Whole30 + Keto Italian Meatballs

Whole30 + Keto Italian Meatballs Recipe & Video – 2g net carbs! Low carb meatballs made with beef, pork and almond flour. The most delicious, moist, flavorful meatballs! Paleo, low carb, gluten free, grain free, dairy free, sugar free, clean eating, real food.

You guys! These are hands down the best meatballs I have EVER HAD! I’m serious. Juicy, flavorful, tender, and packed with tons of Italian flavor.

The best part? They’re keto, whole30, gluten free, grain free, dairy free, sugar free, and 100% clean eating. I tweaked my previous go-to meatball recipe, and made some adjustments to make these completely diet friendly.

How To Make Whole30 + Keto Italian Meatballs

The first key to the meatballs is using both ground beef and ground pork because this adds a lot of flavorful and fat to keep these meatballs juicy. I personally prefer 85% lean beef and 80% pork, and always from ButcherBox.

Rather than using a panade of bread crumbs and milk, I make a panade using almond flour and chicken stock. Works beautifully! I cannot even tell the difference. In fact, I like it even better. The almond flour adds even more protein to the meatballs, and the chicken stock adds a light flavor that doesn’t compete with the beef and pork.

Ingredients

These meatballs also have 2 eggs, onions + garlic that have been sauteed until golden, italian seasonings, salt, pepper, and fresh chopped parsley. All simple, real ingredients.

I mix it all together, and use a large cookie scoop to keep the meatballs because it keeps them uniform in size so they bake at the same rate. Plus, it’s much easier to scoop them out than doing it all by hand.

Cooking and Freezing

I like to roast my meatballs on a rimmed baking sheet with baking rack. By baking them on the wire baking rack the meatballs get crisp and golden because they don’t have to sit in the juice as they bake.

Once they’re done baking, they’re ready to serve! I like serving mine on zoodles or spaghetti squash noodles with marinara sauce. These can also be kept warm in a slow cooker or on the stove with the marinara sauce, and they freeze beautifully! See the recipe and notes for instructions on that.

These keto + whole30 meatballs are also my favorite way to get red meat into my 2 year olds diet. He has a hard time chewing steak, so these meatballs are the perfect way to get him a chewable red meat dinner that is packed with iron, zinc and B12.

Meal Prep

This meatball recipe is perfect for meal prep for lunch or a make ahead dinner. See recipe notes for meal prep instructions.

Watch How To Make Keto + Whole30 Italian Meatballs Recipe Video

Whole30 + Keto Italian Meatballs

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★★★★★

4.9 from 53 reviews

• Author: Natalie
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 24 meatballs 1x

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Ingredients

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• 3/4 cup almond flour
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, grated or finely minced
• 1 pound ground beef (85% lean)
• 1 pound ground pork (80% lean)
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup packed finely chopped fresh parsley (about 1/4 of a bunch of fresh parsley)
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian herb seasoning
• 1 jar of your favorite marinara sauce
• Hearts of palm spaghetti or zucchini noodles for serving

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425ºF. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or foil (for easy clean up), and place the wire rimmed baking rack on top.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the almond flour and chicken stock. Stir and set aside while it absorbs the liquid.
3. Heat a medium size skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil, onions, garlic and a pinch of salt & pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and turning golden brown, about 8-10 minutes.
4. In the same large mixing bowl that has the almond flour and chicken stock, add the cooked onions & garlic, ground beef, ground pork, 2 eggs, parsley, salt, pepper and Italian seasonings. Use a spatula or hands to mix until completely combined.
5. Use a large cookie scoop (or measure out 3 tablespoons) to scoop out meatballs, and use hands to roll into balls. Place meatballs on wire baking sheet. Will make 23-24 meatballs.
6. Bake the meatballs in the oven for 25 minutes, or until golden brown.
7. Serve immediately while warm, topped with your favorite marinara sauce. Delicious on top of hearts of palm spaghetti or zucchini noodles.
8. Leftovers will keep refrigerated in an airtight container for 5 days, or frozen for 6 months.

Notes

Meat Choice: My favorite is both beef and pork. Has the best flavor. I get both of mine via ButcherBox, which I highly recommend! You could use all beef if that’s what you have. Or add in some ground turkey. You’ll just need 2 pounds of ground meat total.

Nut Free: If you have a nut allergy, you can use pork rind panko in place of almond flour. If you don’t need this to be whole30 + keto, you can use gluten free or bread crumbs. Or gluten free or regular panko. Same quantities for all substitution options.

Egg Free: I’ve never tried it, but you *should* be able to use a flax egg or chia egg in place of the egg to keep this egg free. You’ll need 2 tablespoons flax seed meal or chia seeds soaked in 5 tablespoons water for 5 minutes until thickened.

Parsley: If you don’t have fresh parsley on hand, parsley can work too! You’ll need 1/4 cup dried parsley.

Noodles: My favorite whole30 + keto swap out is hearts of palm pasta (code TASTESLOVELY for 15% off!). Tastes the closest to the real deal! You can also use zucchini noodles. Or even serve over mashed cauliflower!

Slow Cooker: If it’s going to be a busier night, I’ll make the meatballs earlier in the day as instructed above. After they’re done baking, I transfer them all to my slow cooker with a jar of marinara sauce over LOW. They’ll stay warm in there for hours!

Meal Prep: Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. HEATING: Either microwave until warm, about 3-5 minutes (I like to sprinkle in a little water to help it steam and prevent it from drying out). Or reheat in a 350ºF oven until warm, 10-15 minutes. When meal prepping, I prefer serving these with spaghetti squash noodles since they reheat better.

Freezing: After baking, allow the meatballs to cool completely, then freeze the baked meatballs in a freezer ziptop bag for up to 6 months. When ready to reheat, bake the frozen meatballs on a baking sheet in a 350ºF oven for 15-20 minutes until heated through. You can also throw all frozen meatballs in your slow cooker with a jar of marinara sauce and cook over LOW for 4 hours until heated through.

Nutrition Facts: The nutritional information is calculated based on the exact ingredients and quantities listed in the Ingredients above. It does not include noodle choice. It is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary, especially if you make recipe substitutions. Always best to go off your own calculations based on the ingredients and measurements you use.

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