Easy, Juicy, and flavorful low carb and keto meatballs in a tomato sauce loaded with smoky bacon. I give instructions for baking the meatballs in the oven and pan frying.
Related: I get all of my grass fed beef and pasture raised chicken from Butcher Box. Read my honest review here.
These Keto Meatballs with Bacon Tomato Sauce are so flavorful and perfectly saucy. I like to eat them with a side of lemony kale or you could serve them over zucchini noodles.
SOME OTHER EASY KETO RECIPES
- Instant Pot Spaghetti Squash
- Steak Shish Kabobs
- Keto Chicken Parmesan
- Crockpot Spaghetti Sauce
- Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts
HOW TO MAKE KETO MEATBALLS
So what makes these meatballs keto? Most meatballs recipes include breadcrumbs to hold everything together. I went with parmesan cheese for this recipe instead of the breadcrumbs to give them more flavor and make them keto!
I love making meatballs because they can be so versatile in their flavors. I went more Italian with the flavors of these, though. I wanted to give you a delicious keto meatball that you will want to make over and over again.
For these meatballs I used ground beef, parmesan cheese, fresh parsley, eggs, garlic, salt, and pepper. Be sure you do not over mix your meatballs or they will become tough.
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After I got everything mixed together, I baked them on a baking sheet. You could also fry them in the remaining bacon fat leftover from cooking the bacon. That would be really good too!
The marinara sauce I use and recommend for these keto meatballs is so amazing and flavorful, you will never make homemade sauce again. That sauce would be Rao's Marinara. I love Rao's Marinara because it only has 3 net carbs per ½ cup serving! I also like that it isn't greasy. I have found other lower carb marinara sauces to be greasy, and I am just not a fan of that.
Let me get to this lemony kale. It is so basic, i'm not even sure it counts as a recipe. All I did is throw a bag of chopped frozen kale in a skillet with a lid and some avocado oil, salt, and lemon juice. I cooked it until it was tender. That's it! I love to have frozen chopped kale on hand at all times. I put it in my daily low carb smoothies, and I eat it as a side dish all. the. time.
KETO MEATBALLS VIDEO:
Keto Meatballs with Bacon Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
- 8 slices thick cut bacon , cut into lardons
- 2 lbs ground chuck or sirloin
- ½ cup grated parmesan
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 2 Cloves Garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 eggs , beaten
- 1 ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 Jar Marinara (click here to see my favorite brand)
Instructions
- Fry bacon in a heavy bottomed skillet (such as cast iron) over medium heat until crispy
- Remove bacon from pan and let drain on paper towels, leave bacon fat in pan
- Combine ground beef, parmesan, parsley, olive oil, eggs, garlic, salt, and pepper in a large bowl being careful not to overwork the meat.
- Roll mixture into 18 meatballs. You can bake the meatballs or you can fry the meatballs. I will give instructions for both.
- To bake the meatballs: pre-heat the oven to 400F and bake meatballs on a parchment or foil lined baking sheet for 15 minutes.
- To fry the meatballs: using reserved bacon grease and heavy skillet, fry each meatball over medium heat until brown on all sides. Remove from skillet and drain on paper towels.
- Remove any remaining bacon grease and add meatballs to the pan. Add the jar of marinara sauce and roll the meatballs around to coat. Let meatballs simmer for 30 minutes.
- Serve meatballs garnished with crispy bacon and fresh parsley.
Jennifer's tips
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy only. Please re-calculate on your own with the ingredients and amounts you used for the most accurate data.
⭐ Did you make this Keto Meatballs Recipe? Tag me on Instagram so I can see! @lowcarbwithjennifer
Annastasia says
One more question! I was planning to use half beef and half pork - do you think that would work well for this recipe?
jenniferbanz says
That would work perfect
Annastasia says
Hi! I wondering how to best make these ahead - it sounds like the bacon probably wouldn't stay crispy if I make them one or two days before serving them for a party? Is that ok? Curious about your recommendations
jenniferbanz says
It would be fine but the bacon would be flabby. You could make them ahead and add the bacon later
Traci says
I loved it! Best meatballs I have ever made. I'm glad I found the sauce recommended too, it really tasted great. I will definitely be making th it s again! Thank you for sharing your recipe:)
jenniferbanz says
So happy to hear that!
Suzy says
Heck yes! These meatballs look delicious!
Abeer Rizvi says
Everything about this is calling my name!
Abeer Rizvi says
I am drooling over that bacon tomato sauce! This needs to go on my meal plan!
Wilhelmina Wessel says
These meatballs look scrumptious!
Milisa says
So flavorful and delicious and I love the bacon & tomato combo!
Molly Kumar says
This is perfect for my Keto friendly brunch menu.
Lisa says
Hi, I’m gluten free and dairy free. Is there another ingredient you could recommend to replace the cheese?
jenniferbanz says
I would use almond flour
Krissy Allori says
These look amazing! This is the best meatball recipe I have found!
Sandi says
I love that you used parmesan cheese instead of breadcrumbs for these meatballs...it makes them gluten free so we can enjoy them too :-).