My favourite Keto Chicken Parmesan Meatballs are stuffed with mozzarella and drizzled in tomato sauce. This homemade keto meatball recipe is the perfect dinner recipe for even the busiest people. Serve it as an appetizer or on top of some spiralized zucchini!
Keto Meatballs
As much as we all love a good Chicken Parmesan, the time it takes to pound, drench and bake our beloved dish is a feat that is not for the faint of heart (or any person with a full-time job!). Plus, add on the additional carbs from all the breading, and by no means is this an easy keto dinner recipe.
Fast forward to Keto Chicken parmesan Meatballs! All the flavour and juiciness of an amazing chicken Parmesan with a fraction of the time, energy and carbs!
Just like my Keto Philly Cheesesteak Crustless Quiche, I love taking old-time favourites and converting them into easy keto dinner recipes. Like my The BEST Keto Sausage Balls – Gluten-free, Delicious Keto Cranberry Jalapeno Meatballs in a Cranberry BBQ Sauce as well as my Whole30 Sausage Breakfast Balls, these Keto Chicken Parmesan Meatballs come together quickly and are lower in carbs than traditional meatballs.
Why you should make these Keto Chicken Parmesan Meatballs
- Ridiculously Moist - Since there are no bread crumbs in these keto meatballs, the parmesan cheese and the mozzarella cheese stuffed inside each meatball mean that there are no chances for these keto meatballs to dry out!
- Golden Brown Crust - By searing the meatballs first before baking them, each keto Chicken Parmesan Meatball has a nice crispy outer coating without the need for flour or breadcrumbs
- Easy - Only a handful of minutes to combine and shape the meatballs, then a little searing and baking time, this easy keto dinner recipe is done in under 1 hour.
- Only 1 dish to clean - I love it when a recipe uses only one dish. The keto meatballs are seared and baked in the same oven-proof dish so clean-up is a breeze!
Ingredients
This homemade keto meatball recipe doesn't contain any crazy ingredients!
- Chicken - To make these keto chicken parmesan meatballs, ground chicken is used. I realize that getting ground chicken can sometimes be difficult so feel free to use ground turkey instead.
- Egg - To help bind these keto meatballs, 1 large egg is added to the mixture
- Parmesan cheese - Adding shredded Parmesan cheese adds some added flavour and moisture to the keto chicken parmesan meatballs. Make sure that you use grated shelf-stable grated Kraft Parmesan cheese since we are using them instead of traditional bread crumbs.
- Flaxseed meal - No only is flaxseed meal super healthy, but it also acts as a binder for this homemade keto meatball recipe. Make sure you use flaxseed meal and not whole flaxseeds.
- Italian seasoning blend, (salt-free) - You can use premade Italian seasoning blend or make your own. If your blend contains salt, I would reduce the amount of salt called for in this recipe by half.
- Salt and Pepper - Salt and pepper helps to give this easy keto dinner recipe the perfect flavour.
- Mozzarella - Use a block of fresh mozzarella cheese or use mozzarella pearls for the best results. If using blocks of mozzarella, cut the mozzarella into bite-size cubes. Or, use mozzarella pearls and stuff one pearl into each meatball.
- Olive oil - Olive oil is added to the pan to help brown the meatballs
- Tomato sauce - My favourite keto tomato sauce brands are Rao's or Mezzetta's.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
These keto chicken Parmesan meatballs only require 4 steps: mixing, forming, searing and baking.
In a large bowl, mix together the ground chicken, egg, Parmesan cheese, flaxseed meal, seasoning, salt and pepper. Let the mixture rest in the fridge for about 10 minutes.
Shape the meatball mixture into small golf ball sizes, and then press a ball of mozzarella into each. Reseal the meatball mixture around the mozzarella. Add oil to a skillet and once heated, add the meatballs in 2 batches.
Once all the meatballs have been browned, add 1 cup of sauce to the skillet and return the meatballs to the skillet on top of the sauce.
Spread the remaining 1 cup of sauce over the meatballs and sprinkle the top with mozzarella.
Bake for 15 minutes and then place under the broiler until the cheese begins to brown.
Hint: Make sure you really work the ground chicken well with your hands. The more you work the meat, the tighter the meatballs will be which will keep the mozzarella cheese encased in the meatball.
Substitutions
This keto chicken Parmesan casserole is pretty straightforward with very limited ingredients; however, you can make the following substitutions without affecting this recipe.
- Ground meat - instead of ground chicken, you can use ground turkey or ground pork.
- Mozzarella - use any shredded cheese instead of the mozzarella
- Flaxseed meal - you can replace the flaxseed meal with equal parts of coconut flour.
I love using premade keto tomato sauce but if you want to take the time to make homemade keto tomato sauce, you can find recipes on AllRecipes, Eat Better Recipes or from Green and Keto
Variations
There are countless ways that you could customize this homemade keto meatball recipe, so please don’t hesitate to experiment and get creative!
- Use ground turkey, pork, beef or a combination of ground meat - For a heartier option, feel free to use any type of ground meat.
- Use fresh herbs - You can use chopped basil and parsley in this recipe (about 1-2 tablespoons)
- Make them spicier - You can add some crushed red pepper flakes for a homemade keto meatball recipe with an extra kick.
- Make them more garlicky -Feel free to add some fresh minced garlic if you like extra-garlicky meatballs.
Equipment
For this recipe, I used an oven-proof skillet. This allows the meatballs to brown and bake using only one pan.
However, if you do not have an oven-proof skillet, you can simply brown the meatballs in a skillet and then transfer them (with the sauce) to any oven-safe baking dish. I think any 9 x 9-inch baking pan or even a 9-inch round cake pan should work.
Storage
Store the Keto Chicken parmesan Meatballs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also freeze the meatballs for up to 1 month. To reheat the keto meatballs after being frozen, simply let them thaw in the fridge overnight. Then, simply add the meatballs to a skillet and drizzle with sauce. Cook until heated through.
I do not suggest microwaving these meatballs as the inside cheese will heat faster and will leak out of the meatball.
Top tip
To get the mozzarella to stay inside the meatball, first press the mozzarella into the center of the meatball and then make sure to pinch the edges of the meatball together.
Why do my meatballs stick to the skillet?
If your pan and oil is not properly heated, the meatballs will stick to the bottom of the skillet.
How do you make moist meatballs without breadcrumbs?
By using shelf-stable Parmesan cheese, the dry Parmesan absorbs some of the liquid from the ground chicken, ensuring that these keto meatballs are nice and moist.
Should you brown meatballs before baking?
You do not have to brown these meatballs before baking. However, browning the meatballs gives them a nice golden colour as well as a crispy outer coating.
Can I put raw meatballs in the sauce and bake them?
Yes. However, the cheese may have a tendency to ooze out slightly. You will have to bake the meatballs for an additional 10 minutes.
Keto Chicken Parmesan Meatballs
My favourite Keto Chicken Parmesan Meatballs are stuffed with mozzarella and drizzled in tomato sauce. This homemade keto meatball recipe is the perfect dinner recipe for even the busiest people. Serve it as an appetizer or on top of some spiralized zucchini!
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 18 meatballs 1x
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 1 large eggs
- ¾ cup shelf-stable grated Parmesan cheese, (like Kraft)
- 2 tbsp flaxseed meal
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning blend, (salt-free)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 18 Bite-sized mozzarella balls (I used ciliegine)
- 1-2 tablespoon Olive oil, for pan frying
- 2 cups tomato sauce
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese (or freshly grated Parmesan)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, egg, Parmesan cheese, flaxseed meal, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Mix well and let stand for 10 minutes.
- Shape the meatball mixture into small golf ball size, and then press a ball of mozzarella into each. Reseal the meatball mixture around the mozzarella, making sure to cover it completely. You don’t want any mozzarella to be visible, or it will ooze out while you cook the meatballs.
- Once all of the meatballs have been stuffed, set them in the fridge.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high. Once the oil has warmed, add in half of the meatballs and cook until browned, turning often.
- Once the meatballs brown, remove them from the skillet and add your second batch of meatballs.
- When those meatballs have also browned, remove the meatballs and the skillet from the heat. Add 1 cup of the tomato sauce to the bottom of the skillet. Return the meatballs to the skillet. Drizzle the remaining 1 cup of tomato sauce over the meatballs and sprinkle with shredded cheese.
- Place the meatballs in the oven and cook for 15 minutes. Turn the oven to "broil-hi" and broil until the cheese just begins to brown. Remove meatballs from oven and allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- The nutritional information is based only on 1 meatball, however, you most likely eat more than one meatball so simply multiply by the number of meatballs you consume.
- To make your own Italian Seasoning blend:
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stove-top
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Gluten Free
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 meatball
- Calories: 72
- Sugar: 1
- Fat: 4
- Carbohydrates: 2
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 8
Keywords: ground chicken, meatballs, keto, healthy, skillet, casserole, italian, low carb, sugar-free, gluten-free
Cat
OMG that sounds so good!
Jemma
I can not believe that I just ate a “keto” meatball sub using these meatballs and your Whole30 bread recipe! Thanks for helping stay on track with my keto diet!