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Keto Meatballs are a comforting, low-carb dinner that lets you enjoy classic Italian flavors without the extra carbs. These moist, cheesy meatballs simmered in pizza sauce are simple to make, family-friendly, and flexible enough for weeknight dinners or meal prep. If you love straightforward meatball recipes, try pairing ideas inspired by other easy favorites like 3-ingredient Swedish meatballs for inspiration on serving sizes and simple sides.
These meatballs use ground beef and a ground Italian-style turkey sausage to keep the recipe keto-friendly while staying rich and savory. They’re seared for a crust, finished slowly in a tangy tomato sauce, and topped with melted mozzarella and Parmesan. Read on for everything you need: ingredient notes, step-by-step directions, pro tips, flavor variations, storage advice, nutrition estimates, and answers to common questions.
why make this recipe
This Keto Meatballs recipe hits a sweet spot: it’s quick to prepare, low in carbs, and big on flavor. You get the meaty satisfaction of traditional meatballs without the bread or breadcrumbs, so the texture is dense and protein-forward — perfect for people following a keto or low-carb diet. The oven finish with cheese makes every meatball have that golden, bubbly top everyone loves. It’s an ideal recipe for busy weeknights because you can prepare the mix ahead of time, sear quickly, and let the oven do the rest while you handle side dishes or a salad.
Beyond convenience, this recipe is forgiving. You can scale the batch up or down, swap ingredients for dietary preferences, and mix in herbs or cheeses you already have. Because the sauce is included in the final pan, cleanup is minimal and the flavors meld beautifully as the meatballs bake.
how to make Keto Meatballs
Follow these clear steps to make juicy, cheesy Keto Meatballs that stay moist and cook evenly. The key stages are mixing, shaping, searing, saucing, and baking.
- Preheat your oven to 400°F.
- Mix all the ingredients for the meatballs together until just combined. Overmixing can make meatballs tough.
- Roll the meatballs by hand into even portions so they cook uniformly.
- In a pan set to high heat, add a little oil and sear each meatball on a side or two. Don’t crowd the pan; you’re only searing for color and texture — they will finish cooking in the oven.
- Remove the meatballs, lower heat to medium, then add the tomato paste and cook it about 10 seconds before you add in the pizza sauce.
- After the tomato paste and pizza sauce are combined, add the meatballs back into the pan and turn off the heat.
- Cover tops of the meatballs with shredded mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese.
- Place the pan in the preheated oven uncovered for 20 minutes. Bake until cheese has browned. If meatballs are a standard size they will be cooked through at the 20-minute mark. Each serving should give you 4 oz of meat.
Ingredients
- 16 ounce ground beef (85/15)
- 16 ounce Italian turkey sausage (ground) — see Ingredient Notes
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (grated finely)
- 14 ounce pizza sauce
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese (grated)
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (for topping)
Ingredient Notes:
- Italian sausage: This recipe lists Italian-style sausage. If you avoid pork, use Italian turkey sausage or ground chicken sausage instead. If you do eat pork, traditional pork Italian sausage will work and deliver a richer flavor; substitute only if it fits your dietary choices. Vegetarian options (for a non-keto but still meat-free variant) include crumbled tempeh or seasoned lentils, though macros and texture will change.
- Cheese: Use freshly grated Parmesan and mozzarella for best melting and flavor. Pre-shredded cheeses may contain anti-clumping agents that alter melt quality.
- Pizza sauce: Choose a low-sugar pizza or tomato sauce to keep carbs down. Check the label if strict keto macros are needed.
- Eggs: Help bind the meatballs in the absence of breadcrumbs.
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Mix all the ingredients for the meatballs together. Then, roll the meatballs by hand.
- In a pan on high heat add a little oil and sear each meatball. Don’t crowd the pan, you are only searing a side or two, they will finish cooking in the oven.
- Remove the meatballs, lower heat to medium, then add in tomato paste and cook it about 10 seconds before you add in the pizza sauce.
- After the tomato paste and pizza sauce are combined add the meatballs back into the pan and turn off the heat.
- Cover tops of the meatballs with shredded mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese. Place in preheated oven uncovered for 20 minutes. Bake until cheese has browned. If meatballs are normal size they will be cooked through at the 20 minute mark. Each serving should give you 4oz of meat.
Pro Tips for Success Keto Meatballs
- Measure and portion: Use a small ice cream scoop or a kitchen scale to portion meatballs evenly (about 1.5–2 ounces each). Even sizes bake more evenly and make serving portions consistent.
- Don’t overwork the meat: Mix until ingredients are just distributed. Overmixing can make the meatballs dense and tough.
- Sear for flavor: The quick sear develops color and a bit of caramelization that elevates the finished texture and flavor. Sear in batches and give the pan time to heat back up between batches.
- Use low-sugar tomato sauce: For strict keto, inspect the pizza sauce label. Some brands add sugar; pick a low-carb option or make a quick sauce with crushed tomatoes, salt, and Italian herbs.
- Rest before baking: After searing and arranging meatballs in the sauce, let them sit off the heat for a minute to settle. This reduces splatter and helps the sauce adhere before the oven finish.
Flavor Variations Keto Meatballs
- Garlic-Herb: Add 2 cloves of minced garlic and 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning to the meatball mix. Finish with a sprinkle of fresh parsley after baking.
- Spicy Pepperoni: Mix in 1–2 tablespoons chopped pepperoni or chopped jalapeño to the mix. Use smoked mozzarella for a deeper flavor, and consider a pinch of red pepper flakes in the sauce.
- Mediterranean Twist: Replace half the mozzarella with crumbled feta and add 2 tablespoons chopped kalamata olives to the sauce before placing the meatballs back in. Finish with oregano and a drizzle of olive oil.
- Cheesy Core: Press a small cube of mozzarella into the center of each meatball when shaping for a molten-cheese interior.
- Mushroom-Boost: Finely chop 1/2 cup of cooked mushrooms and fold them into the meat mixture to add umami and reduce the total meat density slightly (still keep it keto-friendly).
Serving Suggestions Keto Meatballs
- Zucchini noodles: Toss zoodles lightly with olive oil and garlic, then serve meatballs on top for a low-carb pasta feel.
- Cauliflower rice: Steam riced cauliflower and finish with butter or olive oil; spoon sauce and meatballs over the rice.
- Salad bowl: Serve over a hearty salad of mixed greens, roasted peppers, and a drizzle of balsamic (use sparingly for keto).
- Stuffed peppers: Hollow out bell peppers, spoon in a mixture of sauce and meatballs (broken up or whole), top with cheese, and bake until peppers are tender.
- Classic keto “spaghetti”: Use shirataki noodles or konjac spaghetti, warm them in the sauce, and add meatballs for a comforting plate that stays low-carb.
Storage and Freezing Instructions Keto Meatballs
- Refrigerator: Store cooled meatballs and sauce in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat gently in a skillet over medium-low heat or in the oven at 350°F until warmed through.
- Freezing: Freeze meatballs in sauce to preserve moisture. Place cooled meatballs and sauce in freezer-safe containers or heavy-duty freezer bags, flatten for easy stacking, and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Reheating from frozen: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator for best results, then reheat on the stovetop over low heat until warmed. If reheating from frozen, place in a covered baking dish with a splash of water or broth, bake at 350°F for 25–35 minutes until hot in the center.
- Portion freezing: For quick weeknight meals, freeze individual servings (one to two meatballs with sauce) in small containers; this makes single-serve reheating fast and convenient.
Nutrition Facts (Per Serving — approx.)
Each recipe yields about 8 servings (each serving ≈ 4 oz meat plus some sauce and cheese). These values are estimates and can vary based on brands and exact ingredient choices.
- Calories: ~320 kcal
- Protein: ~24 g
- Carbohydrates: ~4–5 g
- Fat: ~23 g
- Fiber: ~0.5–1 g
- Sodium: ~475 mg
Notes on nutrition:
- These numbers assume Italian turkey sausage was used (lower in fat than pork sausage) and a low-sugar pizza sauce. Using pork sausage or a sugary sauce will increase calories, fat, and carbs, and raise sodium.
- If you need more precise tracking, weigh final servings and enter the specific brands into a nutrition calculator.
FAQ About Keto Meatballs
Are these meatballs truly keto-friendly?
Yes — this recipe keeps carbs low by omitting breadcrumbs, using eggs as binders, and choosing a low-sugar pizza sauce. With around 4–5 g net carbs per serving, these meatballs fit comfortably into most ketogenic and low-carb meal plans. To keep carbs even lower, use a no-sugar-added tomato sauce and check the sausage label for any hidden sugars.
Can I make these meatballs ahead of time?
Absolutely. You can form and sear the meatballs a day ahead, refrigerate them in the sauce, and finish baking the next day. For longer storage, freeze portions in sauce for up to 3 months and reheat as needed. Preparing the meatball mixture and shaping them into balls beforehand is also a great time-saver; sear and bake when you’re ready to serve.
What can I use instead of Italian sausage?
If you prefer to avoid pork (or don’t have pork on hand), Italian turkey sausage or ground chicken seasoned with Italian spices works well and keeps the recipe keto-friendly. Vegetarian swaps like seasoned crumbled tempeh or cooked lentils are options but will change the texture and protein content and may not be strictly keto.
How do I prevent meatballs from falling apart while baking?
A few tips prevent disintegration: don’t overwork the meat when mixing; use eggs as a binder; sear meatballs briefly to develop an outer crust before baking; and nestle them in the sauce so they stay moist and supported as they finish cooking. If you’re making very large meatballs, consider testing one to ensure internal doneness before the full bake time.
Can I bake the meatballs without searing them first?
Yes, you can skip the sear if you’re short on time. They’ll still cook through in the sauce, but you’ll miss the extra caramelized flavor and slightly firmer exterior. If skipping the sear, shape the meatballs, place them directly into the sauce, and add about 5–10 minutes to the total baking time to ensure they reach a safe internal temperature.
How do I know when the meatballs are fully cooked?
For safety and best texture, meatballs made with mixed meats should reach an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C). If you don’t have a thermometer, cut one open to check that it’s no longer pink inside and the juices run clear. For consistency, portioning meatballs evenly and using the suggested 20 minutes in a 400°F oven after searing usually yields fully cooked meatballs of standard size.
Final Thoughts
Keto Meatballs are a reliable, satisfying recipe that proves low-carb cooking can be both simple and delicious. They’re flexible for dietary swaps, easy to meal-prep, and pair with a wide range of keto-friendly sides. Whether you’re feeding a family, sending a batch for lunches, or serving an intimate dinner, these meatballs deliver hearty flavor with minimal fuss. Try the garlic-herb variation for a fresher profile or stuff them with cheese for an extra-special weekend treat. With straightforward ingredients and a step-by-step approach, this recipe is a handy addition to any low-carb cooking rotation.
Print
Keto Meatballs
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Diet: Keto, Low-Carb
Description
Delicious keto-friendly meatballs simmered in pizza sauce, packed with Italian flavors, moist and cheesy, perfect for family dinners or meal prep.
Ingredients
- 16 ounces ground beef (85/15)
- 16 ounces Italian turkey sausage (ground)
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (grated finely)
- 14 ounces pizza sauce
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese (grated)
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (for topping)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F.
- Mix all the ingredients for the meatballs together until just combined.
- Roll the meatballs by hand into even portions.
- In a pan set to high heat, add a little oil and sear each meatball on one or two sides.
- Remove the meatballs, lower the heat to medium, then add the tomato paste and cook it for about 10 seconds before adding the pizza sauce.
- Add the meatballs back into the pan and turn off the heat.
- Cover the tops with shredded mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
- Place the pan in the preheated oven uncovered for 20 minutes until the cheese has browned.
Notes
For best results, use freshly grated Parmesan and mozzarella. Check pizza sauce labels to ensure low sugar content for a strict keto diet.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 475mg
- Fat: 23g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 5g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 24g
- Cholesterol: 120mg
