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Italian keto meatballs with mozzarella cheese

Italian keto meatballs with mozzarella cheese

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5
4.8
520 Ratings
Not enough ratings
Tomato sauce, rich and comforting. Mozzarella, fresh and creamy. Meatballs, with just the right touch of onion and basil. It's like spaghetti night, without the carbs. Enjoy every ketolicious bite!
August 20 2017 recipe by , photo by , nutritional review by in Recipes, Dinner, Meal

Italian keto meatballs with mozzarella cheese

1
2
3
4
5
4.8
520 Ratings
Not enough ratings
Tomato sauce, rich and comforting. Mozzarella, fresh and creamy. Meatballs, with just the right touch of onion and basil. It's like spaghetti night, without the carbs. Enjoy every ketolicious bite!
USMetric
4 servingservings

Ingredients

  • 1 lb 450 g ground beef or ground turkey
  • ยพ cup (2 oz.) 180 ml (60 g) shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 1 1 eggeggs
  • 1 tsp 1 tsp salt
  • ยฝ tbsp ยฝ tbsp dried basil
  • ยฝ tsp ยฝ tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp 1 tsp garlic powder
  • ยฝ tsp ยฝ tsp ground black pepper
  • 3 tbsp 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1ยพ cups (1 lb) 425 ml (425 g) canned whole tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
  • 7 oz. (6ยฝ cups) 200 g (1.6 liters) fresh spinach
  • 2 oz. 55 g butter
  • 5 oz. (1ยผ cups) 140 g (300 ml) fresh mozzarella cheese
  • salt and pepper
This recipe has been added to the shopping list.

Instructions

  1. Place ground beef, parmesan cheese, egg, salt and spices in a bowl and blend thoroughly. Form the mixture into meatballs, about 1 oz (30 grams) each. It helps to keep your hands wet while forming the balls.
  2. Heat up the olive oil in a large skillet and sautรฉ the meatballs until they're golden brown on all sides.
  3. Lower the heat and add the canned tomatoes. Let simmer for 15 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add parsley and stir. You can prepare the dish up to this point for freezing.
  4. Melt the butter in a separate frying pan and fry the spinach for 1-2 minutes, stirring continuously. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the spinach to the meatballs, and stir to combine.
  5. Serve with mozzarella cheese on top, torn into bite-sized pieces.

Tip!

Like it hot-hot-hot? Swap out half the ground beef with spicy Italian sausage. Add red pepper flakes, as needed.

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144 comments

  1. 1 comment removed
  2. 2
    Gina
    August 22 2017
    I'm with you, Diana. My nonna taught me how to cook, and I think your suggested tweaks wouldn't hurt the macros so much as add the flavour we crave in a basic sauce.
  3. 3
    IMB
    August 23 2017
    I feel compelled to add that the garlic needs to go in with the tomatoes, not just into the meatballs! Ditto with the basil and oregano, right?
  4. 4
    Toni
    August 24 2017
    Its amazing..defiantly making again!!!!!!
    I used ground turkey(2 lbs.), (2)eggs, whole fire roasted tomatoes 28 oz., red pepper flakes and basil paste. I agree with garlic.. either granulated or chopped.The onion powder is good I also added mediterranean spiced sea salt since I was out of Italian seasoning.
    Reply: #74
  5. 5
    Cathleen
    September 9 2017
    Loved these just the way they are!
  6. 6
    Melissa
    September 11 2017
    Fantastic!! My husband is Italian and thought this was amazing!
  7. 7
    Jane
    September 13 2017
    Loved these! Left the egg out and blended the sauce at the end of cooking to emulsify the olive oil. Straight on to the favourites list :)
  8. 8
    Lee
    October 10 2017
    I tweaked mine by doing 1/2 tsp. garlic powder into the meatballs and then added 1/2 tsp. garlic powder into the tomatoes. I also added to the tomatoes 2 cans of tomato sauce, salt and pepper and parsley flakes. To my husband and myself, it was delicious and so filling. Did not miss the spaghetti that could have gone with it. I have also done it where I added tomato sauce and tomato paste. Adding the paste makes it a much thicker sauce. I also cook mine much longer to get the flavors to all meld together.
  9. 9
    Debbie Russ
    October 27 2017
    Diet Doctor, don't change this recipe, it is amazing. You provide awesome recipes. I think most people going on a diet will enjoy these recipes and cooking. I doubt that over weight people did much cooking to begin with hence being over weight. You make things simple and delicious, especially for people that may not be used to all this cooking. Thank you for all you do and your amazing recipes!!
    Reply: #27
  10. 10
    Redsnapperuk
    January 2 2018
    Making these for our dinner tonight! Can't wait!! Adding mushrooms to the tomato sauce and fresh herbs - parsley and basil. Yummy!!
  11. 11
    Amy
    January 10 2018
    Best meatballs I've ever had! I used canned diced tomatoes with basil and oregano instead of canned whole tomatoes. My family of 9 all loved this recipe!
  12. 12
    Kathleen
    January 11 2018
    Great recipe. The meatballs are tender even without the egg, which I omitted to accommodate my son's allergy. The whole family loved this one.
  13. 13
    Trish
    January 31 2018
    These are awesome!! I made mine out of ground Turkey and chicken... It was hard to keep the kids outnof them as they were planned for a future meal ?
  14. 14
    Maggie
    March 22 2018
    Wow! Absolutely delicious! I used the tip of mixing spicy Italian sausage in our meatballs last night, because my husband and I LOVE a bit of heat in our food, and it was outstanding. This is our go-to for a low carb meatball recipe now. We also love garlic, so I added a few cloves of crushed fresh garlic in addition to the garlic powder, and it was just so delicious. Thank you very much for sharing this recipe!
  15. 15
    Angelic
    April 3 2018
    I made a double batch a couple of weeks ago (1/2 ground beef and 1/2 Italian sausage in the mix) and froze 1/2. Had the second half with zoodles tonight--great both times and both ways.
  16. 16
    Glenda
    April 5 2018
    My family loved this. I followed the recipe exactly but might add some fresh garlic next time.
  17. 17
    TC
    August 2 2018
    Made with Ground Turkey and plenty of olive oil they are awesome!
  18. 18
    lynette oliphant
    August 18 2018
    how much is one serving, if you make 4 servings? is it one meatball?
    Replies: #20, #75
  19. 19
    Yvonne
    August 22 2018
    Just made this, delicious, used fresh garlic in place of powder. Changed nothing else.
  20. 20
    Reply to comment #18 by lynette oliphant
    Yvonne
    August 23 2018
    I made 3 serving, 9 meatballs so 3 meatballs in a serving.
    Reply: #77
  21. 21
    Kevin
    September 26 2018
    I donโ€™t know if Diet Doctor even reads these but Iโ€™d like to know which brand of tinned tomatoes they used. The ones in the picture look like they have skins in them. Did they food tech guys use fresh tomatoes?

    Otherwise, I made these last night they were gorgeous.

  22. 22
    Pat
    November 15 2018
    Made these tonight, added fresh garlic, and fresh chopped basil, and added mushrooms to the pan when finished browning the meatballs.. served with zoodles, omitting the mozzarella.
    Delicious.. husband said weโ€™re best meatballs heโ€™s eaten.. ever
    Made enough for lunch tomorrow too
  23. 1 comment removed
  24. 24
    Maria
    January 10 2019
    My husband and I really liked this recipe. It was a quick fix and the end result was very tasty and filling. My husband ate two servings, but I was very satisfied and full after one serving, and didn't feel hungry the rest of the night. Next time, I will use diced tomatoes - the whole tomatoes didn't soften as much as I had hoped, and I had to cut the tomato end stem off of each big tomato. It would also be helpful if the shopping list specified fresh mozzarella - I bought shredded, and it worked fine, but fresh would have probably worked better. The recipe call for fresh, but the shopping list didn't specify, and I hadn't looked at the recipe first. My fault - just a suggestion to be more specific on the shopping list.
  25. 25
    Chris
    January 17 2019
    I did the same thing Maria...then made another trip to the store for the fresh. I'm still confusing on a serving....if my husband and I are doing it, a serving of 4 is how many meatballs then? I made 18 balls. (I ate 6, he ate 9) then realized later that was tooooo many and was so disappointed that I figured wrong & overate..these were soooooo delicious tho!!!! (I blended the whole tomatoes first.) I JUST CANT BELIEVE HOW AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS EVERY ONE OF THESE RECIPES ARE!!! I LOVE THIS CHALLENGE AND WILL STAY A LIFER! Looking foreword to a big loss!!!!
    Reply: #76
  26. 26
    Danielle
    January 20 2019
    I too loved this recipe. I ended up doubling up, as I like to plan for work meals etc. as well. I did 1 lb grass-fed 85/15 beef, and 1 lb ground pork. I will follow other advice above, and do some Italian sausage and ground pork next time as well. I used roasted whole tomatoes, 1 can of organic tomato sauce, and I ended up simmering it for about an hour in the end, to help develop the flavors, and thicken it a bit. It was so good. Especially with the fresh mozzarella added. I will be adding to my rotation, no doubt.
  27. 27
    Reply to comment #9 by Debbie Russ
    Cheryl
    January 20 2019
    Ugh, I fight being overweight and have cooked from SCRATCH all my life - I never by boxed, frozen, prepared meals and I do not eat out. To each their own assumptions -- ignorance is bliss and rampant.

    I doubt that over weight people did much cooking to begin with hence being over weight.

    Replies: #42, #47
  28. 28
    KAM
    January 20 2019
    OMG! My husband and I raved over this delicioso meal! Could eat this every day! Try it; you'll LOVE it!
  29. 29
    Sandy
    January 23 2019
    Iโ€™ve missed meatballs. Didnโ€™t know you could make them with the breadcrumbs...this recipe is FANTASTIC. Hit the mark dead on! Flavorful and filling
    Reply: #30
  30. 30
    Reply to comment #29 by Sandy
    Sandy
    January 23 2019
    Meant โ€œwithoutโ€ the breadcrumbs...
  31. 31
    jill
    January 27 2019
    Loved it...and my girls loved it..will be making it often..
  32. 32
    LaToya
    January 30 2019
    This was so goood, I wanted seconds! I will definitely be making this again.
  33. 33
    Cheryl
    January 31 2019
    Well this is day 4 of following the meal plan and we have loved each tasty recipe. Meals are simple to make and easy to do after a 12 hour day at work. My husband says the meals look like they came from a gourmet restaurant without the hi price.
    Thanks Diet Doctor for all of the tasty recipes and getting me cooking every night!!
  34. 34
    Mary Beth Novak
    February 5 2019
    I looked all through the recipe and I can't see oregano listed in the ingredients. How much oregano should I add?
    Reply: #35
  35. 35
    Reply to comment #34 by Mary Beth Novak
    Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor
    February 5 2019
    This recipe doesn't call for oregano.
  36. 36
    Mary Beth Novak
    February 5 2019
    Oh, okay, it's just that the discription says "Meatballs with just the right touch of onions and oregano" so I thought an ingredient got skipped accidentally. Thank you.
    Reply: #37
  37. 37
    Reply to comment #36 by Mary Beth Novak
    Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor
    February 6 2019

    Oh, okay, it's just that the discription says "Meatballs with just the right touch of onions and oregano" so I thought an ingredient got skipped accidentally. Thank you.

    Aha! Thanks for mentioning that; looks like we need to take that out!

  38. 38
    Diana
    February 8 2019
    A family favorite, which I make at least once every two weeks. So good, easy, and comes together pretty quickly! Also, 4-year-old approved. :)
  39. 39
    Rita A Reilly
    February 14 2019
    these were fantastic just like they are made
  40. 40
    Marie
    February 20 2019
    My husband decided to do the challenge with me but I have a hard time trying to figure
    out how much is in 1 serving when making a 4 serving dish...any easy ways to measure out
    servings so that each serving is equal...2 servings for dinner, 2 servings for the next day's lunch...
    hope you understand what I'm trying to say, lol!
    Reply: #41
  41. 41
    Reply to comment #40 by Marie
    Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor
    February 21 2019
    The easiest way is to go by weight. If you have a kitchen scale, add the plate, then tare out the weight to 0 and measure so each plate gets an equal weight.
  42. 42
    Reply to comment #27 by Cheryl
    Kirsty
    February 22 2019
    I am exactly the same Cheryl! Everything is fresh from scratch!
  43. 43
    Vee
    March 7 2019
    I forgot to add the egg yet Still it came out very Delicious. I love to eat warm food and i wouldn't mind eating this every second day.
  44. 44
    Robyn Belzner
    March 13 2019
    What sauce instead of tomatoes can I use . Nothing creamy ... cant have tomatoes and sensitive tl dairy
    Reply: #46
  45. 45
    Katelynn
    March 14 2019
    I just made these and they are friggen delicious! I will 100% be making these again!
  46. 46
    Reply to comment #44 by Robyn Belzner
    Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor
    March 14 2019

    What sauce instead of tomatoes can I use . Nothing creamy ... cant have tomatoes and sensitive tl dairy

    There is not a good sub for tomatoes in this recipe. You may wish to find a different meal instead.

  47. 47
    Reply to comment #27 by Cheryl
    Joanne
    March 28 2019
    Kudos Cheryl on your comment. That was an ignorant statement for sure.
  48. 48
    Susan
    April 7 2019
    My 18- and 51-year old men gave me the eye when they saw the serving size, but both were satisfied when they finished.
  49. 49
    Andrea
    April 12 2019
    All three of my kids aged 1.5, 3, and 8 years old ate every bit!!! It was a winner!
  50. 50
    Desiree
    April 18 2019
    When you make a recipe for one person does 1 serving mean thatโ€™s what u have for dinner, and lunch ? Thank you
    Reply: #51
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Ratings

5
87%
4
10%
3
2%
2
0%
1
0%
4.8
1
2
3
4
5
520 Ratings

Ratings

5
87%
4
10%
3
2%
2
0%
1
0%
4.8
1
2
3
4
5
520 Ratings