These keto meatballs in tomato sauce are one of my family’s regulars. It’s easy to prepare (even with kids), it tastes delicious and it’s full of nutrients. One portion has a total of 8 grams of net carbs.
I used to make tomato sauce with a bechamel sauce, made with flour, to prepare the tomato sauce. Ever since I went gluten-free and low carb, I needed to find a way to make a tomato sauce that was nice and thick but also tasted good of course.
You can use regular tomato sauce without added sugars to make it really really simple, but I’m a foodie, so for me, I like to add in some extra vegetables and spices.
For the ingredients
Ground beef: I like to use organic grass-fed, grass-finished ground beef because this meat is free of antibiotics and hormones and it’s higher in nutrients. But you can use any of your preferred ground meats such as pork, chicken, lamb, etc.
Coconut oil: I used coconut oil to sautee the onion, garlic, and bell pepper. You can use any of your preferred healthy cooking fats.
Chopped tomatoes: For the tomato sauce I used organic chopped tomatoes from a can. You can also use any other tomato sauce without added sugars. Make sure to check the ingredient list. It should only have tomatoes listed.
The spices: I like to use the basics like salt and pepper but also cumin, paprika powder, and dried oregano. These spices taste so good combined with ground meats and tomato sauces.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links that help keep this content free.
Tips for making the keto meatballs in tomato sauce
I used an air fryer to prepare the meatballs. If you don’t have an air fryer, you can just bake them in a pan with some coconut oil until they start to brown. To get them nicely baked on the inside, you can let them simmer in the tomato sauce for a few minutes before serving.
To blend the tomato sauce I used an immersion blender. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can also transfer the tomato sauce to a regular blender and then transfer it back into the pot.
Equipment
- Air fryer
- Immersion blender
Ingredients
For the sauce
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 onion cut in pieces
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 red bell pepper cut in pieces
- 2 cans chopped tomatoes
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon paprika powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
For the meatballs
- 35 oz ground beef
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon paprika powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
Start by preparing the sauce
- In a large pot, melt the coconut oil on medium to high heat.
- Saute the onion, garlic, and bell pepper and stir.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, salt, pepper, ground cumin, paprika powder, and dried oregano. Stir, lower the heat and let simmer.
In the meantime prepare the meatballs.
- Season the ground beef with the listed spices. Mix and shape into balls.
- Air fry the meatballs for 15 minutes in the air fryer at 180 Celsius or 355 Fahrenheit.
To finish
- Mix the tomato sauce with an immersion blender until you have a smooth thick sauce without pieces.
- Transfer the air-fried meatballs into the tomato sauce.
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe or do you have any question? Please let me know in the comment section.