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Home Recipes Keto Italian Meatballs Freezer Meal

Keto Italian Meatballs Freezer Meal

Net Carbs:5.6g
Published:11/14/19Updated:05/01/20
4 Comments This post contains affiliate links.
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This classic keto Italian meatballs freezer meal recipe is a perfect choice for a quick, easy, and delicious low-carb, primal, gluten-free, grain-free, nut-free, coconut-free, and sugar-free meal! All you have to do is simply roll together the meatballs, freeze, and then cook directly from frozen in the oven on busy weeknights. This recipe yields 16 flavorful and juicy meatballs!

hero-shot-of-keto-italian-meatballs

As one of my all-time favorite keto meatball recipes, having this recipe on-hand is a must! These meatballs are made with beef, pork, onion, cheese, and more before being topped with low-carb marinara sauce and melty mozzarella cheese. So much delicious flavor!​

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The BEST keto Italian meatball recipe

This recipe for Italian meatballs offers a classic taste that’s perfect for the entire family, even picky eaters, and especially if you follow a low-carb diet!

angled-shot-of-keto-italian-meatballs

Only 20 minutes of prep time is required to put this recipe together and transfer it to the freezer. Then, when you’re ready to eat, you only need 40 minutes for them to fully cook in the oven. This recipe will yield you with 16 total meatballs and 4 servings is considered 1 serving.

Why I love keto freezer meals

Freezer meals are the BEST because they make cooking keto dinners near-effortless! When I need something quick and easy to pop into the oven, Instant Pot, or slow cooker, I usually go for my freezer meal recipes and I have consistent tasty results!

Preparing this Italian keto recipe is as simple as mixing and rolling together the meatball ingredients, which should take minimal time. Then, a few weeks from now when you inevitably have a night that you don’t feel like cooking, you can cook these meatballs directly from frozen and have a delicious and protein-packed dinner on the table without any effort!

Cooking your meatballs before freezing them

If you’d prefer, you can opt to cook the meatballs before you freeze them! This will cut your “actual” cook time down a bit.

Cook them at 400 degrees until the internal temperature of the meatballs reaches 165 degrees; this will require about 25 minutes.

Pour tomato sauce and sprinkle mozzarella cheese atop meatballs before freezing. Alternatively, you can wait to do so after you’ve re-heated the frozen meatballs and you’re ready to serve them.

Net carbs in this keto Italian recipe for meatballs

Not only are these meatballs juicy and flavorful, they’re also low in carbs! Each serving contains 5.6 grams of net carbs.

With this easy keto freezer meal recipe, you can enjoy a perfectly savory dish without compromising your meal macros.

Ingredients available online that are required to make this recipe

grated parmesan cheese

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tomato paste

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dried parsley

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dried basil

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garlic powder

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salt

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pepper

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Materials needed to make this recipe

mixing bowl

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freezer bag

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ceramic baking dish

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glass baking dish

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Ingredient substitution option

Rao’s Sensitive Marinara Sauce Substitute: You can use a different variety of marinara sauce, but I personally choose this product because of the minimal net carb content.

Note that any ingredient substitutions will alter the final nutritional content.

How to serve the best keto Italian meatballs

There are a variety of ways to serve these keto meatballs. Serve them on their own, atop Miracle Noodles, or with zucchini noodles!

If you’re looking for some keto-friendly side dishes to accompany this dish, consider Roasted Radishes or Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus Bundles!

closeup-shot-of-keto-italian-meatballs

How to store low carb meatballs

These protein-packed meatballs work great as a quick keto lunch or snack and hold up well as leftovers. After cooking, place them in an airtight container and refrigerate. Eat cooked meatballs within 2-3 days.

How to make this keto Italian meatballs freezer meal

To a large mixing bowl, add all ingredients and mix together until well-combined. Using hands, roll individual meatballs.

italian-meatball-ingredients-in-a-bowl

Transfer rolled meatballs to freezer bag. Situate meatballs into even layer before transferring freezer bag to freezer to freeze.

italian-meatballs-in-a-freezer-bag

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Add frozen meatballs to small glass or ceramic baking dish. Break apart frozen together meatballs. Bake frozen meatballs for 35 minutes.

Remove pan from oven, pour marinara sauce atop meatballs, sprinkle shredded mozzarella atop sauce, then return pan to oven to cook for additional 5 minutes.

keto-italian-meatballs-in-a-pan

Serve meatballs hot and garnish with fresh parsley.

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Diets this Keto Italian meatball freezer meal recipe complies with

  • Keto and Low-Carb: With only 5.6g of net carbs per serving, this easy freezer meal recipe is definitely keto-approved!
  • Primal: This dish is primal diet-friendly.
  • Gluten-Free: These meatballs are free from gluten.
  • Grain-Free: Grain products are not included in this recipe.
  • Nut-Free: These keto Italian meatballs do not contain nuts.
  • Coconut-Free: Coconut is not included in this recipe.
  • Sugar-Free: This recipe does not include added sugar of any kind.

More keto freezer meal recipes

If you LOVED the ease of making this quick and simple freezer meal recipe, then you have got to try these freezer meal recipes too!

  • Keto Ranch Chicken Freezer Meal
  • Keto Korean BBQ Beef Freezer Meal
  • Buffalo Chicken Meatballs Keto Freezer Meal
  • Keto Crack Chicken Freezer Meal

You can also click the image below to download my FREE Keto Freezer Meal Recipes eBook!

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hero-shot-of-keto-italian-meatballs

Keto Italian Meatballs Freezer Meal


★★★★★

5 from 3 reviews

  • Author: Sara Nelson
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 40 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: 16 meatballs 1x
  • Category: Freezer Meal
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: Italian
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Description

This classic keto Italian meatballs freezer meal recipe is a perfect choice for a quick and easy low-carb and nut-free meal! All you have to do is simply roll together the meatballs, freeze, and then cook directly from frozen in the oven.


Ingredients

Mix, Roll, and Freeze Together:

  • ¾ lb ground beef
  • ¾ lb ground pork
  • ½ cup (56g) shredded mozzarella cheese
  • ¼ cup (30g) grated parmesan cheese
  • 2 tbsp (30mL) heavy whipping cream
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tbsp (33g) tomato paste
  • 1 tbsp dried parsley
  • 1 tbsp (~8g) finely chopped onion
  • 2 tsp dried basil
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp pepper

Add After Freezing/Cooking (Do Not Include in Freezer Bag):

  • 1 cup (250g) Rao’s Sensitive Marinara Sauce
  • ½ cup (56g) shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley


Instructions

Prepare Freezer Bag: Add rolled meatballs to freezer bag, laying meatballs in even layer so they lay flat. Transfer freezer bag to freezer and freeze until ready to cook.

To Cook:

  • Oven Instructions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Add frozen meatballs to a small glass or ceramic baking dish. If meatballs are frozen together, break apart. Bake frozen meatballs for 35 minutes. Remove pan from oven, pour marinara sauce atop meatballs, sprinkle shredded mozzarella atop sauce, then return pan to oven to cook for additional 5 minutes. Move on to “Final Steps” as written below.

Final Steps: Serve meatballs hot and garnish with fresh parsley.

Recipe Notes:

Rao’s Sensitive Marinara Sauce Substitute: You can use a different variety of marinara sauce, but I personally choose this product because of the minimal net carb content.

Maintaining Shape Of Meatballs In Freezer Bag Prior To Freezing: If you want the meatballs to be perfectly rounded, after rolling them from raw, lay them in a flat, even-layer on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, transfer the baking sheet to the freezer, and allow to chill for 30-45 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the freezer and re-roll the meatballs prior to transferring the chilled meat balls to a freezer bag to fully freeze in the freezer.

Remove Excess Air From Freezer Bag Without Flattening Meatballs In Freezer Bag: Either use a vacuum sealer or, seal freezer bag almost completely, leaving a small section open to fit a straw in, suck the air through the straw, and then seal remaining portion of freezer bag.

Cooking Meatballs Before Freezing: If you’d prefer to cook the meatballs before freezing, bake them at 400 degrees until internal temperature of meatballs reaches 165 degrees, about 25 minutes. You can choose to pour tomato sauce and sprinkle mozzarella cheese atop meatballs before freezing, or wait to do so after you have thawed the frozen meatballs and are ready to serve. If you freeze the pre-cooked meatballs with sauce, reheat in a large pan on the stovetop until warmed throughout. If you freeze the pre-cooked meatballs without sauce, reheat them in the oven at 350 degrees until warmed throughout.

Serving Options: Serve meatballs simply on their own, or atop Miracle Noodles or zucchini noodles.

Storage For Cooked Italian Meatballs: Store the cooked meatballs in an airtight container in the refrigerator and eat within 2-3 days.

Keywords: keto italian meatballs, keto italian meatballs recipe, keto freezer meal recipe

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4 Comments

  1. Sandy says

    September 4, 2021 at 3:58 pm

    Your recipes look awesome!

    Reply
  2. Arvin Dela Cruz says

    November 15, 2019 at 5:07 pm

    I would definitely make some for my dad this holiday ?

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  3. Ryan says

    November 14, 2019 at 10:57 am

    The flavor of these is so full and satisfying that I ate half the pan after cooking them in the afternoon, and then finished them for dinner later. Highly recommend for fans of Italian flavors!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  4. Aerond Sigue says

    November 14, 2019 at 8:09 am

    Wow! Looks so delicious :O

    ★★★★★

    Reply

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My name is Sara Nelson, and I am the face behind Real Balanced. I am a Mom to two and a proud Wisconsinite. Here, you will find easy and delicious tried-and-true recipes that can often be made in minimal time. Read More
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