We love meatballs. But the problem with meatballs comes down to two things — spaghetti and breadcrumbs.
You can serve meatballs without spaghetti on their own. You can also eat them alongside low-carb spaghetti or with alternatives like zoodles. But, even once you have cut out the carbs from the pasta, traditional meatballs have a lot of breadcrumbs in them and can be higher in carbs than you would like for one meal.
You can find many great low-carb recipes for traditional meatballs. But one of our favorite ways to get around the problem is to make meatballs that don’t require spaghetti at all. You don’t miss a food you aren’t expecting! That’s why we’re sharing four low-carb, nontraditional meatball recipes.
We love that these meatballs are made of turkey. Many meatballs are made from a combination of meat. A lot of people don’t eat red meat. These are more likely to be enjoyed by everyone in your family! Made with ginger, sesame oil and teriyaki sauce, they are a little sweet, mostly savory and have a ton of flavor. A serving has 195 calories, two grams of carbs and 11 grams of fat. Get the recipe.
If there is anything better than meatballs, it’s cheeseburgers you make on the grill! But, just like meatball dinners have too many carbs from the pasta, burgers have buns. This recipe combines cheeseburgers and meatballs into a low-carb dish that is a perfect comfort food! The meatballs include chopped dill pickles. We love the flavor they add. But if you aren’t a huge pickle fan, use onions or peppers instead. A serving has 261 calories, two grams of carbs and 18 grams of fat. Get the recipe.
We like nothing more than trips to IKEA on cold, rainy days. Here in San Diego, there aren’t many public spaces with roofs. Malls aren’t covered as we expect the weather to always be nice. So, if we want a long, dry walk on rainy days, we have to get creative. IKEA is a great spot to walk with its winding floor plan. They serve their meatballs with mashed potatoes and veggies. We recommend serving these delicious meatballs in their creamy sauce with mashed cauliflower. You’ll cut down on the carbs while still getting a great meal! We think it’s a much better serving combination than the traditional noodles. A serving has 293 calories, 8.5 grams of carbs, one gram of fiber and 14 grams of fat. Get the recipe.
Food with Greek flavor profiles is delicious. Some recipes for Greek meatballs call for ground lamb. We choose one that doesn’t. Not everyone likes the flavor of lamb. And lamb is expensive. If you like lamb, use it in place of the pork. The herbs and spices make these meatballs taste like Greek food, even without lamb. And the tzatziki sauce makes it a real home run! A serving has 297 calories, 11.1 grams of carbs, 0.9 grams of fiber and 13.6 grams of fat. Get the recipe.
We hope you love all these meatballs and that they help you try new options besides spaghetti and meatballs. There is a whole spectrum of possibilities beyond pasta!
