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My keto meatballs have been a staple in my kitchen since 2017, thanks to readers asking for a breadcrumb-free option. After making them more times than I can count, I can confidently say these low carb meatballs are my family’s favorite. Even my kids love them! They’re the perfect pairing with zoodles and sugar-free marinara for a tasty keto dinner, or even on their own as a crowd-pleasing low carb appetizer. Make this keto meatball recipe with me — and I hope it makes its way onto your family’s favorite list, too!
Why You Need My Keto Meatball Recipe
- Tender, ultra juicy texture – My go-to mix of almond flour, parmesan, and grated onion makes these just as juicy as traditional ones — if not more so. Check out my tips to help them stay that way!
- Flavorful, not boring – With a savory mix of beef, aromatics, and seasonings, my keto meatballs have oodles of Italian flavor.
- 2 ways to cook them – I usually bake these low carb meatballs and that was my original recipe years ago, but have since also enjoyed pan-frying them.
- Easy and meal prep friendly – You can have these on the table in 30 minutes flat! They also store incredibly well. Busy weeknights? Taken care of.
- Keto friendly – They are not quite no carb meatballs, but with only 2.5g net carbs per serving, this recipe is pretty close. Plus, they’re gluten-free and packed with protein, with dairy-free and nut-free options.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my low carb meatball recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
- Ground Beef – I order grass-fed 85/15 beef from this place — lots of flavor without being greasy. Feel free to use 90/10 or 80/20 if you prefer. You can also make these keto meatballs using ground pork, chicken (which is a lot like my chicken meatballs), turkey, or a combination of these.
- Binders – I’ve tried many binders over the years, but keep coming back to a combo of almond flour (which keeps meatballs tender) and grated parmesan cheese (which doubles as a flavor booster). I highly recommend using Wholesome Yum Blanched Almond Flour, which is a finer grind than other brands, for the best texture in your meatballs. For other options, I’ve got other binders below.
- Aromatics – Minced garlic is a must, but my little secret for juicy results is grated onion! My mom always added it to all kinds of ground meats and it’s game-changing for juiciness. Any kind works. You can substitute 1/2 tablespoon each of garlic powder and onion powder, but fresh tastes better by a landslide.
- Milk Of Your Choice – Stick to low carb milk options: either unsweetened coconut milk beverage, almond milk, or heavy cream.
- Egg – Holds everything together. You can swap in a flax egg for an egg-free version.
- Herbs – Fresh parsley and Italian seasoning! Feel free to swap in 2 tablespoons of any fresh herbs and a tablespoon of any dried herbs you’ve got.
- Marinara Sauce – I love making my own low carb marinara, but store-bought is fine — just make sure there’s no added sugar. You can even use Alfredo sauce if you’re feeling adventurous.
- Sea Salt & Black Pepper
Free Printable: Low Carb & Keto Food List
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How To Make Keto Meatballs
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
Mix Them Up:
- Mix the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, stir together the parmesan, almond flour, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- Add the wet ingredients. Stir in the milk, grated onion, minced garlic, egg, and parsley. Let the mixture sit for a couple minutes.
- Mix in the ground beef. Use your hands to gently mix, just until it all comes together.
- Form the meatballs. Scoop or roll the mixture into 1-inch balls and pop them onto a lined baking sheet (I use and love this one made in the USA).
Cooking Methods:
You’ve got 2 options to cook your keto meatballs:
- Bake: Bake them in the oven until barely done. Drain off any excess liquid, then add marinara and return to the oven to finish. (This is the option I make most often and have shown in the pictures.)
- Pan Fry: Brown the meatballs in olive oil over medium heat, just until golden on the outside. Pour marinara sauce over them, cover, and simmer.
Serve:
I like extra parmesan over these low carb meatballs, along with a sprinkle of fresh parsley.
My Recipe Tips
- Want a shortcut for the onion and garlic? I found this tip a reader shared so helpful: Just toss all the ingredients except the meat in a mini food processor (I have and love this one) and blend. Then proceed to mix with the meat in a bowl.
- Be careful not to overmix. Overmixing contracts the proteins in the meat and leads to tough meatballs. Mix just enough to be uniform.
- There are 2 reasons to wait a few minutes before adding the meat. First of all, soaking the dry ingredients makes your meatballs softer and juicier. Second, adding the meat last reduces the amount of mixing you have to do.
- Don’t pack the meat too tightly when forming meatballs, or they’ll turn out dense. I love using this small cookie scoop for this, so I don’t have to handle them too much.
- Wet or oil your hands. This prevents sticking and the fats in the meat from breaking down.
- Use a meat thermometer. Like any protein, the key to juicy keto meatballs is to not overcook them! I love this meat thermometer to check if I’m using the oven method. Add the sauce once the meatballs reach 155-160 degrees F, and make sure they reach 165 degrees F after baking again.
- Want a golden outside? Opt for the stovetop method, or for the oven, broil the meatballs for a couple minutes before adding the sauce.
- Want a melty finish? Sprinkle shredded mozzarella over the marinara before baking the second time, or over your skillet on the stove in the last few minutes.
- Can you skip the sauce? Absolutely! Just bake or pan fry until cooked through, without any sauce.
Other Binder Options
I love my keto friendly meatballs with almond flour and parm the most, but these other alternatives to breadcrumbs also work well. Use 1/2 cup total, regardless of what type or combination you choose.
- Almond flour only – If you need a dairy-free option, just replace the parmesan with more almond flour. It’s less flavorful, but still delicious!
- Crushed pork rinds – You can replace just the almond flour with these, or also the parmesan as well. Keep in mind they are salty, so I’d recommend reducing the salt added separately.
- Ground sunflower seeds – A.k.a. sunflower seed meal. It’s a 1:1 nut-free substitute for almond flour in this keto meatball recipe.
- Other ground nuts or nut meal – These can work, but the texture and flavor might vary depending on what you use.
I don’t recommend using flaxseed meal (too slimy), grated parmesan alone (too dense), or coconut flour (too dry).
Serving Ideas
You can definitely poke these low carb meatballs with toothpicks for an appetizer spread, but I love them most for an Italian-inspired dinner. Here are some ideas:
- Keto Noodles – I usually make zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash, but my keto pasta makes an incredible base when you want a “real pasta” feel.
- Keto Breads – Keto garlic bread or cauliflower breadsticks are amazing on the side. But my all-time faves are piling the keto meatballs over garlic parmesan chaffles or stuffing them into keto hot dog buns for a meatball sub!
- Veggies – Try my easy sauteed broccoli or zucchini, or whip up my avocado Caprese salad for a cook-free option.
Keto Meatballs (Easy Low Carb Recipe)
By
My keto meatballs recipe makes juicy, flavorful low carb meatballs with just 2.4g net carbs per serving! Perfect for dinner or a quick app.
Instructions
[ See step photos See my tips ]Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (218 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil (grease if using foil).
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In a large bowl, stir together the almond flour, grated parmesan, Italian seasoning, sea salt, and black pepper.
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Whisk in the milk, grated onion, egg, garlic, and fresh parsley. Let the mixture sit for a couple of minutes.
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Mix in the ground beef using your hands, until just incorporated. (Don't over-mix to avoid tough meatballs.)
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Form the mixture into 1 in (2.5 cm) balls and place on the lined baking sheet. (A small cookie scoop this size works well for this. If using your hands, use a gentle touch and don't pack the meatballs too tightly.)
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Baking instructions: Bake the keto meatballs for 10-12 minutes, until they are barely done. They should reach 155-160 degrees F. If you want them more golden, you can place them under the broiler for 1-3 minutes. Drain off any excess liquid. Top with marinara sauce, return to the oven, and bake for 3-5 minutes, until the sauce is hot and the meatballs are cooked through.
Stovetop instructions: Heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the low carb meatballs in a single layer and fry for 2 minutes per side on different sides, until golden brown. (They don't have to be fully cooked yet.) Pour the marinara sauce over them, cover, and simmer for about 10 minutes, until cooked through.
Did you make it? Leave a review or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 6 1-inch meatballs
- Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you get juicy, tender meatballs (not dense or dry), a shortcut for the onions and garlic, and a few variations.
- Binder alternatives: I have lots of options outside of almond flour and parmesan in my binders section above.
- Storage: Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Meal prep: Feel free to double or triple the recipe for a bigger batch! You’ll need a bigger pan is all.
- Freeze: Flash freeze the keto meatballs on a lined baking sheet (without sauce) until solid, then transfer to a zip lock bag and freeze for up to 3 months if cooked or 6 months if frozen raw.
- Reheat: I like to pop them in the air fryer for a couple minutes (you can even do it from frozen), but the oven or a skillet works, too. If they are frozen and raw, I do recommend that you thaw them for even cooking.
- Note on nutrition info: I based it on 85/15 ground beef and coconut milk beverage for the milk. It can vary depending on the beef and milk you choose, as well as the marinara sauce.
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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Keto Meatballs
155 Comments
Teresa
0I want to use ground pork rinds for my filler do I use 1/4 cup?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Teresa, Yes, use the same amount as the almond flour.
Susan
0These were delicious! If freezing would you suggest freezing before or after baking in marinara sauce?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
1Thank you, Susan! Freezing before baking in marinara would work best, but if you did it the other way it would still be okay.
Carla
0These 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
0Thank you so much for sharing, Carla! Great to know they worked in an air fryer.
Jenn S.
0These 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
0Used Hemp seeds for a binder and found some very low carb sauce and this made a wonder meal!!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Great idea, Angel! Thanks for sharing!
Jill
0I 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
0Hi 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.
Ivette
0Used turkey instead but these were so moist. My bf said to save this recipe so we can eat it again
Wholesome Yum A
0I 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
0Thank you, Amanda! I’m glad you liked them.
Beth
0Honestly, 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
1I am so happy to hear that, Beth! Have a nice day!
Rebeca
0I’m doing keto but I’m doing dairy free. Would I need to substitute the cheese?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
1Hi 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
0You could try using Nutritional Yeast aka “Nooch” in place of the Parmesan..
Aubyn
0These 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
0Hi Aubyn! I am so happy you enjoyed the meatballs! Have a great day!
Sarah
0This 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
0Thank you for stopping by, Sarah! Please come back soon!
Rebekah
0I want to use these for mini burgers on a toothpick. Does it matter if I leave the marinara off?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Rebekah, Yes, you can do that!
Cynthia
0My 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
0Thank you, Cynthia! That sounds absolutely delicious!
Kaitlin W
0Could I use almond flour instead of flaxseed meal? Would it stay 1/4 cup?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Kaitlin, Yes, you can! The amount would be the same.