carb tomato sauce
- Baked melted mozzarella cheese on top
- Family friendly
Oh how I love the smell of Italian food cooking in my kitchen! And who doesn't love a great meatball parmigiana!? Before Keto, I often made the typical "Sunday Sauce" (or gravy depending on who you ask!) and of course served it over some of my favorite pasta long fusilli, rigatoni or penne.
While I no longer indulge in pasta, I do still really enjoy a good meatball, Italian sausage or Beef Braciole. This is such a healthy Low Carb meatball recipe that will make you forget that you are on a diet!
With shredded mozzarella cheese over the top, they're baked in the oven till the cheese is golden and bubbly. These are the best gluten free meatballs ever, and I promise you won't even miss the bread crumbs! They are moist, tender and full of flavor!
🛒 What's in Low Carb Italian Meatballs
- Ground beef
- Ground pork
- Parmesan cheese
- Mozzarella cheese
- Low carb tomato sauce
- Eggs
- Heavy cream
- Garlic
- Basil
- White wine (or chicken stock)
- Salt & Pepper
- Olive oil
*Exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below.
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🔪 How to Make the Best Keto Meatballs
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Combine the eggs, heavy cream, 2 cloves of garlic, parmesan cheese and half of the basil in a bowl and mix well.
Tip: Adding all the ingredients that go into the meatballs in the bowl and mixing it first, before adding in the meat helps make the meatballs more tender and prevents them from becoming tough and dense from over-mixing.
Lately, add in the ground beef and ground pork, then mix just until combined, do not over-mix.
Using an ice cream scoop, form the meatballs and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
They can get pretty sticky, so a little trick is to wet your hands every now and then, to make them much easier to form.
Bake for them 10 minutes or until firm enough, that they'll hold their shape nicely.
Turn the oven off, take the meatballs out and transfer them to an oven-safe skillet that has a drizzle of olive oil in it. You want it to be oven-safe because once the meatballs are almost done, we're going to bake them in the oven with lots of melted cheese over the top!
Put the pan on the stovetop over medium heat and sauté the meatballs for a few minutes on each side to brown.
Remove the meatballs from the pan and set them aside on a plate. Drain off most of the fat, then add in the rest of the garlic. Sauté for about 20 seconds, careful not to brown it.
Tip: If the garlic turns brown, it will give the sauce a bitter taste, and you definitely don't want that, so watch it carefully.
Pour the wine into the pan to deglaze it, scraping up the brown bits. Continue cooking until the liquid has evaporated and reduced by half.
Stir in your Low Carb tomato sauce, the rest of the basil, salt and pepper (to taste).
Add the meatballs back into the sauce and cook (covered) for another 45 minutes on medium low heat or until they're tender.
Preheat your oven to 425°F. Add the mozzarella cheese over the top and bake for 10 minutes or until the cheese is golden. Take out of the oven and allow to cool slightly before serving.
What Can I Serve with Italian Meatballs Instead of Pasta?
There are several different ways you can serve these meatballs that are perfectly acceptable for a low carb diet. The first and most traditional, would be over a bed of zucchini noodles (zoodles), Palmini noodles or spaghetti squash.
The second, is with Keto Buns or Keto Dinner Rolls, and for added flavor Keto Garlic Rolls are fantastic!
You can also serve them a some sauce on top and a low carb side dish or salad on the side.
Can you Eat Italian Food on Keto?
Yes, you sure can! While we cannot enjoy traditional pasta, there are a number of classic Italian dishes that with a few ingredient tweaks, that we can indulge in. Here are some of my favorite Keto Italian recipes:
- Zucchini Rollatini
- Crockpot Sausage and Peppers
- Chicken Piccata
- Creamy Tuscan Chicken Skillet
- Keto Marinara Sauce
Tips to Make the Best Keto Meatballs
- The best method is to first bake, then fry the meatballs. This will help them hold their shape and still give the sauce lots of great flavor.
- Mix everything that goes into the meatballs in the bowl first and add in the meat last, this ensures the meat does not get overworked, tough and dense.
- Using an ice cream scoop makes the meatballs more uniform in size and helps them all cook evenly. And let's be honest, much easier than digging your hands in the bowl each time!
- Braising them low and slow in the tomato sauce helps keep them tender, while infusing great flavor into the meatballs.
Keto Italian Meatballs FAQ's
Can You Substitute Almond Flour for Bread Crumbs to Make This Gluten-Free Meatball Recipe?
Sure you can, but this meatball recipe is made without breadcrumbs. It uses 1 cup of parmesan cheese instead and actually acts as the perfect binder, along with the eggs.
Can you Eat Meatballs on Keto Diet?
With this Keto meatballs recipe, there is no reason you can't enjoy the same great flavor and texture of traditional meatballs. And because, as I explain below, they are made with almond flour instead of all purpose flour, they are perfectly low carb!
In fact, in recipes that use bread crumbs, like Chicken Parmesan, Zucchini Fries, Chicken Milanese or Mozzarella Sticks, I make my own gluten free breadcrumbs with a mix of almond flour, parmesan cheese and crushed pork rinds and herbs, which works really well.
There is also heavy cream in the mix, this is to keep them moist and tender.
How Many Net Carbs are in Keto Meatballs?
Each serving in this Keto meatball recipe, has only 3 net carbs. This includes a little sauce over the top, which is a must!
What Frozen Meatballs are Keto Friendly?
Store bought frozen meatballs typically contain flour in them, as one of the binding agents used to hold them together. So they're not idea for a low carb or Keto diet. However, since this meatball recipe ues almond flour instead, they are perfectly acceptable and can easily be frozen.
Is Almond Flour Good for Keto?
Absolutely and it does a great job in holding the meatballs together, just as all purpose flour does with traditional meatballs.
How Should You Store these Almond Flour Meatballs?
Store them in the fridge for a few days, sitting in their sauce so they can continue to absorb the flavor and stay moist. This is one of those meals that actually tastes better the next day. Beyond a few days, you can freeze them and they'll reheat beautifully!
More Keto Ground Beef Recipes
- Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole
- Baked Southwest Skillet
- Beef Stroganoff Casserole
- Instant Pot No-Bean Chili
- Chili Cheese Dog Casserole
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Keto Italian Meatballs
RECIPE VIDEO
Ingredients
- 1 pound grass-fed ground beef, I use 85%
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 28 ounce can of low carb tomato sauce
- 2 whole eggs
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- 3 cloves garlic, minced & divided
- 3 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped & divided
- ⅓ cup white wine, I use Pinot Grigio - or chicken stock
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Olive oil, for coating the pan
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Add eggs, heavy cream, 2 cloves of garlic, parmesan cheese and half the basil to a bowl and mix well. Add in the ground beef and pork and mix just until combined, do not over-mix.
- Using an ice cream scoop, scoop out mixture into your hand, form the meatballs and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Wet your hands periodically, to prevent them from sticking to your hands. Bake for 10 minutes or until firm enough to hold their shape.
- Remove the pan from the oven, turn the oven off and transfer the meatballs to an oven-safe skillet that has a drizzle of olive oil in it. Put the pan on the stovetop over medium heat and sauté for a few minutes on each side to brown. Remove the meatballs from the pan and set on a plate.
- Drain off most of the fat, then add in the remaining clove of garlic. Sauté for about 20 seconds, careful not to brown it. Deglaze the pan with the wine, scraping up the brown bits. Continue cooking until the liquid has reduced by half. Stir in the tomato sauce, remaining basil, salt and pepper.
- Add the meatballs back in and cook (covered) for another 45 minutes on medium low or until tender. Preheat the oven to 425F. Add the cheese over the top and bake for 10 minutes or until the cheese is golden.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before serving. Garnish with fresh basil and serve over zoodles, spaghetti squash or with some veggies on the side.
*Make sure to scroll up and read the post for substitutions, additions and helpful tips for making this recipe.
*Nutritional data is provided as a courtesy and is accurate to the best of my knowledge. You can verify it using the nutrition calculator of your choice. All data is based on net carbs, without sugar alcohol: Swerve, Erythritol, Monk Fruit or Allulose.
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Jane Miller
I made these delicious meatballs last night! They were a hit and so was the sauce served over It’ Skinny Konjac noodles.
Keto Cooking Christian
That sounds amazing! I am so glad you enjoyed them.
Mama6
These meatballs are so good for Keto and my kids love them with some noodles. They are better the following days for leftovers and great for a quick, healthy lunch!
Keto Cooking Christian
That's so awesome to hear. I love them the next day even more too.
Lori
What type of tomato sauce is used??? Plain or like a spaghetti sauce?
Keto Cooking Christian
I use plain tomato sauce in a can, then season it myself.
Colleen
I tried this recipe tonight and it was delicious! My husband (who is not keto) and I both loved it. I froze half the meatballs (after browning, before saucing) to use for a future dinner.
Keto Cooking Christian
Wonderful, glad you both loved the meatballs!
Jaime
I made these tonight and they were delicious. Thank you for sharing this recipe. I served them with a Caesar salad.
Keto Cooking Christian
Caesar salad sounds like the perfect side to serve with these! Glad you enjoyed them!
Scott Dixon
This was so good! Thank you so much!
Keto Cooking Christian
Thank you Scott, so glad you enjoyed it!
Jen Reid
How do you think these would freeze? I’m looking for low carb freezer:friendly recipes and these meatballs are awesome.
Keto Cooking Christian
Hi Jen,
These meatballs actually freeze and reheat perfectly!
Tiffany O'Brien
My husband and I LOVE THESE! Thanks so much for the recipe. -Tiffany
Keto Cooking Christian
Awesome, glad you both enjoyed them!
Lynette
Went over well and easy to make
Keto Cooking Christian
Great to hear you liked them!
Sharon
Hi,
Making this now, when is the Parmesan cheese added?
Keto Cooking Christian
Hi Sharon,
It's added to the meatball mixture.
sara
I've been wondering, when looking for fat content, do you look at the total fat or the saturated portion? I've been told just saturated, and if that's so, it's much lower than protein and I've been having a hard time minimizing my protein and getting on ketosis.
Keto Cooking Christian
Hi Sara,
Personally, I look at total fat, but I display both total and saturated fat in the nutrition label for my recipes.
Kate
Hi there! Making these for dinner. Watched the video & it shows to add the Parmesan with the cream, eggs, etc but that’s missing in your step 2. Not sure if that was on purpose. Too late for me to add that in but I’m sure they’ll be delicious anyway 😊
kaleigh
how many meatballs is considered a serving?
Keto Cooking Christian
Hi Kaleigh,
Each serving is 2 meatballs for the size that I made. If you make them larger or smaller, it would just be 1/8th of the recipe. I hope that helps!
Heather
I made this for supper last night, and it was delicious. I had it over steamed veggies (my spouse, who is not keto, enjoyed it over pasta). It was a nice change of pace from my usual fare, and I'm adding it to my "I need to treat myself" file. It's an easy recipe, but the results taste special--like it required more work than it actually did. Two thumbs up!
Keto Cooking Christian
My husband is not Keto either, though he eats most of what I make that is. He too, had it over pasta and enjoyed it. I'm glad you and you both liked it and consider it a treat 🙂
Carolyn
After the meatballs simmered for 45min. I poured them over spaghetti squash in a 9x11 dish, added the cheese and into the oven for 15min. ?
Keto Cooking Christian
Great idea, sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing 🙂