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! 

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

ingredients in keto italian meatballs using ground beef and ground pork
  • 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

steps to make keto and whole30 meatballs
  1. Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or foil and set it on the wire rack.
  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. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
keto meatballs recipe baking on a wire rack

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. 

keto meatballs recipe on a plate with sauce and zucchini noodles

Recipe FAQS

Are there a lot of carbs in meatballs?

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! 

Are these meatballs Whole30?

Yes! Making meatballs without breadcrumbs, plus the other ingredients I used, means they are Whole30 compliant.

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a fork cutting into a meatball made without breadcrumbs

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! 
4.96 from 250 ratings

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!

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. 

Calories: 112, Total Carbs: 2.3g, Protein: 8.8g, Fat: 6.3g, Fiber: 0.5g, Net Carbs: 2g
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