Keto Skillet Meatballs

Name: Keto Skillet Meatballs
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 2 pounds ground beef, ground sausage or ground elk; 2 eggs; 1 cup grated parmesan cheese; 2/3 cup pork panko; 2-3 tablespoons minced garlic; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon seasoning salt; 1 teaspoon pepper; 1 teaspoon oregano; 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley; 3 tablespoons avocado oil or olive oil; 25 oz low carb marinara; 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

by KetoFocus.com

5 Stars (8 Reviews) 10 Comments

Jump to the Recipe

These keto skillet meatballs are the juiciest, most tender meatballs that you will ever try. With lots of cheesy mozzarella and low-carb marinara sauce on top, this delicious recipe will make your mouth water. This simple meatball recipe is also super easy to make and meal prep!

pulling a single meatball out of a skillet with cheese pulling down

looking down on a cast iron skillet filled with meatballs in a pasta sauce covered with cheese with tomatoes and parmesan cheese near

35 Mins

Nutrition Facts

Servings

533

Calories

41.2g

Fat

34.8g

Protein

4.3g

Net Carb

5.2g

Total Carbs

Keto Skillet Meatballs Recipe Video

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Keto Meatballs Ingredients

2 pounds ground beef, ground sausage or ground elk
2 eggs
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
2/3 cup pork panko
2-3 tablespoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon seasoning salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons avocado oil or olive oil
25 oz low carb marinara
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Keto Skillet Meatballs Directions

STEP

1

Make meatball mixture

In a large bowl, add ground beef, egg, parmesan cheese, pork panko, garlic, salt, seasoning salt, pepper, oregano and parsley. Mix until combined.
STEP

2

Roll homemade meatballs

Pinch off some ground beef mixture and roll in between the palm on your hands to form a 1 inch ball. Repeat with remaining ground beef mixture.
STEP

3

Cook meatballs

Add avocado oil or olive oil to a preheated skillet at medium heat. Working in batches, add meatballs to the skillet and cook for a few minutes on all sides until cooked through. Don't add too many meatballs to the skillet or they will steam instead of fry.
STEP

4

Add marinara and cheese

Return all meatballs back to the skillet. Pour in marinara sauce and top with shredded mozzarella cheese. Cover, turn down heat to low and let simmer for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Quick Tip
Makes 42 meatballs

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a skillet with meatballs and melted cheese topped with parsley

These easy keto skillet meatballs can be made with any type of ground meat, including ground beef, sausage, chicken, turkey, or even wild game like elk or venison. Every kind of ground meat has a unique flavor and a slightly different texture, so make sure to choose your favorite. You can even try a combination of meats like ground beef and ground sausage or ground turkey with chicken.

The key to making these keto skillet meatballs so tasty is to use lots of garlic and Lawry’s seasoning salt. These seasonings and flavors complement one another for the perfect keto meatballs. Plus if you are using game meat like ground elk or venison, the garlic and seasoning salt will help take the gamey flavor out of the meat.

Once you pan-fry these meaty meatballs, you can finish the dish off with your favorite low carb marinara sauce and top it with mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle on fresh basil. You can even add your favorite keto noodles, such as the heart of palm noodles, zucchini noodles, or shirataki noodles, to make a delicious keto spaghetti and meatballs.

major cheese pull from lifting a cheese covered meatball up

How to Make Meatballs

To make up these juicy low carb meatballs, we use some key ingredients that all play a roll in make these best tasting meatballs. There are some substitutions, but I would stick the original keto meatball recipe as much as possible for ultimate flavor and texture to make the best meatball recipe.

Egg is used to hold the meatballs together. You can omit this if you are allergic to eggs; however, you meatballs may crumble. Add an additional 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese may help to hold them together.
Pork panko is used in place of the breadcrumbs. It is ground pork rinds. Regular breadcrumbs are not keto friendly as they are higher in carbohydrates and contain gluten. If you can’t consume pork, try substituting with more parmesan cheese or almond flour.
Seasoning salt gives these keto meatballs a unique flavor. You can replace this with extra salt if you don’t want to use the seasoned kind.
Use any ground meat you prefer. I have used ground beef for a beef meatball recipe, ground elk, ground pork and a mixture of all. Even experiment with chicken meatballs.

To form the meatballs, simply pinch off some meat mixture and roll it in the palm of your hands to form a 1 inch ball. You can also use a 1 inch cookie scoop if you don’t want to get your hands dirty.

Marinara Sauce

When it comes to selecting a keto pasta sauce, you need to make sure you are getting one with the lowest carbohydrates. Tomatoes and tomato sauces already are naturally higher in carbs so we want to make sure the sauce you are selecting doesn’t have added sugars that will increase the carb count.

Some of my favorite brands are YoMama and Rao’s. You can even make your own homemade keto marinara, which is cheaper and easy to make. Or in a pinch, you can use tomato sauce. Then just add in some Italian seasoning and garlic powder for flavor.

pulling a cheesy meatball out of a cast iron skillet

Low Carb Noodles

These cheesy skillet meatballs are delicious on there own with just keto meatballs, sauce and cheese. But you can to pour them over noodles and make keto spaghetti and meatballs! Options for keto noodles are hearts of palm spaghetti noodles, zucchini noodles (aka zoodles) and shirataki noodles. These options are all gluten free and very low in carbs.

The zucchini noodles you can make yourself by spiralizing a zucchini or often you can purchase zoodles in the freezer section or produce section of the grocery store.

Other option for noodles are some keto spaghetti that is low in carbs but contains gluten. These noodles look and taste like regular noodles.

Keto Skillet Meatballs: FAQS

Can I use a different type of meat for the meatballs?

Absolutely! You can substitute ground beef with ground turkey, chicken, or even plant-based meat alternatives. Just keep in mind that the cooking time may vary slightly based on the meat you choose.

What can I use instead of pork panko?

If you don't have pork panko, you can use almond flour or crushed pork rinds as a low-carb substitute. Both options will help bind the meatballs while keeping them keto-friendly.

How should I store leftovers of the keto skillet meatballs?

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months; just make sure to separate them with parchment paper to prevent sticking.

Can I make these meatballs ahead of time and freeze them?

Yes! You can prep the meatballs and form them, then freeze them before cooking. Just place them on a baking sheet to freeze individually, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag for storage. When you're ready, cook them from frozen; just add a few extra minutes to the cooking time.

How can I make these meatballs dairy-free?

To make the meatballs dairy-free, you can omit the parmesan cheese and use nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor. You can also try using a dairy-free cheese alternative for the mozzarella topping.

Nutritional information & Macros

Amount Per Serving
Calories	533
Fat	41.2g
Protein	34.8g
Total Carbs	5.2g
Net Carbs	4.3g

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