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+ servings
Keto meatballs with keto pasta in a large bowl

Keto Meatballs and Tomato Sauce

These keto meatballs are full of flavor, tender, and super quick and easy to make. Tossed in a savory Italian tomato sauce, they're perfect by themselves or over palmini, zoodles, or shirataki noodles. Only 5g net carbs per serving of meatballs and sauce, and 0g net carbs per serving of meatballs alone.
Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 1 hour
Yield:8

Equipment

  • Large bowl
  • Disher
  • Large non-stick skillet
  • Large plate or wire cooling rack
  • Paper towels
  • standard blender or immersion blender

Ingredients

  • oil for frying, preferably refined coconut oil or avocado oil

For the Keto Meatballs

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 pound ground pork
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 large eggs
  • ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese or romano cheese
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella
  • 1 ½ tablespoons chopped Italian flat leaf parsley
  • salt to taste
  • pepper to taste

For the Tomato Sauce

Instructions

For the Keto Meatballs

  • In large bowl, mix together all meatball ingredients until thoroughly combined. Don't overmix.
    Ingredients for keto meatballs in a large glass bowl
  • Use disher (preferably 1 ½ tablespoons sized) to dish out identically portioned meatballs. Roll meatball mixture between palms of hands to smooth, then set aside and repeat until all of mixture is formed into meatballs.
    Rolled, uncooked keto meatballs on baking sheet
  • Heat oil in large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add meatballs to skillet, being careful not to overcrowd. Fry in batches as needed. When meatballs are browned and slightly crisp, transfer from skillet to plate lined with paper towels. Repeat until all meatballs are fried.
    Keto meatballs in large non-stick skillet

For the Tomato Sauce

  • Add drained tomatoes and water to blender and purée until smooth. Alternately, add drained tomatoes and water to large bowl and use immersion blender to blend until smooth.
  • Pour out excess oil from cooking meatballs, then add 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil to large skillet. Heat over medium-low heat.
  • When oil is hot, add garlic and sauté approximately 30 seconds or until fragrant. Be careful not to burn garlic.
  • Stir in puréed tomatoes, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper flakes, and kosher salt. Bring mixture to boil, then reduce heat and simmer 1 to 2 minutes.
    Keto tomato sauce in large skillet
  • Stir chopped basil and meatballs into tomato sauce. Coat well and serve warm over shirataki noodles, palmini noodles, zoodles, or on their own.

Notes

  • Tomatoes: Instead of a can of San Marzano tomatoes, you can use crushed tomatoes. They'll be slightly higher in carbs, so keep that in mind. If you use crushed tomatoes, don't add the ½ cup water - just purée the crushed tomatoes on their own.
 
Recipe yields approximately 8 servings. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes and the number and size of meatballs you form.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, with 80/20 ground beef. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by 8. Result will be the weight of one serving.
 
Nutritional Information for 1 Serving of Keto Meatballs without Tomato Sauce:
Calories: 379kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 143mg | Sodium: 276mg | Potassium: 357mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: <1g | Vitamin A: 278IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 172mg | Iron: 2mg | Net Carbs: 0g

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1serving of meatballs with tomato sauce | Calories: 429kcal | Protein: 27g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 143mg | Sodium: 600mg | Potassium: 618mg | Total Carbs: 6g | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Net Carbs: 5g | Vitamin A: 299IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 188mg | Iron: 11mg
Recipe By:Cheryl Malik