These juicy keto meatballs are perfect for healthy meal prep. Make a big batch and freeze them so that you can enjoy easy keto dinners whenever you need. Cook from frozen or thaw them in advance.
Okay, first off let me just say that these are hands down the best keto meatballs I have ever made. And I’ve made a lot of meatballs in my day!
But these are so incredibly juicy, with just the right seasonings, and they’re ideal for make-ahead keto meals. You can use them in any recipe that normally calls for frozen meatballs.
Toss them into your favorite keto soup recipes, or bake them into a casserole. Or simply warm them up and serve as a tasty appetizer.
Meatball meal prep
I think of myself as someone who doesn’t really meal prep, but that’s not strictly true. Whenever I make something like meatballs, keto chili, or even keto lasagna, I make a double or triple batch.
And then I pop it in the freezer for one of those panicky dinner days, when I have no idea what to feed my family.
I’ve also been frustrated on several occasions when I just want to buy a bag of frozen meatballs to toss over some zucchini noodles. Even the gluten-free ones have a remarkable amount of carbs.
So I decided it was time to make the perfect freezable keto meatballs to streamline my dinner prep.
What makes these meatballs so good?
I am not kidding when I say I studied a number of meatball recipes to perfect these ones. I wanted to know how to get really juicy, moist meatballs that didn’t lose their round shape during cooking.
And I wanted meatballs that were sturdy enough to keep their shape and flavor during the freezing process.
One trick I picked up along the way was to soak the filler with some liquid first, to lock in the moisture. For conventional meatballs, it’s usually breadcrumbs and milk.
For these keto meatballs, I experimented with the almond flour cracker crumbs from RealPhat Foods, and added heavy cream. But plain almond flour or crushed pork rinds would be great substitutes.
And it worked like a charm! The meatballs were extra juicy and they stayed nice and round.
Interested in trying Real Phat crackers and cracker crumbs? Use FOODDREAMER for 10% off!
How to make meatballs for meal prep
Meatballs are always a labor of love, since you have to shape each one by hand. But once they’re done, you’ve got a delicious and easy dinner option.
- Soak the filler: This little trick is a really great way to lock in moisture and make extra juicy keto meatballs. You can use keto bread crumbs, keto cracker crumbs, almond flour, or crushed pork rinds.
- Mix with your hands: You really have to get your hands dirty when you make meatballs. It’s the only good way to break up the ground meat and mix in the other ingredients.
- Form into balls: You should get about 48 to 52 meatballs from this recipe.
- Bake through completely: The meatballs need to be fully cooked to make them safe for freezing. Then let them cool completely.
- Flash freeze: Once the cooked meatballs are completely cool, place them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Make sure they aren’t touching each other, then place in the freezer until frozen solid.
- Store in freezer-safe containers: Place the frozen meatballs in a heavy duty resealable freezer bag or another airtight container, to avoid freezer burn.
- Cook from frozen: The best part about these meal prep meatballs is that you can add them to your favorite recipes straight from the freezer or you can let them thaw. Regardless of how you do it, make sure to heat them through completely.
How to serve keto meal prep meatballs
Use these delicious meatballs in any recipe that calls for the frozen variety. Here are some great ideas:
- Add to Keto Italian Wedding Soup
- Use in Spaghetti Squash and Meatballs
- Chop up and put on Keto Pizza
- Make some Meatballs alla Parmagiana
- Wrap in bacon for a Sweet & Spicy appetizer
And I have a delicious keto meatball casserole recipe coming very soon!
Frequently Asked Questions
Sure! Just use coconut cream in place of the heavy cream and leave out the Parmesan.
Crushed pork rinds work well, as does sunflower seed flour. I do not recommend coconut flour, as it will make the meatballs very dry.
Keto Meatballs Recipe
Ingredients
- ¾ cup keto cracker crumbs (can sub crushed pork rinds or almond flour)
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 large eggs
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup grated Parmesan
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 2 lb ground beef
- 1 lb ground pork (or another pound of beef)
Instructions
Keto Meatballs
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
- In a large bowl, combine the cracker crumbs and heavy whipping cream. Let sit 10 minutes to thicken, then whisk in the eggs, garlic, Parmesan, parsley, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- Add the ground beef and ground pork, breaking up and mixing into the other ingredients with your hands, until well combined.
- Lightly grease your hands with olive or avocado oils. Roll the mixture into 1 ½ inch balls (you should get 48 to 52 balls). Place in a single layer in large glass or ceramic baking dishes. You can also line rimmed baking sheets with parchment or foil.
- Bake 18 to 20 minutes, or until the meatballs reach 160ºF on an instant read thermometer.
To Freeze
- Let the meatballs cool completely, then spread out, not touching one another, on a rimmed baking sheet and freeze until firm.
- Transfer to a heavy duty freezer bag or an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.
To Cook
- Remove as many meatballs as you would like for a meal. Cook from frozen or let thaw, then cook as desired.
Liz says
Amazing! Taking these camping this weekend, will make for an easy, no fuss, delicious meal. I plan on putting them in the crockpot with some low carb bbq sauce. Great way to provide a nutritious, low carb meal while still enjoying the camping trip! Thank you for making a low carb lifestyle attainable!
Carolyn says
That’s a great idea!
Amy Hendrickson says
Soo delicious
CathieD says
Wonderful recipe and I’m all for , once you get everything out, you might as well do multiple batches.
Having said thatI only had 1# of ground beef ready and as hubby has gout no pork products . I did a 1/3 batch, And looking forward to serving them with cauliflower rice and a keto sauce and a small romaine salad
Gail says
What type of ground beef do you use? Lean, Medium, etc? Thank you…your recipes are the best. Can’t wait to try these meatballs! 😊
Carolyn says
80/20!
Jennifer says
These are the best keto meatballs! SO yummy!
tammy says
this has made my meal prepping so much easier! thank you for sharing this recipe
Allyson Zea says
These are so tasty! Easy to make, too!
Esther R . says
Wonderful recipe . We made this for dinner . So good Thanks .
Elizabeth Godfrey Ford says
I made a double batch of these yesterday to be able to freeze half of them – I got back from church last night and they were all gone!!! Now I have a big family, but that was still excessive! They said the meatballs were just so dang good that nobody had anything else for dinner – just a huge plate full of meatballs!!!
I also like to throw the ones I’m not freezing into the air fryer on 380 for 12 minutes to get some crispy ones!
These are just so so so good!!!
Carolyn says
I love this review!!!! thank you.
Kathy Colin says
Love love this recipe !! Mine didn’t stretch to make as many balls as you got but I’m more than glad to get thirty-eight… I love to freeze these and freeze the marinara sauce in jars … then on those nights I don’t want to cook bamb ! Dinner ! Love what ever I’ve tried from your page .. you are amazing and you are appreciated !!
Carolyn says
My guess is you made them bigger than I did. But as long as they taste good 🙂
Kim says
Curious as to why the meatballs need to be fully cooked prior to freezing? I have made raw meatballs and frozen them for years without any issues. Your post says cook them for “safety” so please enlighten me. Thanks!
Carolyn says
Because in this case, you are using them the same way you would use a bag of meatballs from the store… you are cooking them directly from frozen.
Laura says
Just wondering, ‘powdered” grated parmesan or fresh grated?
Carolyn says
Fresh is always tastier!
Laura says
Thank you 🙂
Lena says
Awesome, thank you so much! Finally a good meatballs prep recipe!
Love your recipes, please make more!