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These gluten-free low carb meatballs were inspired by my readers. Making keto meatballs Italian style has been on my list for a while now, but several reader requests for an easy low carb meatball recipe brought it to life sooner than I planned for.
They are not quite no carb meatballs, but they are pretty close… and they taste just like the real thing!
Options for Low Carb Meatballs Without Breadcrumbs
Keto meatballs are actually not so different from regular ones. Whether you’ve made one kind or the other before, the basics are the same.
You just need meat, binders, seasonings, and moisture. Just like in a meatloaf. And, I’m happy to share my tips and tricks with you!
Here are the basic binder options that could be used in a low carb meatball recipe:
- Almond flour
- Coconut flour
- Flax seed meal (regular or golden)
- Crushed pork rinds
- Grated Parmesan cheese
- Ground sunflower seeds
- Other ground nuts or nut meal
Not all of these will work the same way. Coconut flour will be very drying, for example.
I originally had this recipe made with golden flax seed meal, but now don’t recommend it. It can lead to a slightly slimy texture that can be off-putting for some people.
Instead, I recommend using a combination of Parmesan cheese and either almond flour or sunflower seed meal. The taste is identical with both, so it’s up to you. Almond flour might be a little easier to find, whereas sunflower seed meal is nut-free.
Tips for How To Make Low Carb Meatballs
The best keto meatballs are tender and juicy and taste just like real ones! Use these tips to get just that.
Soak the dry ingredients in (some kind of) milk.
To make your keto friendly meatballs tender and juicy, soak the dry ingredients in your milk of choice. Use coconut milk beverage for nut-free or unsweetened almond milk otherwise. Heavy cream also works fine.
Letting everything soak for a few minutes before adding the meat goes a long way in improving the texture of your meatballs, so don’t skip that step! Not only does it let the flavors develop, it also lets the moisture soak into the dry ingredients more thoroughly.
Adding the meat last prevents overworking it by avoiding repeated mixing, which is also helpful in improving tenderness.
Don’t over-mix the meat.
If you do, you’ll end up with tough meatballs. Add the meat last and mix only until combined.
Form the keto meatballs gently.
You don’t want to pack the meat too much, or your low carb meatballs will be dense. A small cookie scoop is great for this.
If you use your hands instead of a scoop, make sure they are cold and lightly covered in oil. This prevents sticking and ensures that the fats in the meat don’t break down prior to cooking.
Broil or pan fry for a golden top.
If you want your meatballs browned, you can lightly pan fry them or place them under the broiler. Take this into account ahead of time, taking them out of the oven a little early if you plan to broil or pan fry, so that you don’t overcook them at the end.
Low Carb Ways To Eat Meatballs
Looking for what to serve with keto meatballs? Here are a few ideas:
- Skewer them with little appetizer forks
- Include them as part of a meatball casserole
- Serve them on top of zucchini noodles or baked spaghetti squash
How To Store Keto Friendly Meatballs
This keto meatball recipe is perfect for meal prep or making ahead, because they store very well. Toss ’em in the fridge for up to a week for quick keto dinners on weeknights.
To freeze these (almost) no carb meatballs, arrange them in a single layer on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and freeze until solid. After that, you can transfer them to a freezer bag. To serve, they can go into the oven straight from the freezer.
Easy Keto Low Carb Meatballs Italian Style:
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Tools To Make This Low Carb Meatball Recipe:
Click the links below to see the items used to make this recipe.
- Glass bowls – This set is perfect for keto meatballs… and a million other things.
- Small cookie scoop – Makes it quick and easy to form the low carb meatballs.
- Baking sheet – This one has a silicone non-stick surface, so you can even skip the parchment paper or foil if you want to.
RECIPE CARD
Easy Keto Low Carb Meatballs Recipe - Italian Style
RECIPE VIDEO
Click or tap on the image below to play the video. It's the easiest way to learn how to make this recipe!
PrintIngredients
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- 1/4 cup Grated parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup Sunflower seed meal (or almond flour if not nut-free)
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 3/4 tsp Sea salt
- 1/2 tsp Black pepper
- 1/4 cup Unsweetened coconut milk beverage (can also use almond milk or heavy cream)
- 3 tbsp Onion (grated)
- 1 large Egg
- 3 cloves Garlic (minced)
- 2 tbsp Fresh parsley (chopped)
- 1 lb Ground beef
- 3/4 cup Marinara sauce
Instructions
RECIPE TIPS + VIDEO in the post above, nutrition info + recipe notes below!
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (218 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil (grease if using foil).
In a large bowl, stir together the grated Parmesan cheese, sunflower seed meal, Italian seasoning, sea salt, and black pepper.
- Whisk in the milk, grated onion, egg, garlic, and fresh parsley. Let the mixture sit for a couple of minutes.
- Mix in the ground beef using your hands, until just incorporated. (Don't over-mix to avoid tough meatballs.)
Form the mixture into 1 in (2.5 cm) balls and place on the lined baking sheet. (A small cookie scoop works well for this. If using your hands, use a gentle touch and don't pack the meatballs too tightly.)
Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the meatballs are barely done. (If you want them more golden, you can place them under the broiler for a couple of minutes.)
Top each meatball with marinara sauce. Return to the oven and bake for 3-5 minutes, until the sauce is hot and meatballs are cooked through. Garnish with additional fresh parsley.
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Recipe Notes
Nutrition info is based on using 85/15 ground beef, and may vary slightly depending on marinara sauce brand.
Serving size: 6 1" meatballs
Video Showing How To Make Low Carb Meatballs:
Don't miss the VIDEO above - it's the easiest way to learn how to make Low Carb Meatballs!
NUTRITION INFORMATION PER SERVING
Where does nutrition info come from? Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy, sourced from the USDA Food Database. You can find individual ingredient carb counts we use in the Low Carb & Keto Food List. Carb count excludes sugar alcohols. Net carb count excludes both fiber and sugar alcohols, because these do not affect blood sugar in most people. We try to be accurate, but feel free to make your own calculations.
More Low Carb & Keto Support!
If you want to know more about how to start a low carb diet, want to substitute sweeteners, need a food list, or need support, check these guides:
Low Carb & Keto Diet Plan
Starter Guide 
Sweetener Conversion Calculator 
Keto Low Carb Macro Calculator 
Low Carb Keto Food List + Printable PDF
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39 Comments
Barry
Great recipe. My kids really like coconut flavored meatballs. I used Coconut flour, Organic unrefined coconut oil, and xo but milk. I left of the parmesan cheese and topped each meatball with a chunk of mozzarella when I added the sauce.
Pamela Marceaux
Maybe I’m missing it on your recipe but how many meatballs does this make? I want to make sure I’m making them the same size so the macros are the same. Thanks
Wholesome Yum L
Hi Pamela, the serving size is 6 meatballs and each serving is 6 one inch meatballs.
Brandi
Hands down the best meatballs EVER!! Entire family devoured them!
Krissy
Since starting on Keto, my family has been missing my homemade gravy (tomato sauce) and meatballs. In order to get the gravy right, I have to cook the meatballs in it for 3 hours. Will these meatballs hold up to that?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Krissy, Yes, they will! Sounds delicious!
Mel
Best meatball recipe I’ve found! Love it. Thanks!
Teresa
I want to use ground pork rinds for my filler do I use 1/4 cup?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Teresa, Yes, use the same amount as the almond flour.
Susan
These were delicious! If freezing would you suggest freezing before or after baking in marinara sauce?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Susan! Freezing before baking in marinara would work best, but if you did it the other way it would still be okay.
Carla
These were the best meatballs I have ever made!!! My family loved them.. thank you so much for sharing.. I made them in the air fryer, 7 mins on 400 .
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you so much for sharing, Carla! Great to know they worked in an air fryer.
Jenn S.
These meatballs were super light, moist and tender! Absolutely delicious. I will definitely make these again. I paired them with a low sugar pasta sauce and homemade keto bun for meatball subs and it was a real treat.
Angel Bidel
Used Hemp seeds for a binder and found some very low carb sauce and this made a wonder meal!!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Great idea, Angel! Thanks for sharing!
Jill
I keep kosher and don’t mix milk and meat, so I can’t use the parmesan cheese in this recipe. Do you have an idea of what to substitute? Thanks 🙂
Btw, my husband is allergic to nuts (so no ground almonds).
What a challenge!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Jill, You can replace the almond flour with sunflower seed meal. Most likely you can replace the Parmesan with more sunflower seed meal as well, but I haven’t tried it to say for sure.
Amanda
I made this tonight. I didn’t have the flax seed meal. I used the almond meal, unsweetened almond milk. We enjoyed the meal.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Amanda! I’m glad you liked them.
Beth
Honestly, these were incredibly delicious! I used ground flaxseed as the recipe suggests, and unsweetened almond milk. I misjudged the size, so I had to refigure the serving size. It was a great recipe.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I am so happy to hear that, Beth! Have a nice day!
Tina Sansone
Stuffed each meatball with mozzarella cheese! I’m on the keto eating routine love them!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Great idea, Tina! I am so happy that you liked them!
Rebeca
I’m doing keto but I’m doing dairy free. Would I need to substitute the cheese?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Rebeca, If you are dairy-free you wouldn’t be able to use the cheese. If you’re not nut-free, almond flour would likely work instead.
Sherry
You could try using Nutritional Yeast aka “Nooch” in place of the Parmesan..
Jamie Sokoll
OMG BEST meatballs I’ve ever had, and certainly the best I’ve ever made!! Used almond flour instead of flaxseed and regular full fat milk. These are a winner 🙂
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Yay I love to hear that, Jamie! Have a great day!
Aubyn
These were delicious! I used regular flax seed meal and could not taste any flaxyness. Also I mixed the meat with the wet and dry ingredient mixture in the food processor, pulsing just a few times and they came out beautifully tender. Might be a good way to avoid overworking. Served without the marinara but with zucchini noodles and your keto Alfredo mixed with some marinara to reduce carbs. It was amazing! Thanks for the recipe.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Aubyn! I am so happy you enjoyed the meatballs! Have a great day!
Sarah
This smelled divine as it was cooking! Tasted equally as good. Had it with zucchini “zoodles” (trying the Keto diet right now). The only thing I’d change next time is add another egg, as these were a little too crumbly. Thank you, Maya! Looking forward to checking out your other recipes.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you for stopping by, Sarah! Please come back soon!
Rebekah
I want to use these for mini burgers on a toothpick. Does it matter if I leave the marinara off?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Rebekah, Yes, you can do that!
Cynthia
My husband and I just started the keto diet so I have been trying to make things that we both love. Oh my goodness! These are the best meatballs ever!
I did not have any flaxseed so I subbed almond flour, dried parsley (about 3 teaspoons) and dried minced onion that I reconstituted.
After I baked them, I put them into a baking dish with some low carb marinara, topped with mozzarella and baked it more until the mozzarella turned a nice shade of brown.
I served it with spinach alfredo and zucchini noodles.
Our favorite meal YET.
THANK YOU, thank you, thank you for your recipe. I will be repeating this meal for sure!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Cynthia! That sounds absolutely delicious!
Kaitlin W
Could I use almond flour instead of flaxseed meal? Would it stay 1/4 cup?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Kaitlin, Yes, you can! The amount would be the same.