If you are looking for a low carb meatball recipe, you have found the right spot. We are going to use both ground pork and ground beef in these meatballs, mixed together with delicious spices, onions and sweet red peppers.
THIS LOW CARB MEATBALL RECIPE IS: GLUTEN FREE, PALEO AND WELL...LOW CARB.
WHO NEEDS BREADCRUMBS WITH THIS LOW CARB MEATBALL RECIPE!
One of the things that I love about this tasty meatball recipe is how well they hold in the refrigerator. It's an odd place to start a blog post, but with a super busy family I am responsible for feeding, it is really important to me. These meatballs can be made whenever I have a spare burner without too much fuss and last between six and eight days in the fridge without a problem. They freeze really well too!
Ok. So they can hold for a while in the fridge. What else? They're gluten free! Don't even try to put some of those starch laden gluten free breadcrumbs in this recipe. It doesn't need it. You're going to get juicy meatballs without even thinking about breadcrumbs.
WHY PORK AND BEEF MEATBALLS?
The quick answer is simple: they're just better this way. All pork meatballs tend to be a bit dense for my taste. All beef meatballs are overpowering with their beef flavor and sometimes can get overworked. When you combine the two, the outcome is a flavorful, juicy meatball. That's the best kind!
When you're at the store, ground pork is just going to be ground pork. There's typically no options available other than just ground pork. With ground beef, however, there are typically at least two options, but I'll review all three here.
- Ground Chuck: This ground beef is typically a mix of 80% lean meat to 20% fat. Ground chuck is the most economical of all the grinds and is my absolute favorite. The high fat content basically guarantees you are going to have a juicy meal, even if you cook the hell out of something.
- Ground Round: A ground beef with a lean meat to fat ratio of 85/15. I find that this is the most common in grocery stores with lots of packaged meats and a limited butcher counter. I'm not sure why, it is just an observation. This is still ok to use, but you can dry out whatever you are cooking... particularly on the grill.
- Ground Sirloin: This grind has a lean to fat ration of 90/10. This is my ABSOLUTE last resort. I just have to put out there that FAT=FLAVOR. The 10% in this grind seems to evaporate when you open the package. Being the most expensive grind, I leave this one in the case.
COOKING THE MEATBALLS
As with so many recipes out there, you'll find a million different ways to cook a meatball. Some chefs bake them. Some braise them in marinara sauce. My way is to saute them and then lower the heat, cover the pan and let the love build. When you saute the meatball first, the outside of the meatball has a chance to caramelize and build some flavor. Covering the pan concentrates the heat and speeds up the cooking process.
Because these meatballs have beef and pork, it is important to cook them all the way through. I'm a fan of some pink in a pork chop, but not with ground pork. Just play it safe and make sure that you are cooking them all the way through.
Your cook time may vary from my recipe as well. It all depends on the size of the meatball. The larger the meatball, the longer the cook time. If your meatball is large enough, you can measure the temperature with an instant read thermometer. When it registers 165 you are good. Or, you can do what I do and slice one of them open to see how much more time you have.
QUICK COOKING TIP: When you are cooking the meatballs, try not to overcrowd the pan. Like with any recipe, if you overcrowd the pan the heat will not return fast enough to the pan. As the food cooks, it releases moisture which pools and starts to boil rather than brown. A boiled meatball is just no good.
Enough with all this. Let's get to the low carb meatball recipe already!
Low Carb Meatball Recipe
What a monumental low carb meatball recipe should have: awesome meatballs. Packed with peppers, onions, garlic and spices... your whole family will love these!
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Onion, diced fine
- ½ Cup Red Pepper, diced fine
- 2-3 Cloves Garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 LB Ground Chuck
- 1 LB Ground Pork
- 1 Large Egg
- 1.5 teaspoon Dried Basil
- 1.5 teaspoon Dried Oregano
- 1 teaspoon Granulated Garlic
- 1 teaspoon Granulated Onion
- 1 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
- 1.5 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1 Pinch Fresh Cracked Pepper
Instructions
- Heat a large, heavy bottom pan with a tight fitting lid over medium high heat. Add the olive oil. When the oil shimmers, add in the onion and a pinch of salt. Cook for 3 minutes. Add in the red peppers. Cook for 3 minutes. Add in the garlic and cook for 2 minutes more, stirring frequently.
- Remove the pan from the heat and scoop the onion mixture into a large bowl. Add in the pork, beef and all remaining ingredients. Mix well to incorporate all the spices throughout all the meat.
- Form your meatballs by breaking off some meat from the bowl and rolling between your palms. The size is up to you, but keep in mind that larger meatballs take longer to cook. Place the formed meatballs on a plate until all the meat mixture is used.
- Reheat the pan over medium-high heat. Add in 2-3 tablespoon olive oil. When the oil is hot, start adding the meatballs into the pan. Rotate them every minute or so for even browning. When they are all brown, cover the pan and reduce the heat to low.
- Cook for 12-15 minutes or until cooked through.
- Serve hot and enjoy!
Nutrition Information
Yield
6Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 509Total Fat 34gSaturated Fat 12gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 19gCholesterol 169mgSodium 453mgCarbohydrates 6gFiber 1gSugar 2gProtein 42g
This website provides approximate nutrition data and information for convenience and as a courtesy only.
Did you make this recipe?
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Final thoughts on the Low Carb Meatball Recipe:
I make these meatballs at least once a month. The family loves the flavor and I love how versatile they are. You can whip up some of my easy marinara sauce along with some really delicious zoodles and top with a mountain of meatballs. I bet that you could make a killer meatball parmesan or, if you're not gluten free then these would make a killer meatball sub.
My son helped me make this recipe which I love. He's six and already a monster in the kitchen. With all that being said, the peppers and onions are a little larger than I have added in the past. The outcome? They were a little harder to brown in the pan. If there were a couple of the larger cut peppers or onions next to one another, the meatball really wanted to break. A sturdy metal spatula took care of the problem, but the recipe is easier with smaller peppers and onions.
As you can see from the picture below, we enjoyed these meatballs with my easy marinara and zoodles. Along with it was a beautiful bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon. What a lovely meal. I hope you enjoy the low carb meatball recipe sometime soon!
[…] GET THE RECIPE […]
All this great information and then you don't tell me what a zoodle is! I'm guessing that is zucchini cut thin like in the picture...low carb for sure.
Hi Sally:
Sorry about that- here's the link to my zoodles recipe.
Hope you're doing well!
Take care,
Scott
These were AWESOME. So much flavor and so easy to make. I am trying to low carb and low cal so using extra lean turkey and 5% pork made this totally guilt free! Thanks for the recipe G!
Hi Desirae:
So glad that you made these- and the turkey sounds like a wonderful option too.
Any other recipes you would like to see?
Take care-
Scott
Anybody try these with turkey and beef?
Hi Linda:
Nope. But that's a fantastic idea!
Thank you for the tip.
Have a wonderful day!
Scott
[…] 22. Low carb meatballs […]
What does low carb mean? How many carbs are in these?
Hi Jeremy:
Low carb means foods that are made with limited or zero grains, starchy vegetables or fruit. For the purpose of this blog, it typically also emphasizes foods that are high in protein and fat. This recipe is not low-calorie or reduced-fat, just low carb due to it not using the normal carbohydrates associated with meatballs. Typically meatballs have a significant amount of breadcrumbs in them to keep moist and add some flavor. Often times recipes call for soaking breadcrumbs in cream or buttermilk so the meatball stays soft during long periods of cooking. This recipe is a low carb alternative without the breadcrumbs. It also makes it gluten free, paleo and primal friendly as well.
Thanks for writing and happy eating!
Take care,
Scott
The web has recipe calculators.
These are GREAT! I added a half cup of grated parmesan and didn't notice any breaking of the meatball, maybe give it a try 🙂
Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Brittany:
Thank you for the tip. I will give it a try and let you know how it goes.
Thank you for sharing.
Have a fabulous day!
Scott
I bake 1/4-sized meatballs at 350F for 20 minutes, on a rimmed tray lined with foil, then submerge/simmer them in sauce (if using) for a few minutes. Much neater than pan-frying.
Correction: 1/4 cup-sized meatballs
Hi Victoria:
Interesting option. Must definitely try it and let you know how it went.
Thank you for posting.
Have an incredible day in the kitchen!
Scott
I was looking for a meatball recipe without bread! These are delicious and good to know about the different types a beef cuts to use. I'm simmering home made spaghetti sauce now and will heat up the meatballs in the sauce for dinner tonight. I plan to have it with a bit is spaghetti squash. Lately I am really enjoying low carb meals! Great recipe!
Hey Lisa:
So glad to hear you're trying to see if low-carb fits. Let me know if you have any questions or if you need some low-carb guidance.
I hope you have a fantastic day!
Scott
Has anyone tried this recipe with turkey and beef?
Hey Linda:
I haven't. But it definitely is a great idea.
Thank you for posting!
Take care,
Scott
I wanted a meatball recipe with no bread. Based on the other reviewers, I tried this one out and it was INCREDIBLE! So much flavor- who needs the gluten?
Hi Stacey:
Exactly! I certainly don't need gluten because I am intolerant. But I can't say that I miss it. I'm absolutely loving the low-carb style and I wouldn't eat anything else right now!
Thank you for posting.
Have a wonderful day in the kitchen!
Scott
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Hi Maha:
Thanks for writing- I just took a visit over to your site- looks great! Let me know what kind of feedback you might be looking for!
Take care-
Scott
What kind of red peppers are you using?
I live the cooking style. learnt something from you.
I am also trying some recipe. You can search them Google.