This Easy Low Carb Meatballs Without Breadcrumbs Recipe is quick and easy to make. You can have dinner on the table in no time as there is hardly any prep time. These juicy meatballs are made without breadcrumbs, yet they're still tender and moist. They're perfect for spaghetti, smothered in tomato sauce, or with sweet and sour sauce or pineapple sauce. Make these into mini meatballs for an appetizer or a larger size for a main dish meal that everyone will love. Plus, these are keto-friendly and gluten-free too!
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Meatballs are a delicious and nutritious way to enjoy a healthy meal while on a low carb diet. This is a great recipe, and these meatballs without breadcrumbs are perfect if you are on a low-carb diet or are looking for a gluten-free recipe. Or maybe you just want to eat healthier and try something new for dinner tonight.
Low carb meatballs are a healthy and delicious meal that can be served as an appetizer, main course, or side dish. They are easy to make and taste fantastic. These juicy meatballs are a healthy dinner that your whole family will enjoy.
Home cooks love meatballs, and they are the perfect finger food for parties, tailgates, or football season. They are always a hit with kids of all ages!
Easy Low Carb Meatballs without Breadcrumbs have a great taste and are based on my classic meatballs recipe but adapted slightly to make it low carb. Try my classic meatball recipe made with homemade sweet and sour sauce, delicious served over a bed of homemade rice.
Jump to:
- Why you will love this low carb meatballs recipe
- Ingredient Notes and Substitutions for best keto meatballs
- How to make meatballs without breadcrumbs
- How to make this low carb meatballs recipe without breadcrumbs on the stove
- Variations
- Equipment
- Storage
- Top tips
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- What to serve with low carb meatballs recipe without breadcrumbs?
- More Healthy Dinner Recipes
- 📋 Recipe
- Food safety
- More Recipes
- 💬 Comments
Why you will love this low carb meatballs recipe
LOW CARB: Low-carb recipes can be a great diet option for those who want to lose weight and improve their lifestyle. This easy meatball recipe is low carb just by leaving out the breadcrumbs.
EASY: These tender meatballs make a great meal for dinner, and they can be made in minutes. Plus, they use basic meatball ingredients you probably already have on hand.
MAKE AHEAD: You can make these homemade meatballs in the morning and cook them later in the day.
FREEZER MEAL: Turn these into a handy freezer meal by making a big batch and freezing them in freezer containers or a freezer bag for later use. I like to have a bunch in the freezer for a quick meal that I can cook in the slow cooker or air fryer on busy weeknights!
VERSATILE: These are the best meatballs, made with a ground beef mixture, creating a flavorful dish that can be served with rice, spaghetti squash pasta, or zucchini noodles. You can also serve them in your favorite sauce with a toothpick for a delicious appetizer everyone will love!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions for best keto meatballs
Only a few basic ingredients are needed to make this simple yet hearty meatball recipe.
- Lean ground beef. I used lean ground beef, but a great substitute is any ground meat such as a mixture of ground beef and ground pork for a flavorful meatball. You can also use ground venison. Or make healthy turkey meatballs using ground turkey.
- Almond flour. Almond flour is a great replacement for bread crumbs if you are looking for a gluten-free alternative. It can be substituted in equal amounts and has a nutty flavor. If you are on the keto diet, you could also substitute pork rinds, pulsed in the food processor until the desired texture is reached. Another good substitute is parmesan cheese.
- A large egg. I used an organic egg from our chickens.
- Garlic powder. I used garlic powder, but you could also use 2 garlic cloves, chopped very fine.
- Onion powder. I used onion powder, but you could also chop ½ an onion very fine and add it to the meatball mixture. Not a fan of onion? Leave it out altogether.
- Black pepper. Black pepper adds depth and some spice to the meatballs. Feel free to use course ground black pepper as well for a more vibrant flavor.
- Sea salt. I used sea salt for the best flavor, but you could use regular table salt instead.
See the recipe card for quantities.
How to make meatballs without breadcrumbs
These easy meatballs are easy to make. This recipe is for baking the meatballs in the oven. However, the directions are also included below if you want to make this homemade meatball recipe on the stove.
Prepare the pan: Place parchment paper on a cookie sheet.
Make the meatballs: Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix well. I find the best option is to use my hands to mix up the meat mixture. Mix the meatballs until the ingredients are combined well.
Next, make the meatballs about 1 to 1.5-inch diameter, smaller if you want mini meatballs. The best way to do this is to use a small ice cream scoop or a cookie dough scoop. Alternatively, you could use a kitchen scale to ensure each meatball is the same size. I prefer the cookie dough scoop. 🙂
Place raw meatballs in a single layer on the lined baking sheet.
Place the rimmed baking sheet in the oven at 350 degrees F. Cook the meatballs until nicely browned. The cook time will be about 40-45 minutes. The meatballs are ready when they are nicely browned. Remove immediately from the oven and serve with your favorite sauce.
I hope you agree that these are the best gluten-free meatballs, and it is such an easy recipe!
NOTE: When I first cooked these meatballs, I sprayed a cooling rack with cooking spray and placed the meatballs on the rack. I placed parchment paper underneath for easy cleanup. However, the meatballs were not easy to remove, and they stuck to the rack. The next time I made them, I just placed them on the parchment paper, and there was no sticking.
How to make this low carb meatballs recipe without breadcrumbs on the stove
A favorite way to cook these delicious meatballs is to cook them in a frying pan on the stove for a 30-minute meal. This requires that you stay in the kitchen and stir the meatballs, so they do not overcook.
Follow the recipe above by mixing the meatballs in a large bowl. However, instead of placing them on a cookie sheet, heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan.
Next, add meatballs to a large skillet and brown them. Flip them over to brown on all sides. Continue to cook until the meatballs are cooked all the way through.
That's it! Serve the cooked meatballs with your favorite sauce.
HINT: If you are using these meatballs as an appetizer or at a party, place cooked meatballs into a slow cooker with your favorite sauce, and keep them warm on low heat or the warm setting.
Variations
The possibilities of these meat balls are endless. Some great tasting variations for this keto meatball recipe are:
- Make the best Italian meatballs by using parmesan cheese instead of almond flour, mix the beef meatballs with your favorite marinara sauce, top with mozzarella cheese and fresh parsley.
- Sweet and sour meatballs are delicious using the sauce ingredients of brown sugar, water, vinegar, soy sauce, and cornstarch.
- Teriyaki pineapple meatballs are another favorit using the sauce ingredients of crushed pineapple, brown sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, and cornstarch.
- Meatball stroganoff is also delicious. Use heavy cream, sliced mushrooms, and beef stock used to make a sauce and serve over egg noodles.
- Make the meatballs spicier by adding in ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes or chili powder to the meat mixture.
Equipment
To make this easy dinner recipe, you need a large mixing bowl and a rimmed baking sheet or frying pan.
Storage
Fridge: Cooked meatballs will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 3-4 days.
Freezer: Cooked meatballs can be frozen (once cooled) in an airtight container for up to two months. I like to place them in a freezer bag first, remove all the air, then place them in an airtight container. This helps prevent freezer burn.
Top tips
- Make the meatballs the same size for even cooking.
- Do not overmix the meatballs, otherwise they will not be as tender.
- Do not overcook the meatballs. They just need to be nicely browned on the outside.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Instead of breadcrumbs in meatballs, you can use almond flour, pork rinds, parmesan cheese, oatmeal, crushed crackers, bread, or pretzels.
No. When meatballs fall apart, it is because there is no binder. For this recipe, we use an egg as the binder. The meatballs will not fall apart as long as you have the egg.
Baked meatballs are the healthier alternative to fried ones. You can also prepare them quickly and don't have to stay by the stove to flip them so they cook evenly.
The best way to keep your meatballs moist is to make sure you add moisture. For example, the egg in the recipe provides enough moisture not to dry out the meatballs. Also, it is important not to overcook the meatballs.
What to serve with low carb meatballs recipe without breadcrumbs?
- Rice
- Zucchini noodles
- Spaghetti squash
- Mashed potatoes
- Egg noodles
- Ultra Crispy Air Fryer Potatoes
- Cauliflower rice
- Roasted vegetables
- Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
- Frozen Broccoli in Air Fryer
More Healthy Dinner Recipes
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📋 Recipe
Easy Low Carb Meatballs Without Breadcrumbs Recipe
Equipment
- mixing bowl
- Rimmed baking sheet
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds lean ground beef
- 3 tablespoon almond flour
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Combine ground beef, almond flour, egg, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Mix together well. Using your hands works the best.
- Shape meatballs into 1.5" balls. You will get approximately 21 meatballs this size.
- Place raw meatballs in a single layer on a lined baking sheet. Place meatballs in the oven at 350 degrees F for about 40-45 minutes, until the meatballs are nicely browned.
- Remove immediately from the oven and serve with your favorite sauce.
- Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Make the meatballs the same size for even cooking.
- Do not overmix the meatballs, otherwise, they will not be as tender.
- Do not overcook the meatballs. They just need to be nicely browned on the outside.
Nutrition
Food safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
nancy
what a genius idea to use almond flour as the binding instead of breadcrumbs!