These Keto Chicken Tikka Masala Meatballs are perfect piled on top of cauliflower rice for one mouthwatering skillet dinner!
Guys, these Keto Chicken Tikka Masala Meatballs are the BOMB!! We've packed SO much flavor into the meatball before even thinking about the sauce. What does this mean? This means that both the meatballs AND the sauce are so delicious you're going to be wanting seconds in a flash.
What's in Keto Chicken Tikka Masala Meatballs?
For the meatballs we went with a blend of:
- ground chicken
- cilantro
- garam masala
- salt
- avocado oil
- shallot + garlic
The kicker? We fry the shallot and garlic to create the most epic flavor explosion you've ever had in meatball form.
For the sauce, we went with a traditional tikka masala sauce. It has:
- ghee
- white onion
- garlic
- serranos
- fresh ginger
- garam masala
- curry powder
- cayenne
- crushed tomatoes
- heavy cream
- salt
- cilantro
The result of meatballs + sauce = HAPPINESS FOR THE REST OF TIME. Ok, maybe that's a little extreme but I hope our love for these comes through here.
What to serve these low-carb meatballs with:
Cauliflower rice is the obvious go-to but we've also served these on braised greens and that was tasty as well! Want an even more fun idea? Make this into a Keto meatball pasta situation and serve them up on some low-carb pasta. We've been loving this almond flour based pasta that we've used in a few recipes.
How to make these meatballs Whole30 + dairy-free:
To make this dish Whole30 compliant + dairy-free simply sub out the ghee for coconut oil and the heavy cream for coconut milk.
What is the nutritional information for these keto chicken tikka masala meatballs?
As always, you can find the full nutritional breakdown including the carb count (total carbs and net carbs) at the bottom of the recipe card. You can find the serving size/yield at the top of the recipe card. You should always double-check your specific ingredients as different brand’s ingredients may have different values.
To get a specific serving size you’ll want to weigh the final dish then divide by the number of servings. We can’t provide this information as your cooking style will vary from ours as well as the brand ingredients you choose to use.
Love tikka masala? Check out our Keto Chicken Tikka Masala Soup! If you're looking for more Keto Indian recipes check out our Keto Naan, Keto Butter Chicken, Keto Biryani, and Keto Tandoori Chicken!
Keto Chicken Tikka Masala Meatballs
Ingredients
Meatballs:
- 1 ½ lbs ground chicken
- 2 tablespoons cilantro minced
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 small shallot thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic thinly sliced
Tikka Sauce:
- 3 tablespoons ghee
- 1 small white onion diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 serranos thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
- 2 tablespoons garam masala
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne
- 1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup heavy cream
- Salt to taste
- ¼ cup cilantro
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine the ground chicken, cilantro, garam masala, and salt.
- Add the avocado oil to a large 10” or larger deep-sided cast-iron skillet or 5-quart Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Once hot, fry the shallot and garlic for 3-4 minutes until they are starting the crisp. Use a slotted spoon to scoop out the shallot and garlic and add it to the chicken, reserve the oil in the pan.
- Combine the chicken mixture and divide into 2” meatballs. Fry the meatballs for 1-2 minutes per side until golden, remove and set aside.
- To the pan, add the ghee, onion, garlic, serranos, and ginger. Cook for 3-4 minutes until soft. Add in the garam masala, curry powder, and cayenne. Cook a minute longer to toast the spices.
- Add in the crushed tomatoes and heavy cream. Bring it to a simmer. Add the meatballs to the skillet, simmer for 10 minutes then top with cilantro and serve.
Paula Fearn says
Made it for the whole family
They all loved it
Ren says
Wow. This was amazing. I bookmarked recipe months ago and just made tonight after a long work from home day. It was some prep work for sure but worth every chop and spice measure. Wish I made a bigger batch!
Rachel says
Is there a way to sub out the heavy cream for something non-dairy and possibly Whole30 approved?
Cast Iron Keto says
Hi Rachel, you could use coconut milk!
Stella Elisabeth Borne Mikkelsen says
how do you get the sauce to deliciously red?
Lisa says
That looks awesome!
Marian says
This was absolutely delicious! Definite keep in the favorite file. I used just one seeded serrano and half of the cayenne pepper and it was still spicy on my scale.
Robin says
This is the best Keto meal I’ve made to date. I made a yogurt chutney and roasted cauliflower to with it. Absolute heaven.