Meal Prep Low-Carb Meatballs And Cauliflower Rice (High Protein!)

Name: Meal Prep Low-Carb Meatballs and Cauliflower Rice
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 15 oz (1 ½ bags) frozen steamable cauliflower rice (I use Green Giant); 1 lb ground beef; ½ cup (56g) shredded mozzarella cheese; ¼ cup (~7g) chopped fresh parsley; 1 egg; 1 Tablespoon (15g) minced garlic; 2 teaspoons (10mL) coconut aminos, optional but suggested; 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning; ½ teaspoon onion powder; ½ teaspoon salt, plus more when serving, based on taste preferences; ¼ teaspoon pepper; ¼ cup (2 oz) unsalted butter, divided; ¾ cup (180mL) unsalted chicken stock; 2 teaspoons (10g) hot sauce; ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes; 4 glass storage containers

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This Meal Prep Low-Carb Meatballs And Cauliflower Rice recipe features homemade ground beef meatballs made with shredded mozzarella, fresh parsley, coconut aminos, herbs, and spices served atop steamed cauliflower rice. This meal prep low-carb high-protein meal can be made in 30 minutes and yields a delicious, filling, and quick lunch or dinner!

Close-up shot of steamed cauliflower rice and three meatballs drizzled with sauce and garnished with fresh parsley in a glass meal prep container atop a marble countertop. — Savory and satisfying, this high-protein meal prep dish can be made in just 30 minutes!

Are you looking for a low-carb high-protein meal prep recipe that you can make in minimal time with minimal effort? This is the one for you!

Whip together this meatballs and cauliflower rice meal prep dish in just 30 minutes and have 4 meals ready to enjoy throughout the week.

The meatballs are flourless (no almond flour or coconut flour here!) and are perfectly seasoned, juicy, and filling, and the cauliflower rice provides an extra boost of nutrients to round out your meal.

Close-up shot of steamed cauliflower rice and half meatball drizzled with sauce and garnished with fresh parsley in a spoon over a glass meal prep container with the same dish atop a marble countertop. — An easy-to-make staple meal prep recipe with delicious flavor in each bite.

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💛 Why you’ll love this recipe

➡️ Ingredients

⏲ How to make this meal prep recipe

🍴 Net carbs

👉 Ingredient substitution suggestions

✨ Variations

💬 FAQs

📚 More low-carb meal prep ideas

🍽 Recipe

💛 Why you’ll love this recipe

Can be made in just 30 minutes!
The meatballs are flourless – no need for almond flour, coconut flour, etc.
Makes for a filling lunch or dinner with 4.8 grams of net carbs.
Gluten-free, nut-free, and keto-friendly.
Delicious and full of flavor.
Easy to find ingredients.

➡️ Ingredients

⏲ How to make this meal prep recipe

This is an overview of the recipe’s instructions. The full instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Microwave steamable cauliflower rice according to the bag instructions.
Mix together ground beef, shredded mozzarella, fresh parsley, egg, minced garlic, coconut aminos, Italian seasoning, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
Form that mixture into 12 equal-sized balls.
Place each formed meatball on a parchment paper-lined plate.

The first 4 steps of the process of how to make low-carb meatballs.

Cook meatballs in a pan with melted butter.
Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Then, melt some more butter before adding chicken stock, hot sauce, and red pepper flakes. Simmer the sauce until thickened.
Remove the steamed cauliflower rice from the microwave and spoon it into the meal prep containers. Add 3 meatballs to each container, drizzle the sauce atop the meatballs, then garnish with parsley.
Store the containers in the refrigerator until you’re ready to eat, then microwave to reheat.

The final 4 steps of the process of how to make low-carb meatballs and cauliflower rice for meal prep.

Steamed cauliflower rice and 3 meatballs with sauce and garnished with parsley in a glass meal prep container. — Drizzle with sauce from the pan and garnish with parsley before storing in meal prep containers!

🍴 Net carbs

Each meal prep low-carb meatballs container contains 4.8 grams of net carbs per serving. Net carbs are calculated by taking total carbs, subtracting fiber, and subtracting sugar alcohols. This low-carb high-protein meal prep recipe, as written, yields 4 servings and 1 serving is equivalent to 3 meatballs, sauce, and ~105g cauliflower rice.

The complete nutrition information for this recipe, including the calorie content, total carbs, protein, and fat per serving, can be found in the nutrition label located below the recipe instructions.

👉 Ingredient substitution suggestions

Steamable Frozen Cauliflower Rice: You can easily make your own by pulsing cauliflower florets in a food processor until riced. Then, cook in the microwave or steam on the stovetop until soft.
Ground Beef: Ground chicken, turkey, or pork would all work great in this recipe.
Shredded Mozzarella: I like the taste of mozzarella in these meatballs, but you could also use cheddar cheese.
Egg: If you can’t have eggs, you could try using a “chia egg.” To make a chia egg, mix together 1 tablespoon of chia seeds with 3 tablespoons of water. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes.
Coconut Aminos: Tamari or liquid aminos can be subbed for coconut aminos or, if you eat soy, you can substitute soy sauce all at a 1:1 ratio. You can also omit this ingredient; the net carb content per serving will decrease slightly if you do.
Unsalted Butter: Ghee can be used in place of butter at a 1:1 ratio in this recipe.
Unsalted Chicken Stock: Chicken stock with salt can be used; however, I suggest you omit the added salt in this recipe. You could also use beef, vegetable, or seafood stock.
Hot Sauce: If you don’t have hot sauce, you can use chili sauce. Just be sure to check that it doesn’t include added sugar.
Red Pepper Flakes: If you don’t have red pepper flakes, you can use ground cayenne pepper or omit them to tone down the heat.

Keep in mind any changes you make to this recipe will modify the total net carbs.

✨ Variations

Use zucchini noodles (“zoodles”) in place of or along with the cauliflower rice.
Roast some broccoli florets to add to your meal prep containers.
Drizzle some homemade tzatziki atop the meatballs.

💬 FAQs

When dividing up for meal prep, what should the measurements be?

If tracking nutritional content is important to you, each meatball should weigh between 49 and 50 grams before being cooked, and each meal prep container should hold ~105 grams of cooked cauliflower rice. If you’re just “winging it,” you don’t need to worry about measuring everything precisely; you can eyeball the size of the meatballs and the amount of cauliflower rice you add to the containers.

Can I use something other than cauliflower rice?

Yes, zucchini noodles, spaghetti squash, or even just steamed broccoli would all be great substitutes for cauliflower rice. Keep in mind that the nutrition information will change if you substitute the cauliflower rice for another vegetable.

How should I store the meal-prepped meatballs and cauliflower rice?

Store the prepared recipe in 4 separate airtight containers (glass or plastic is fine) in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. If separating the prepared recipe into different containers isn’t necessary for you, just use 1 large container and portion it out as you serve it throughout the week.

How should I reheat this recipe after I’ve meal-prepped it?

Reheating in the microwave is going to be the easiest option. Microwave for about 1-2 minute(s), depending on the wattage of your microwave. Alternatively, you can dump everything from your container into a pan and cook on the stovetop over medium heat until warmed throughout, about 5-8 minutes.

Can I freeze these meatballs?

Yes! You can freeze these meatballs. Just skip the cauliflower rice steps and prep the cauliflower rice once you’re ready to eat the meatballs. Once the meatballs have cooked, let them cool completely, then transfer them to a freezer-safe container or bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to eat, defrost in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat in the oven, microwave, or stovetop.