Billie’s Famous Meatballs

By Billie Helbert Richter, an admin at Ketogenic Dieters Facebook group.

Here’s what I do for one of my “on-hand” protein items. I make meatballs and freeze them. This particular batch is a combination of sausage and ground turkey, but I often do ground beef/turkey, or a combo of all three. If I use beef and turkey, then I usually add an egg and some spices. For this batch, it’s just the meat since the sausage is already spicy and has plenty of fat to hold it together. This is a bit on the high side for fat at 7.8p/6.4f/0c per 40-gram raw ball, but the nutrition facts will be labeled on the container so I’ll know to grab them on days when my fat intake is low. I can grab a few to have by themselves for lunch (I like to heat them in a skillet in pickle juice), or have them atop a bed of zoodles with a bit of sauce.

I know this seems simple if you’ve been at this for a while, however, I wanted to show new folks that planning and prepping can be extremely easy and quick. It took maybe 15 minutes to mix, weigh, and roll them, and another 20 minutes or so to bake (at 400 F).

Edited to add…although I prefer to keep meals simple, little things like this are great to have on hand in case you are a bit short on protein for a meal. I often grab a couple and have them along with a big salad with tuna, or with an omelet. You don’t have to get all of your protein from one source for a meal. Mixing and matching can be fun.

Disclaimer: As with all recipes on this site, please adjust amounts to fit your macros. Please enter into Cronometer to determine your exact macros for the ingredients you use.

Versatile Chicken Meatballs

By Sarah Stanton Goodwin (IG: @operaticsarah), an admin team member at Ketogenic Dieters Facebook Group.

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The amazing thing about these is that they can be used soooo many ways. It’s easy to change up the taste.

Ingredients:

• 1214 grams fresh lean ground chicken breast
• 16 grams salt
• 10 grams granulated garlic
• 2 grams black pepper

Variations:

1. Buffalo (Frank’s hot sauce)
2. Curried (Add in curry powder)
3. Tandoori Tikka Kabobs (Add in tandoori seasoning and use skewers)
4. G. Hughes sugar-free BBQ sauce
5. Jerk / Cajun / Tajin seasoned
6. Zoodles & marinara
7. Zoodles & alfredo
8. Cavendar’s Greek seasoning
9. Spinach & mozzarella
10. Salad toppers
11. Stir-fry with Asian flavors & veggies
12. Egg-drop soup
13. Garlic butter & herbs
14. Filling for lettuce wraps / meatball “sub”

Disclaimer: As with all recipes on this site, please adjust amounts to fit your macros. Please enter into Cronometer to determine your exact macros for the ingredients you use.

Vietnamese Meatballs

•585g Ground 93/7 turkey
•500g Ground 93/7 beef
•90g Egg
•45g Chopped scallions
•20g Chopped cilantro leaves
•45g fish sauce
•2g salt
•16g grated ginger or ginger paste
•4g granulated garlic powder
•25g granulated sweetener of choice. I use lakanto golden monk fruit blend.

Mix all ingredients together and form meatballs of preferred size. Place in crock pot or instant pot, layering with trivets to raise and create additional layers.
Cook on high slow cook function for 5-6 hours or pressure cook for 15 minutes on high with natural release.
You can crisp up in nonstick pan if desired. I have an Air fryer lid that sits on my instant pot that browned them a bit in under 5 minutes.

Pairs really well with a sauce of mayo/and or Greek yogurt, garlic chili sauce, rice vinegar and a little sweetener.

Macros per 100g finished. (Approximately 800g per batch)
Protein 35g
Carb 1g
Fat 14g

Lemony-Mint Lamb & Turkey Meatballs

Another amazing recipe by Sarah Stanton Goodwin, an admin team member in the Ketogenic Dieters Facebook Group.

Ingredients:

• 48 grams onion
• 14 grams minced garlic
• 4 grams lemon peel
• 21 grams lemon juice
• 11 grams fresh spearmint
• 13 grams fresh parsley
• 13 grams salt
• 1 gram black pepper
• 3 grams crushed red pepper
• 413 grams ground lamb
• 434 grams ground turkey

Pulse herbs, onion, garlic, and spices in a food processor until finely chopped, but not pureed. Mix into meat mixture. Make into meatballs. Bake for 10-12 minutes at 375F.

Shown wrapped in cucumber slices to give a bit of a crunch when eating.

Alton Brown’s MODIFIED Meatloaf

By Sarah Stanton Goodwin, an admin team member in the Ketogenic Dieters Facebook Group.

Ingredients:

• 1 gram black pepper
• 1 gram cayenne pepper
• 3 grams chili powder
• 1 gram dried thyme
• 15 grams minced garlic
• 70 grams onions
• 70 grams red bell peppers, raw
• 70 grams carrot
• 1020 grams 90% lean ground beef
• 9 grams salt
• 50 grams egg, raw
• 110 grams sugar-free ketchup (I used G Hughes.)
• 2 grams ground cumin
• 15 grams Worcestershire sauce
• 5 grams Frank’s Red Hot sauce (or your favorite 0-carb hot sauce)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 325F.
2. Combine black pepper, cayenne pepper, chili powder, thyme, garlic, onion, carrot, and red pepper into a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is finely chopped, but not pureed.
3. Combine the vegetable mixture with the meat mixture. Season with salt.
4. Pack this into a 10-inch loaf pan to mold the shape of the meatloaf (optional)….or make meatballs. Turn the meatloaf onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Place in the center of the oven.
5. Combine ketchup, cumin, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce. Brush onto the meatloaf after it has been cooking for about 10 minutes.
6. Cook until the internal temperature is 155F.

Makes 6 servings.
Macros per serving: 36 grams protein, 18 grams fat, 5 grams net carbs

Albondigas

By Brenda Richards, an admin in the Ketogenic Dieters Facebook Group

Admittedly, these are far from authentic, but it’s quick, tastes great, and (most importantly) it meets my macros.

Mix together, make meatballs, brown in a nonstick skillet, and then bake at 375F for 15 minutes:

• 100 g ground chicken breast
• 100 g ground chicken chorizo (I get this at Sprouts. Jennie O also has turkey chorizo.)
• 3 g garlic powder
• 2 g ground cumin

In a saucepan, heat slowly:

• 100 g low carb marinara (I like Delallo’s. I get it at Sprouts. It’s cheaper and has better stats than Rao’s.)
• 60 g fresh salsa
• 200 g fat-free chicken or beef broth
• 45 g torn up fresh spinach
• 30 g diced onion
• 1 g garlic powder
• 1 g ground cumin

Add meatballs to the soup and serve. You may want to add sliced avocado, fresh diced onion, or fresh cilantro.

Macros: 44 g P / 9 g F / 15 g NC (plan your full day’s meals accordingly)

Mustard Meatballs

Another fantastic recipe from Rachael Harding, an admin at Ketogenic Dieters Facebook Group.

Mustard Meatballs Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 lb classic chicken sausage (Isernio’s brand used as I like the stats on it. Turkey sausage may be substituted.)
• 600 g 93% lean ground beef
• 30 g yellow mustard
• 30 g whole grain Dijon mustard
• 1 g salt
• 2 g pepper
• 1.7 g garam masala
• 1.8 g turmeric
• 1 tablespoon coconut aminos (15 grams)
• 2 g cumin
• 3.6 g paprika
• 185 g chopped frozen spinach
• 3 squirts stevia

Mixed all ingredients and made 30 meatballs. Baked at 370F for 30 minutes.

Dill Mustard Sauce

Ingredients:

• 2 cups unsweetened almond/coconut blend milk
• 1 tsp dill
• 30 g whole grain Dijon mustard
• 15 g yellow mustard
• 2 tsp granulated chicken bouillon
• 1 tsp paprika
• crushed red pepper to desired spice level
• 1/4 tsp xanthan gum

Whisked ingredients while simmering until sauce thickened (not overly thick however).