Italian Meatballs without Breadcrumbs (Keto & Whole30)
This easy meatball recipe features healthy, homemade meatballs made with beef, pork, and almond flour. Truly the most flavorful, moist, and tender meatballs without breadcrumbs! Freezer-friendly, keto meatballs– perfect for meal prep!
Table of Contents
What Makes This Recipe Great
Juicy, flavorful, tender, and packed with tons of Italian flavor. There are actually a ton of carbs in meatballs because of the breadcrumbs. However, these keto whole30 meatballs are just 2 net carbs per serving, with no added junk!
These Italian Keto Meatballs without breadcrumbs are keto, Whole30, gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, sugar-free, and 100% clean eating. I tweaked my previous go-to recipe to make these easy, healthy meatballs.
They taste just like your classic Italian meatball, just without the bread crumbs. Instead, I use an alternative to breadcrumbs: almond flour. Almond flour is low-carb and the perfect way for meatballs to keep their shape.
Mom Hack: This keto meatball recipe is also my favorite way to get red meat into my boys’ diet. They have a super hard time chewing steak, so I needed an alternative. These delicious meatballs are the perfect way to feed them red meat. The best part? They love them!
Watch The Recipe Video
Note: You can also watch this recipe video on YouTube.
How to Make Meatballs Without Breadcrumbs
The best part about this recipe is that you only need a few simple ingredients and a sheet pan! The oven does most of the work. My secret trick is to rest the meatballs on top of a wire rack on the baking sheet so they cook through and the grease drips to the bottom of the pan.
Ingredient Notes
- Ground Beef/ Ground Pork: The first key to meatballs without breadcrumbs is using both ground beef and ground pork. This combo adds a lot of flavor and fat to keep these meatballs juicy.
- Almond Flour & Chicken Stock: For this recipe, I make a panade using almond flour and chicken broth. This works beautifully and is such a great alternative to breadcrumbs! Almond flour is the perfect gluten-free breadcrumbs substitute. It adds even more protein to the meatballs.
- Olive Oil
- Eggs
- Onion
- Garlic Cloves
- Seasonings: This recipe calls for Italian seasoning, salt and black pepper, parsley, and garlic. If you don’t have fresh garlic or parsley, feel free to substitute garlic powder and dried parsley.
Step-By-Step Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or foil and set it on the wire rack.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the almond flour and chicken stock. Stir and set aside while it absorbs the liquid.
- 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.
- Combine the cooked onions, garlic, meatball mixture, eggs, parsley, salt, pepper, and Italian seasonings in the same large bowl as the almond flour and chicken stock. Use a spatula or hands to mix until completely combined.
- Use a large cookie scoop (or measure out 3 tablespoons) to scoop out meatballs. Place the meatballs on a wire rack on top of a lined baking sheet in a single layer. Will make 23-24 meatballs.
- Bake the meatballs in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. While baking in the oven, prepare your tomato sauce and hearts of palm pasta.
Expert Tips
- Meat Choice: This recipe combines ground beef and pork. I get my meat through ButcherBox, which I highly recommend! You could use all beef or substitute ground turkey for turkey meatballs. You’ll need 2 pounds of ground meat for this keto meatballs recipe.
- 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 breadcrumbs or regular breadcrumbs. Same quantities for all substitution options.
- Egg Free: You should be able to use a flax egg or chia egg to make this meatball recipe egg-free. You’ll need 2 tablespoons flaxseed meal or chia seeds soaked in 5 tablespoons water for 5 minutes until thickened.
- Parsley: If you don’t have fresh parsley on hand, dried parsley can work too. You’ll need 1/4 cup of dried parsley.
- Noodles: My favorite Whole30 & keto noodle swap is hearts of palm pasta (code TASTESLOVELY for 15% off). This tastes the closest to regular noodles that I’ve found. You can also use zucchini noodles. Or even serve over mashed cauliflower.
- Slow Cooker: You can make this keto meatballs recipe earlier in the day as instructed above. After they’re done baking, transfer all the meatballs to your slow cooker with a jar of spaghetti sauce over LOW. They’ll stay warm in there for hours!
Serving Tips
Serve immediately while warm. I love serving the cooked meatballs over hearts of palm pasta or zucchini noodles with marinara sauce and parmesan cheese.
Storage Tips
Leftovers/Meal Prep: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
Reheating: Reheat in the microwave until warm, about 3-5 minutes. I like to sprinkle in a little water to help it steam and prevent the meatballs from drying out. Or reheat in a 350ºF oven until warm, 10-15 minutes. When meal prepping, I prefer serving these with hearts of palm spaghetti because they reheat better.
Freezer: To freeze, place the raw meatballs on a baking sheet in the freezer for 1 day until fully frozen. Transfer to a freezer bag for up to 6 months. Bake the frozen meatballs on a baking sheet in a 350ºF oven for 35-45 minutes until heated through.
Recipe FAQS
The carbs in meatballs come from the breadcrumbs. They are used to keep the meatballs in the correct shape. Because these are meatballs without breadcrumbs, that eliminates most of the carbs! There are just 2 net carbs in each serving of this keto meatballs recipe!
Yes! Making meatballs without breadcrumbs, plus the other ingredients I used, means they are Whole30 compliant.
More Keto Italian Recipes
Did you love this recipe? Thank you! Please give this recipe a star rating and leave a review below. I respond to every one! Be sure to follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, and Facebook. Tag me if you try a recipe!
Italian Meatballs without Breadcrumbs (Keto & Whole30)
Ingredients
- 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
- 1 tablespoon dried Italian herb seasoning
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425ºF. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or foil (for easy clean up), and set in the wire rack.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the almond flour and chicken stock. Stir and set aside while it absorbs the liquid.
- 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.
- 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.
- Use a large cookie scoop (or measure out 3 tablespoons) to scoop out meatballs. Place meatballs on wire baking sheet. Will make 23-24 meatballs.
- Bake the Whole30 meatballs in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown.
Notes
Expert Tips
- Meat Choice: This recipe combines ground beef and pork. I get my meat through ButcherBox, which I highly recommend! You could use all beef or substitute ground turkey for turkey meatballs. You’ll need 2 pounds of ground meat for this keto meatballs recipe.
- 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 breadcrumbs or regular breadcrumbs. Same quantities for all substitution options.
- Egg Free: You should be able to use a flax egg or chia egg to make this meatball recipe egg-free. You’ll need 2 tablespoons flaxseed meal or chia seeds soaked in 5 tablespoons water for 5 minutes until thickened.
- Parsley: If you don’t have fresh parsley on hand, dried parsley can work too. You’ll need 1/4 cup of dried parsley.
- Noodles: My favorite Whole30 & keto noodle swap is hearts of palm pasta (code TASTESLOVELY for 15% off). This tastes the closest to regular noodles that I’ve found. You can also use zucchini noodles. Or even serve over mashed cauliflower.
- Slow Cooker: You can make this keto meatballs recipe earlier in the day as instructed above. After they’re done baking, transfer all the meatballs to your slow cooker with a jar of spaghetti sauce over LOW. They’ll stay warm in there for hours!
185 Comments on “Italian Meatballs without Breadcrumbs (Keto & Whole30)”
Made these today as I’m doing Whole30. These are best meatballs I’ve had Whole30 or not. My mom can not stop eating them and she is not Whole30. Great recipe.
This is the ULTIMATE compliment! Thank you Deb! You just made my whole day!
There are no shortage of glowing reviews here, but I wanted to add my own! The almond flour and chicken broth panade is a brilliantly inventive element that I’ve never seen in a low-carb meatball recipe before this one. The first time I made these, I only had extra-lean ground beef — and no ground pork at all — and the meatballs still came out great. (I did add a bit of riced cauliflower to the mix, a tip I’ve found useful for making turkey meatballs seem juicier.) I’m making these again tonight with the proper meats, and I’m so excited to see how much better they’ll be than they were with my less-than-ideal substitutions. I found this recipe for Whole30 purposes, but it’s fantastic for ANY diet, low-carb or otherwise. These are just flat-out great meatballs. Thanks so much!
Phoebe! Thank you SO MUCH! You are too kind! This all meant so much to read. Thank you for taking the time to leave such a kind review and kind words on my recipe. This meatball recipe is one of my families favorites, and I love feeding it to them because it is so healthy. Glad you loved it as much as we do! Thanks for all the love, I can tell you’re a true sweetheart!
Love this recipe!! I have made it with both pork and turkey as the second meat, and actually like the ground turkey mixed with the ground beef better!
Yea! I’m so glad you like it Julie! I need to try this with ground turkey too. Thanks for letting me know you liked my recipe!
These meatballs were the BEST! Every.Single.Time I make meatballs, they’re dry and flavorless. Not this time! I really love the addition of the sausage-game changer! I just made a batch for dinner, but not sure they’ll last that long.
A MUST try recipe.
Yea! I’m so glad you liked them Angela!!! This just made my day. The pork definitely adds a ton of flavor and keeps them so juicy. Thanks for taking the time to share such kindness with me!
How many meatballs equal one serving?
The recipe makes 24 meatballs. A serving size is 3 or 4 meatballs. They’re so good! Hope you love them when you make them!
These are definitely the best meatballs I’ve ever made. The whole family enjoys them. Thank you! Looking forward to more recipes in my inbox
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you Michelle!
These were so good! I made a double batch, one for us and one to take to some friends. Everyone loved them! They will for sure be my new go-to meatball recipe
Thank you for sharing!
I’m so happy to hear you liked them Kristin! What a great friend you are bringing meatballs! Thanks for taking the time to let me know you liked my meatball recipe. Means the world!
Delicious and so easy! My whole family loved them. Even my hubby who refuses to eat Whole 30 tried one while waiting for his non-W30 dinner to be ready and thought they were really good.
I’m so glad to hear it Lisa! Aren’t these the best?! I love hearing that non-whole30ers like them too! Best compliment ever. Rooting for you on your Whole30!
I know I already reached out via Instagram but I ALWAYS read comments on recipes so I figure it’s only right to leave one.
These were amazing! They were flavorful and super easy because honestly the recipe seemed a little intense but not at all! I served them with penne for the family and just roasted some sweet potatoes for me ☺️ All 3 of my picky eaters (husband included) couldn’t stop talking about how good they were and my husband even said “you could make these once a week and I’d be okay”
Chae! Thank you so so so much! I love hearing it! Your picky eaters ate it too?! What a mom win! Way to go! thanks for making my recipes and letting me know how much your family loves them. It makes my day to hear it!
Amazing recipe! I’ve not made meatballs before, much less paleo, but these taste great. Don’t look any further.
I’m so glad to hear that David! Thank you so so so much!
My husband needs to eat a predominately W30/Paleo diet, so when the rest of us were having traditional meatballs, I made this for him and froze the rest. He absolutely LOVED them! I had a bite of his and, honestly, I couldn’t tell that they weren’t traditional meatballs. He got a few frozen ones out today for lunch. I worried when I was forming them to bake because they seems a bit more “soupy” than a traditional recipe. But, they turned out perfectly! Thank you. This will be on regular rotation for us!
To me they taste exactly like ‘regular’ meatballs, maybe even better! I am so glad you will be making them again Jane.
Omg, these are amazing. Thank you!
Yea! I’m so glad to hear you liked them Molly! You made my day!
Have you ever tried cooking them in the sauce? That’s typically what I do and it makes the sauce so rich!! I’m excited to try this tonight!
I haven’t, but I bet that would be delicious! If you try it let me know how it turns out.
These meatballs are spectacular. One of the best Whole30 recipes I’ve tried. Completely satisfied my craving for Italian, makes a nice big batch for leftovers. This is a new permanent favorite. Thank you for this!
I am so glad you liked them Deb! What a huge compliment! And thanks for taking the time to let me know you liked my recipe. You just made my day! Such a favorite in our house. They really are the best meatballs I’ve ever had, Whole30 or not. Yea!
I subbed turkey over pork, used dried parsley in place of fresh, and didn’t have a wire rack and these were still damn delicious!
Looking forward to making them as designed but still so impressed. Thank you!
I will continue to make a recipe from you everyday during this isolation time!
I am so happy you liked my meatballs Keris. Your substitutions and adaptations are brilliant and exactly what we are all doing this week! We are all learning to make do with what we have available. I absolutely love that you are making one of my recipes each night during isolation. So fun! I find we are all cooking up a storm! Stay safe and healthy!
I’d love to try these but my son is allergic to tree nuts. Any nut-free substitution for the almond flour while remaining paleo? thank you!
Gluten free bread crumbs! But it won’t be paleo and whole30 anymore. If you need it to still be paleo and whole30 maybe try coconut flour as a substitute. I haven’t tried this, so I can’t say for sure, but I would think it would work as well.
These meatballs are incredible! My husband and I agreed this recipe is a keeper even after we are done with our Whole30!!!
I’m so glad you liked them Mallory! A keeper AFTER Whole30?! That is the ultimate compliment! But I must agree, these are my favorite meatballs I’ve ever had. Thanks for taking the time to let me know you liked my recipe. You made my day!
Hi!! Would like to make this but I don’t want to make that much so I’m thinking of just 1/2 lb ground beef and 1/2 lb ground pork. Would I just need to cut all the ingredients in half if this is the case? Thank you!!
Yes! Just divide the entire recipe in half. Or, you could make the whole recipe and freeze half the meatballs. They freeze beautifully! There are freezer instructions in the recipe instructions. Enjoy!
I don’t have almond flour is there something else I can use or can I omit it?
Are you trying to keep this Paleo and Whole30 compliant? If so, maybe cassava flour? If you don’t need it to be whole30 or paleo, use breadcrumbs!
Fantastic! This was my first time making meatballs so I was a litttle worried. Easy and delicious! Thank you!
I’m so glad you liked them Miranda! And that they were the first meatballs you made! I feel so honored! We love these meatballs, I make this dinner at least twice a month. Thanks for letting me know you liked my recipe, you made my day!
SUCH GOOD MEATBALLS! I froze half for another time since it’s just the 2 of us. But now I’m wishing I made them all so I could have leftovers for tomorrow ;)
Aren’t they the best! I make these at least twice a month. We can’t get enough!
These meatballs are the best I’ve ever had!! I subbed 1 lb ground turkey for the ground pork! Oh so yummy!!!!
I’m so glad you liked them Pamela! This just made my day! And I love that you subbed turkey for the pork and they were still delicious. I’m going to have to try that! Thanks for letting me know you liked my recipe!
These are the best meatballs I’ve ever had! My 2 girls asked for seconds! And my husband ate so many. This is making our Whole30 so easy! Will be making these again and again. Thanks for sharing!