Whole30 + Keto Pesto Meatballs Recipe + Video Demo – 6g net carbs! Meatballs made with pesto, then topped with pesto and served on low carb noodles. Paleo, gluten free, grain free, dairy free, sugar free, clean eating, real food. 

pesto meatballs on pesto hearts of palm low carb noodles this recipe

If you love pesto, these meatballs are for you! They meatballs have pesto in the mixture, and are served with pesto hearts of palm noodles.

These Whole30 + Keto Pesto Meatballs are so fresh and light, come together in a snap, freeze great, and my kids cannot get enough of them. My favorite way to get my kids to eat red meat.

The steps and ingredients of making pesto meatballs

Whole30 + Keto Pesto Meatballs Ingredients

The meatballs mixture gets tons of flavor from adding in pesto. Rather than using breadcrumbs, I keep these Whole30 + keto friendly by using almond flour.

My favorite meat mixture is to use 85% lean ground beef and 80% ground pork. Tons of flavor and healthy fats to keep them flavorful and juicy.

I also add in onions + garlic I sautéed in olive oil, 2 eggs to help bind them, dried basil, salt + pepper.

Before and after of baking pesto meatballs

How To Bake Meatballs

To make these meatballs crispy + golden brown with almost no mess, I love to bake them in the oven. Much easier and more hands off than frying in the oven.

I line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper (for easy cleanup) and set in the wire rack. By using the wire rack, it raises the meatballs up above all the fat that drips off. This allows the meatballs to get much crispier! Don’t have a wire rack? No problem! You can still bake them on a baking sheet. The bottoms will just be extra “juicy”.

pesto meatballs on pesto hearts of palm low carb noodles

Whole30 + Keto Friendly Pasta

I love serving these pesto meatballs with pesto noodles. My absolute *favorite* low carb, keto friendly and Whole30 friendly pasta to use is this hearts of palm pasta. It’s precooked, all you have to do is warm for 4 minutes in the sauce in a skillet. You don’t even need to drain! Just add straight from the pouch.

You could serve this with whatever noodle or noodle-swap-out you love most. Zucchini noodles would work great too!

Watch Pesto Meatballs Recipe Demo Video

pesto meatballs on pesto hearts of palm low carb noodles

Whole30 + Keto Pesto Meatballs

Servings: 6
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Meatballs made with pesto, then topped with pesto and served on low carb noodles. 
5 from 15 ratings
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Leave a Review

Ingredients 
 

Pesto Meatballs

  • 3/4 cup almond flour
  • 1/2 cup pesto
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 3 cloves of garlic, grated or finely minced
  • 1 pound 85% lean ground beef, I get my beef from ButcherBox, here's why it's the best
  • 1 pound 80% lean ground pork, I get my pork from ButcherBox, here's why it's the best
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon dried basil
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper

Serving

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 425ºF. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or foil (for easy clean up), and place in a wire rimmed baking rack.
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine the 3/4 cup almond flour and 1/2 cup pesto. 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 kosher salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and turning golden brown, about 10-15 minutes.
  • In the same large mixing bowl that has the almond flour and pesto, add the cooked onions & garlic, ground beef, ground pork, 2 eggs, dried basil, kosher salt and pepper. Use a potato masher (or your hands) to combine the meatball mixture.
  • Use a large cookie scoop (or measure out 3 tablespoons) to scoop out meatballs. Place meatballs on wire baking sheet. Will make 24 meatballs.
  • Bake the meatballs in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown.
  • Removed the baked meatballs from the oven, and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
  • In a large skillet over medium heat, combine the 3 packages of hearts of palm pasta and 3/4 cup pesto. Warm for 4 minutes.
  • Serve the pesto noodles warm topped with meatballs.
  • Leftovers will keep in an airtight container refrigerated for at least 5 days, or frozen for at least 6 months.

Notes

Pesto: My favorite pesto is my homemade pesto. I make a ton of jars in the summer with all my garden basil, and freeze it to use throughout the year. It is dairy free and Whole30 friendly! Can use your favorite store bought as well.
Meat: My favorite combo is using 1 pound ground beef and 1 pound ground pork. Gives it the best flavor. You could use all ground beef, or even substitute ground turkey or chicken.
Noodles: These hearts of palm noodles are my favorite! Closest I've found to pasta that are both Whole30 + Keto friendly. I used the spaghetti, but angel hair would work great too! You could also use your favorite noodle or noodle-swap-out, like zucchini noodles!
Dairy: If you're ok with dairy, you can use a pesto with parmesan cheese, and top the finished dish with grated parmesan.
Freezing Instructions: Freeze baked meatballs in a freezer safe airtight container or bag for at least 6 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight. Reheat in a 350ºF oven for 10-15 minutes until warm. Then warm the noodles in pesto. I don't recommend freezing the noodles. Prefer making the noodles fresh.
Meal Prep Instructions: Store in an airtight container for at least 5 days in the refrigerator. HEATING: 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).
Macros: Nutritional information is calculated based on 6 servings, each person getting 4 meatballs and 1/6 of the pasta. Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary. Always best to go off your own calculations based on the ingredients and measurements you use.
Cuisine: American, Italian
Course: Main Course
Author: Natalie
Serving: 4meatballs, Calories: 1159, Total Carbs: 8.9g, Protein: 66.5g, Fat: 94.1g, Fiber: 0g, Net Carbs: 9g
Did you make this recipe?Please Leave a comment and give this recipe a rating!

This post contains affiliate links, thanks for the love!