Have a spaghetti crave? These Keto Turkey Meatballs will hit the spot! They are packed with flavour, are super juicy and easily made on the stove in a skillet. Bonus, have them on the table in 30 minutes!
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Up until recently, I always thought of meatballs as being made with ground beef. My local grocery store had a sale on ground turkey and I just wasn’t feeling Asian Lettuce Wraps or Turkey Burgers, so decided to try them as meatballs.
Guys, these Keto Turkey Meatballs turned out insanely delicious, and now I am completely obsessed! They are SO juicy, I can’t believe how amazing they are. I hope you love them as much as my family and I do!
Why it works
- You won’t find juicier meatballs than these Keto Turkey Meatballs!
- Make this dish in 30 minutes, perfect for any day of the week.
- The fresh parmesan and parsley pair beautifully with the flavour of the ground turkey, bringing you crazy delicious meatballs!
Ingredients
Marinara – Not to toot my own horn, but boy oh boy, this Keto Marinara is the best! It only takes 10 minutes to make and it is loaded with delicious flavour, plus a heck of a lot cheaper than store bought Keto friendly sauces!
Spicy Spaghetti Seasoning – One of my favourite spice blends, it can be bought at the store, but why buy it when you can easily make your own Spicy Spaghetti Seasoning?
How to make Keto Turkey Meatballs
Peel the garlic and either mince it finely or press it through a garlic press. Whisk the egg, mince the parsley and grate the parmesan cheese. Fill a medium sized bowl with the almond flour, then grate the onion over top and mix well.
Add the garlic, parsley, parmesan, Spicy Spaghetti Seasoning, sea salt, pepper, whisked egg and 1/4 cup of the marinara sauce. Mix well and then divide into 14 portions for large meatballs, or 20 for smaller meatballs. Shape the portions into balls as best you can; they will be very wet.
Heat a large skillet on medium heat with the avocado oil. Once hot, gently place the meatballs evenly around the skillet, being sure to leave room in between the balls. You may need a second skillet if you made the meatballs smaller, or do not have a large enough skillet.
Fry for a couple of minutes before carefully turning the balls over. Continue to fry and move the balls around the skillet to ensure even cooking and browning on all sides of each ball, until the internal temperature has reached 165°.
Pour in the remaining Keto Marinara and bring to a simmer. Cook until the sauce is hot and then serve with Zucchini Noodles or Cauliflower Mash. Garnish with extra freshly grated parmesan and freshly minced parsley and/or basil.
Expert Tips
- I like to use a kitchen scale to divide the ground turkey into meatballs, which helps to cook them more evenly.
- These Keto Turkey Meatballs are very wet and delicate. They turn out insanely juicy though, so it is worth the need to be gentle while dealing with them!
- I have a 12″ cast iron skillet that fits 14 meatballs perfectly. You do not want the meatballs crowded so be sure to use a second skillet if necessary.
FAQ
Are turkey meatballs Keto friendly?
This recipe is Keto friendly because we use almond flour to bind the meatballs instead of the typical bread crumbs. They come in at ____ g net carbs for 1/4 of the whole batch of meatballs.
My meatballs are falling apart
These meatballs are very delicate because we want them to be as juicy as possible. If you find them too difficult to work with, add an additional 1/4 cup almond flour. To keep them from falling apart while cooking, be sure to roll them around the skillet as gently as possible.
What other herbs can be used in these Keto Turkey Meatballs?
The world is your oyster! I love fresh parsley in my meatballs, but other herbs that work well are: rosemary, thyme, sage and basil.
How do I make my meatballs perfectly round?
Because these Keto Turkey Meatballs are very wet while raw, they won’t shape into perfectly round balls before they are cooked. After they are added to the pan, gently roll them over to their sides instead of just flipping them over. This rolling instead of flipping will give you much rounder meatballs.
Here are some other Keto recipes you might like:
- Grilled Greek Chicken
- Beef Stroganoff
- Grilled Burgers
- Salmon Cakes from HeyKetoMama
- Chicken Cordon Bleu
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Keto Turkey Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground turkey
- ½ small red onion
- ⅓ cup almond flour
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley
- ¼ cup parmesan reggiano or grana padano
- 1 tbsp Spicy Spaghetti Seasoning *see note 2
- 1 tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 egg
- 1 whole batch Keto Marinara or 24 oz jar marinara *see note 1
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
Instructions
Equipment Needed
- Grater
- Medium bowl
- Cutting board & Knife
- Skillet
- Digital meat thermometer
Directions
- Peel the garlic and either mince it finely or press it through a garlic press. Whisk the egg, mince the parsley and grate the parmesan cheese. Fill a medium sized bowl with the almond flour, then grate the onion over top and mix well *see note 3.
- Add the garlic, parsley, parmesan, Spicy Spaghetti Seasoning, sea salt, pepper, whisked egg and 1/4 cup of the marinara sauce. Mix well and then divide into 14 portions for large meatballs, or 20 for smaller meatballs *see note 4. Shape the portions into balls as best you can; they will be very wet.
- Heat a large skillet on medium heat with the avocado oil. Once hot, gently place the meatballs evenly around the skillet, being sure to leave room in between the balls *see note 5. You may need a second skillet if you made the meatballs smaller, or do not have a large enough skillet *see note 6.
- Fry for a couple of minutes before carefully turning the balls over. Continue to fry and move the balls around the skillet to ensure even cooking and browning on all sides of each ball, until the internal temperature has reached 165°.
- Pour in the remaining Keto Marinara and bring to a simmer. Cook until the sauce is hot and then serve with Zucchini Noodles or Cauliflower Mash. Garnish with extra freshly grated parmesan and freshly minced parsley and/or basil.
Notes
- Marinara – Not to toot my own horn, but boy oh boy, this Keto Marinara is the best! It only takes 10 minutes to make and it is loaded with delicious flavour, plus a heck of a lot cheaper than store bought Keto friendly sauces!
- Spicy Spaghetti Seasoning – One of my favourite spice blends, it can be bought at the store, but why buy it when you can easily make your own Spicy Spaghetti Seasoning? Besides spaghetti, it also is amazing in Fathead Pizza Crust and Low Carb Biscuits! Don’t want to make it? You can use Italian Seasoning instead plus a bit of red pepper flakes, garlic powder and dehydrated onion.
- The easiest way to grate half an onion is to first remove the peel from half of the onion, then grate the onion until you have reached that halfway mark. Grating an onion that has already been cut in half is more difficult.
- I like to use a kitchen scale to divide the ground turkey into meatballs, which helps to cook them more evenly.
- These Keto Turkey Meatballs are very wet and delicate. They turn out insanely juicy though, so it is worth the need to be gentle while dealing with them!
- I have a 12″ cast iron skillet that fits 14 meatballs perfectly. You do not want the meatballs crowded so be sure to use a second skillet if necessary.