Easy keto meatballs are a real crowd pleaser and family favourite! This ketogenic meatball recipe shows how to make Italian-style slow cooker meatballs in a hearty low carb marinara sauce, perfect for the crockpot or Instant Pot. Included are also alternate cooking instructions for a quick pan-fried version so you can have delicious low carb meatballs on the table in less than 30-minutes. Keto meatballs without carbs are a yum appetizer and a healthy keto dinner with a tasty meatballs sauce and zucchini noodles.
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Keto meatballs – An easy keto recipe for the slow cooker and crockpot
Gluten-free, low carb keto meatballs are one of the best and easiest keto recipes you’ll ever make. The meatballs taste tender, juicy and full of flavour. Cheese, garlic, sea salt, pepper, and a selection of Italian herbs are used to season the meatballs. The slow cooker meatballs are then cooked in a tasty tomato sauce – the ultimate meatballs comfort food!
Pin these yum low crab slow cooker keto meatballs for later!
How to make meatballs without breadcrumbs
You might be wondering: Why make a low carb meatball recipe? Where do carbs in meatballs come from anyway? Old school Italian meatball recipes use breadcrumbs, which isn’t suitable for a low carb or keto diet and for those who need a gluten-free meatball recipe.
So, what can you use instead of breadcrumbs in meatballs? I used two types of cheese in this easy slow cooker recipe, mozzarella and parmesan. The cheese makes the meatballs extra juicy and aromatic. To be honest, you probably won’t be able to tell that this is a keto-friendly meatball recipe without breadcrumbs.
And if you prepare the meatballs in a slow cooker or crockpot some of the cheese will ooze into the sauce, resulting in a rich and creamy marinara sauce that just bursts of flavour. All good reasons to make super easy keto meatballs with cheese!
What ingredients do I need to make low carb slow cooker keto meatballs?
We already talked about a substitute for breadcrumbs, now let’s see what other ingredients for meatballs we need to make this delicious easy keto meal.
The best part of this gluten free keto meatball recipe is that you can make it your own. As long as you maintain the same ratios, you can customise and experiment with the ingredients. Prefer only beef over a beef and pork mixture? Make the meatballs with that! Have a favourite seasoning? Use it!
Ground meat
What kind of meatyou buy is entirely up to you. For really moist and juice keto beef meatballs,buy a fattier ground beef such as ground chuck. Meat with a fat content between15% to 20% is best. Leaner beef, for example, ground sirloin, is okay, too, butthe meatballs might be less tender. You can also use a blend of various kindsof ground beef, for example, a mix of beef, pork, and veal or just acombination of beef and pork.
Keto meatballs withmozzarella cheese and parmesan
Shredded mozzarellaand grated parmesan make these ketomeatballs juicy and succulent. The cheese also adds lightness to the meatballsand acts as a substitute for breadcrumbs. Other types of cheese, such ascheddar and Pecorino Romano can be used instead of mozzarella and parmesan ifdesired.
Egg
An egg binds themeat and cheese together. Because these keto meatballs are made withoutbreadcrumbs, one egg is enough for the entire recipe.
Garlic
Adding garlic tothe meatballs is optional. While garlic makes this crockpot keto meatballrecipe extra flavourful, not everyone likes garlic, and it’s okay to skip. Youcan also adjust how much garlic you use. 2 fresh garlic gloves or 1 teaspoon garlic powder are enough to season thesegluten-free meatballs.
Italian herbs
Traditional Italianherbs give the keto meatballs a delicious Mediterranean aroma. I used a mix of basil, parsley,oregano, rosemary,and thyme.
I made the recipemany times and found that it isn’t necessary to always use all of the herbs. Soyou can easily customize the recipe and use whatever herbs you prefer or haveat hand.
During the summermonths, I pick a handful of fresh herbs from the garden to make the meatballsand marinara sauce. Dried herbs work fine too, and I have listed the amountsfor fresh and dried herbs in the recipe card below. A ready-made Italian seasoning can also be used asmeatball seasoning as well.
Sea salt and pepper
A bit of salt and black pepper add to the savoury flavour. Iused finely ground sea salt, of course, kosher salt or table salt are fine as well. I recommendtasting the cheese before adding the salt. If the cheese you’re using is verysalty, use slightly less salt.
What ingredients doI need for the low carb marinara sauce?
There are manysauces for meatball recipes out there. This easy marinara sauce is a great lowcarb meatball sauce and perfect to make keto meatballs with sauce. I used 2cans of chunky tomatoes as the base forthe keto meatballs sauce. You can also use tomatosauce or tomato passata instead.Other than that, I also add the little tomato paste, half an onion, and a bayleaf to give the sauce more depth.
Marinara sauce isoften prepared with garlic and additional herbs. Since the meatballs are madewith these ingredients already, I didn’t also add them to the tomato sauce.Slow cooking the (almost) no carb meatballs is all we need to flavour themarinara sauce.
You can buy aready-made marinara sauce, just make sure it doesn’t have any sugar added. Ilike sauces from Yo Mama’s, Victoria, Rao, and Organico Bello.
What do I need tomake zoodles or zucchini spaghetti?
Zucchini noodles,aka zoodles, are a delicious, low carb alternative for regular pasta. Zucchinipasta is ideal for keto, paleo, Whole 30, low carb and gluten-free diets. Ialso think that the slightly sweet taste of the zucchini complements this lowcarb recipe with meatballs well.
Making zucchinispaghetti is super easy: I used a spiralizerto cut zucchini noodles within minutes. A vegetablepeeler can be used as well and will make slightly thicker noodles. Thenoodles were then sautéed in a saucepan with a little olive oil until theybegin to soften, for about 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle with a bit of salt andpepper, and the zoodles are ready to be served. Calculate 1 zucchini perperson.
How to make thebest slow cooker meatballs from scratch?
Making meatballs inthe slow cooker creates tender, juicy meatballs and a luscious, savoury sauce.While I used my keto meatballs, you can prepare slow cooker meatballs withother recipes, too. This cooking method is perfect for any slow cooker or the crockpot. And just in case, you weren’taware the Instant Pot also has a slowcooker function. So you can totally make slow cooker Instant Pot meatballs.
Before you start
For super tendermeatballs keep the ingredients cold to avoid the fat in the meat melting andbreaking down before cooking the meatballs. Put the mixing bowl in the fridgefor 10 minutes before you start making the meatball mixture.
Make the meatballmixture
Crumble the groundmeat into the mixing bowl and fluff it apart with your hands. Then add theremaining ingredients and gently combine the mixture but don’t over-mix.Overmixing makes the meatballs tougher and also releases some of the fat fromthe meat prematurely. It’s perfectly fine if little specks of ground meatremain.
Form the meatballs
Lightly sprinkleyour hands with cold water or oil to prevent sticking. Take a small amount ofmixture and roll with cupped hands into approximately 1.5 in / 4 cm balls. Ifyou prefer smaller or larger meatballs, feel free to shape them according toyour personal preference. Optionally, use a cookie scoop to size the meatballsevenly.
Brown the meatballs
Browning themeatballs isn’t absolutely necessary, but pan frying creates a rich, roastedflavour, so I never skip this step. Simply heat the oil over medium-high heatin a large, deep skillet. The oil isready when you see bubbles rising around a cooking spoon stuck in the oil.
Only add a fewmeatballs at a time and fry them in batches for 2 to 3 minutes until themeatballs are nice and brown on all sides. Thongs make it easy to turn themeatballs in the pan and lift them into the slow cooker. And don’t forget topour the oil and browned bits from the skillet into the slow cooker after you’redone roasting.
Make the marinarasauce
The sauce gets mostof its flavour from gently simmering with the meatballs. Therefore, I didn’tuse all of the ingredients you’d typically find in a classic marinara sauce. Isimple poured the tomato chunks over the meatballs in the slow cooker andtossed the other ingredients on top.
How to make keto meatballs in the slow cooker – the comfort food approach to meatballs
Put the meatballsin the slow cooker, top with the sauce and give everything a good stir. Themeat-balls should be submerged in sauce. If the meatballs aren’t fully covered,spoon a little sauce over the top.
Now, pop on the lidand cook on low for 3 to 4 hours. Cooking them longer makes the meatballs alittle denser and chewier. The meatballs are done when the meat in the middleis no longer pink.
It’s also normalthat the oil separates from the sauce and rises to the top. Just stir tocombine again.
Pan-fried meatballs – the quick way to make keto meatballs
In the beginning, Ipromised a short-cut to have the meatballs ready in 30 minutes or less.Pan-frying is the best method to make meatballs on the stove. The process issimilar to browning the meatballs as described above, but we simply roast themlonger.
Heat the olive oilin a heavy, deep skillet over medium heatuntil it simmers. Working in batches, add a few meatballs to the oil, leavingspace around them. Roast until browned on all sides, about 7 minutes total.
Place on a platelined with a paper towel and fry the remaining meatballs. Then put allmeatballs back in the skillet and cover with sauce and let simmer for 5 moreminutes. Easy, quick, delicious. Enjoy!
Tips for storing and freezing keto meatballs
Form the meatballs in advance
It’s possible to shape the meatballs aday ahead. Prepare the meatball mixture, roll into balls and place the balls ona baking sheet lined with wax/greaseproof paper. Cover with plastic wrap/clingfilm and store in the fridge until the next day.
How long can I store keto friendly meatballs?
Cooked meatballs store well and areperfect food for meal prep or cooking ahead. Put them into an airtight food container and store in thefridge for up to 5 days.
How to freeze meatballs
To freeze meatballs, place them (withoutthe sauce) in a single layer on a lined baking sheet/tray and freeze untilsolid. Then transfer the frozen meatballs into a freezer-safe container (add thesauce now) or zip lock bag and store inthe freezer for up to a month. If using a zip lock bag, it’s best to freeze themarinara sauce in a separate container.
Reheat meatballs
To reheat, transfer the meatballs andsauce into a skillet. Stir occasionally and cook over medium heat until heatedthroughout.
Slow Cooker Keto Meatballs Recipe
Yield: 24 meatballs
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 15 minutes
Easy keto meatballs are a real crowd pleaser and family favourite! This ketogenic meatball recipe shows how to make Italian-style slow cooker meatballs in a hearty low carb Marinara sauce, perfect for the crockpot or Instant Pot. Keto meatballs without carbs are a yum appetizer and can also be a healthy keto dinner with a tasty meatballs sauce and zucchini noodles.
Ingredients
Keto meatballs
- 1 2/3 lb / 750 g / 26.5 oz ground beef or ground beef and pork mix
- 1/2 cup / 60 g / 2 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup / 60 g / 2 oz grated parmesan
- 1 egg, beaten
- 2 garlic cloves, minced, or 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 cup / 5 g / 0.2 oz fresh parsley or 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1/4 cup / 5 g / 0.2 oz fresh basil or 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tbsp fresh minced oregano or 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp fresh rosemary, finely minced, or 1/4 tsp dried rosemary
- 1 tsp fresh thyme or 1/4 tsp dried thyme
- 1/4 cup / 60 ml / 2 fl oz olive oil
- fine sea salt
- ground black pepper
Keto Marinara sauce
- 2 28-oz cans crushed tomatoes
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/2 onion, finely sliced
- 1 bay leaf
For serving
- zucchini noodles
- grated parmesan for sprinkling
Instructions
- Heat the slow cooker if necessary.
- Tip the ground beef and pork, egg, mozzarella, parmesan, and garlic into a large mixing bowl. Season with 1 teaspoon of salt, pepper, and herbs. Combine with your hands until everything is well incorporated and evenly dispersed but don’t over mix.
- With lightly damp, cupped hands, roll the mixture into 1.5 in / 4 cm balls and place on a plate.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until it begins to simmer.
- Working in batches, brown the meatballs on all sides for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Place the meatballs in the slow cooker.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, sliced onion, and bay leaf. Stir to coat the meatballs in the tomato sauce.
- Cook on low for 3 to 4 hours. The meatballs are done when no longer pink in the middle.
- Stir the sauce and season with salt and pepper according to your taste. Sprinkle with grated cheese and serve warm over zucchini noodles, pasta, or veggies.
Notes
Form the meatballs in advance
It’s possible to shape the meatballs a day ahead. Prepare the meatball mixture, roll into balls and place the balls on a baking sheet lined with wax/greaseproof paper. Cover with plastic wrap/cling film and store in the fridge until the next day.
How long can I store keto friendly meatballs?
Cooked meatballs store well and are perfect food for meal prep or cooking ahead. Put them into an airtight food container and store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
How to freeze meatballs
To freeze meatballs, place them (without the sauce) in a single layer on a lined baking sheet/tray and freeze until solid. Then transfer the frozen meatballs into a freezer-safe container (add the sauce now) or zip lock bag and store in the freezer for up to a month. If using a zip lock bag, it’s best to freeze the marinara sauce in a separate container.
Reheat meatballs
To reheat, transfer the meatballs and sauce into a skillet. Stir occasionally and cook over medium heat until heated throughout.
Allow frozen meatballs to defrost in the fridge before reheating them as described above.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 64Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 12mgSodium: 197mgCarbohydrates: 6gNet Carbohydrates: 0gFiber: 1gSugar: 3gSugar Alcohols: 0gProtein: 3g
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