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    Home » Recipes

    Keto Meatballs [Italian Style Recipe]

    Jan 12, 2018 · 8 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    These Keto Meatballs are an easy low-carb comfort food recipe that you'll turn to again and again! This recipe can easily be made plant-based as well!

    Keto Meatballs in a cast iron dutch oven with marinara sauce

    Hearty…Saucy…Delicious…these are just a few of the words you could use to describe these perfect Keto Meatballs! Simmered in a delicious Italian marinara sauce these meatballs are perfect for adding to low-carb pasta or on top of mashed cauliflower or even tucked into our Keto Rolls as a Keto Meatball Slider!

    We love meatballs, we have a variety of meatball recipes here on CIK and make baked meatballs, stewed meatballs, and pan-fried meatballs pretty much weekly to have on hand for easy meals throughout the week.

    This recipe for Keto Meatballs though uses a stewed style meatballs where the meatballs (how many times do you think we can say meatballs in this post?? 😜) get cooked IN the marinara sauce leading to the best flavor!

    INGREDIENTS IN Keto Meatballs

    • ground beef (see below for plant-based options)
    • eggs
    • heavy cream
    • almond flour
    • salt and pepper
    • fresh garlic
    • onion
    • fresh parsley
    • parmesan cheese
    • marinara sauce

    How to make Keto Meatballs

    Just 3 simple steps!

    1. Mix all the ingredients (except the sauce) in a large mixing bowl until combined. Form into meatballs.
    2. Add the marinara to your dutch oven, followed by the meatballs. Bring to a low simmer, cover, and continue to cook for about 60 minutes.
    3. Top with ¼ cup parmesan, a sprinkle of parsley, and serve.

    What to use in place of bread crumbs:

    To make this recipe super simple we opted for straight-up almond flour as the binder instead of a Keto bread crumb replacement. HOWEVER, we LOVE using pork rinds in place of breadcrumbs so if you have those on hand you can swap out the almond flour for a crushed pork rind bread crumb substitute.

    Making this low-carb meatball recipe vegan:

    If you're dairy-free or plant-based, we've provided substitutes in the recipe for making these meatballs 100% vegan. 😁 Just dairy-free? Feel free to just swap out the regular cream and cheese for their vegan substitutes listed below. Easy peasy.

    Other cookware options besides cast-iron

    In theory, you could use a deep skillet to make these meatballs but we prefer to use our cast iron Dutch oven or our enameled cast iron Dutch oven.

    Using a Slow Cooker to make meatballs

    Yes! A slow cooker works great here. Follow the instructions but cook on low for 5-6 hours or on high for 2-3 hours.

    How to serve Keto Meatballs

    Here are a few of our ideas:

    • on top of low-carb pasta
    • on top of mashed cauliflower
    • tucked into our rolls to make Keto Meatball Sliders!

    Other protein options

    Yes! This is so delicious! Just use half ground beef and half ground pork.

    Have ground turkey on hand? Turkey would be delicious as well.

    For our plant-based readers, we love Beyond Meat's ground "beef" in this recipe!

    How to make homemade marinara sauce in 3 simple steps

    1. Start with a 28-oz jar of crushed tomatoes.
    2. Heat a bit of olive oil (about 2 tablespoons) in a pot and sauté 2 cloves of minced garlic for one minute.
    3. Add in 2 tablespoons of Italian seasoning, ½ teaspoon onion powder, and a pinch of salt. Simmer for 5 minutes.

    Our favorite store-bought marinara sauce?

    Totally! Just be sure to look for one without added sugar. Primal Kitchen makes a great Keto friendly marinara pasta sauce.

    Making the Meatballs dairy-free is super simple!

    Sure thing! Simply leave out the parmesan cheese or use a dairy-free substitute, we love Violife Parmesan!

    nutritional information

    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.

    Meatballs in a cast iron dutch oven with marinara sauce

    Check out these other low-carb Meatball recipes:

    Keto Breakfast Meatballs on plate with eggs and blueberries
    Keto Enchilada Meatball Skillet in skillet with avocado and sour cream on top
    Keto Buffalo Chicken Meatballs in a skillet
    meatball sliders on white parchment paper with fresh basil scattered around
    Keto Chicken Tikka Masala Meatballs in a cast iron skillet
    Keto Meatballs in a cast iron dutch oven with marinara sauce
    Keto Meatballs in a cast iron dutch oven with marinara sauce

    Keto Meatballs

    These Keto Meatballs are simmered in a low-carb marianara sauce creating the perfect comfort food meal.
    4.80 from 5 votes
    Print Rate Pin Recipe
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Italian
    Keyword: italian meatballs, low carb meatballs
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour
    Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 444kcal

    Ingredients

    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • 1 lb ground beef or a beef substitute like Beyond Meat
    • 2 large eggs or chia eggs for plant-based
    • ¼ cup heavy cream or plain unsweetened almond milk
    • ¼ cup almond flour
    • ½ teaspoon sea salt
    • ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
    • 4 cloves garlic minced
    • ½ cup diced onion
    • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley minced
    • ¾ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese divided (½ cup in meatballs, ¼ cup as topping) or a vegan substitute such as Violife Parmesan
    • 1 28-oz jar marinara sauce, without added sugar OR the recipe below

    Homemade Keto Marinara Sauce:

    • 1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • 2 cloves garlic minced
    • 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
    • ½ teaspoon onion powder
    • Sea salt to taste

    Instructions

    • In a large bowl, combine the beef, eggs, cream, almond flour, spices, garlic, onion, and ½ cup of the parmesan. Mix well and form into meatballs.
    • Heat the oil in a 5-quart or larger Dutch oven over medium heat. Sear the meatballs for 2-3 minutes per side then add in the marinara. Bring to a low simmer, cover, and continue to cook for about 30-45 minutes.
    • Top with ¼ cup parmesan, a sprinkle of parsley, and serve.

    Homemade Marinara (if using)

    • Heat the oil in the Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook the garlic for one minute, add in the Italian seasoning and onion powder. Taste for salt. Remove and set aside.

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    Keto Meatballs
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 444 Calories from Fat 315
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 35g54%
    Saturated Fat 12g75%
    Trans Fat 1g
    Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
    Monounsaturated Fat 16g
    Cholesterol 128mg43%
    Sodium 477mg21%
    Potassium 623mg18%
    Carbohydrates 11g4%
    Fiber 3g13%
    Sugar 5g6%
    Protein 22g44%
    Vitamin A 1567IU31%
    Vitamin C 22mg27%
    Calcium 238mg24%
    Iron 3mg17%
    *

    Nutritional values are estimates only and do not include carbs from sugar alcohols.

    # Hashtag with us!Don't forget to mention @castiron_keto or tag #castironketo on Instagram with your creations! We love seeing what you're making.
    « Keto Cheeseburger Casserole Skillet
    Keto Brownies »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sara says

      August 02, 2018 at 12:27 am

      Can I do this in a skillet or do I need a deep dutch oven? Do you use a lid while it cooks?

      Thanks!

      Reply
      • Alex Lester says

        August 02, 2018 at 3:04 pm

        The skillet would need to be a bit deep because of the sauce. No, no cover is needed because the steam created would make the sauce too watery. If splattering is a concern you can use a splatter screen.

        Reply
    2. Sarah says

      November 14, 2018 at 3:50 am

      I read that the recipe is for 6 servings, but how many meatballs does it make? How many is considered a "serving" according to the macros.

      Reply
      • Alex Lester says

        November 16, 2018 at 11:39 am

        It depends on how big you make your meatballs, it's really a personal preference. I made about 12 meatballs here which would be 2 per serving.

        Reply
    3. Catherine says

      February 25, 2019 at 7:18 pm

      Mixed all the ingredients and ended up with a mix that did not look what i reckon it was not to look like, so its gone in the oven as a meatloaf. lol. Hope it tastes nice

      Reply
    4. Dotty says

      June 07, 2020 at 7:24 pm

      5 stars
      These were amazing. Thank you so much for the recipe.

      Reply
    5. Alex says

      March 22, 2022 at 2:26 am

      Do I use the oven or the stove?
      Thanks!

      Reply
      • Cast Iron Keto says

        March 29, 2022 at 5:06 pm

        Hi Alex, you'll use the stovetop! I've edited the recipe to be more clear 😊

        Reply

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