What could be better than this Swedish classic? Beef accompanied by a well-spiced mixture of herbs covered with a touch of cream. My family-friendly keto meatball recipe is ready to enjoy in just 25 minutes and contains no more than 3.3g of net carbs per serving. Can it get any better Let’s dive into the recipe.
Are Swedish meatballs keto?
Traditional Swedish meatballs are made using bread, which as we know, is carb-heavy. But to make it keto, I’ve altered the original recipe to create my own keto meatball recipe.
Swedish meatball sauce is always creamy and rich, much thanks to the sour cream. My keto meatball sauce, however, gets all its creaminess from heavy cream, which is great for a keto diet.
What are the differences between traditional meatballs and keto Swedish meatballs?
- A combination of ground beef and ground pork is traditionally used when making Swedish meatballs, but I decided to stick to minced beef for my recipe.
- To bulk up and reduce carbs in these low carb Swedish meatballs, almond flour is the best gluten-free replacement for breadcrumbs. Crushed pork rinds are also an excellent substitute for breadcrumbs.
- The meatballs can be baked in the oven with excellent results on a parchment-lined baking sheet instead of being fried in a pan. While they won’t be as crunchy and brown on the outside, you won’t realize the difference when baked in a meatball casserole with sauce and cheese.
Ingredients for Swedish meatballs
Meatballs
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1/2 cup grated onion
- 1/4 cup almond flour
- 1 egg
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp allspice
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Cream Sauce
- 1 cup chicken or beef stock
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce, optional
Can you swap some of the ingredients to make it vegetarian or vegan friendly?
Yes, you can replace the meat components with vegan counterparts. For these meatballs, the ingredients are seasoned differently from real meat; however, it won’t throw you off your diet. In order to bind soy, nuts, lentils, or legumes, vegan meatballs need substitutes, such as non-dairy vegan cheese and egg substitutes.
Tempeh, made with fermented soy beans, is what makes these meatballs so tasty. Imagine nutritious soy beans processed in a way that resembles tofu, but with a low level of processing.
The firmness of the food makes it convenient for working with, but it is also more nutrient-rich as it contains 20 grams of protein per 4 ounce serving.
Ingredients for Vegan Meatballs
- (1/2 cup minced white onion)
- Garlic cloves minced (three cloves)
- Make flax eggs with 1 tablespoon of flaxseed meal
- 2 and a half tbsp water (for flax egg making)
- Tempeh (8 ounces) (alternative: sub 1 heaping cup of rinsed and drained chickpeas for similar results)
- Third cup of vegan Parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp dried basil and oregano, or 2 tsp Italian seasonings
- A quarter cup fresh parsley (optional)
- Use vegan breadcrumbs or sub almond meal, for gluten-free eaters
- Sauce or marinara of your choice
- Oil of olives (for sautéing)
- The seasonings of salt & pepper (to taste)
What can you pair keto meatballs with?
Are you looking for some tasty side dishes to serve with meatballs? Your keto meatball recipe will be complete and healthy when served with one or two of the recommended sides below.
- Using zucchini noodles (aka “zoodles”) as a side dish for meatballs is a great low-carb option. Try them with a rich tomato sauce – it’s divine!
- It’s hard to beat green beans with meatballs!
- Low-carb cauliflower rice complements keto meatballs so well, and it’s a great pasta replacement if you’re looking for a dish to pair your meatballs with.
- Salad is something you can definitely be creative with, and we know how healthy that is!
- Grilled mixed vegetables – they are easy and incredibly filling. Add olive oil, salt, and black pepper to your favorite garden veggies and grill until they are perfectly cooked.
- One of the finest side dishes is asparagus. Can you believe that it can be easily prepared in the microwave in just four minutes? Sounds like a tasty and healthy side dish, doesn’t it?
- There may not be a simpler low-carb side dish than Shirataki noodles. It’s a must!
- Even though spaghetti squash has little flavor on its own, it makes a great complement to flavourful meatballs and a spicy sauce.
- Broccoli and meatballs combine to make a filling and unexpected dish.
- Another tasty side dish to try is roasted eggplant.
- There’s nothing quite like cauliflower mash to make you feel like you’re eating potatoes, which pairs well with meatballs.
- This list is incomplete without grilled zucchini. Zoodles have a different texture and taste than grilled zucchini.
Keto Meatball Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup grated onion
- 1/4 cup almond flour
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp allspice
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup chicken or beef broth
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce optional
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine ground beef, grated onion, almond flour, egg, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and allspice. Mix well until combined. Roll into 20 small meatballs.
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and cook, turning every few minutes, until browned on each side and cooked through. You may need to cook in two batches to avoid overcrowding. Transfer to a plate while you make the sauce.
- Add stock and cream to the skillet and whisk over medium-low heat. Add Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce and bring to a simmer. Cook until the sauce is thickened. Add extra salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the meatballs back to the skillet and simmer for another 1-2 minutes.