Italian Meatballs in Marinara
Tender beef-and-pork meatballs bound with almond flour, cream and parmesan instead of breadcrumbs, browned and then simmered in no-sugar marinara.
Nutrition per serving
4 meatballs with sauce- Net carbs
- 8.3g
- Calories
- 666kcal
- Protein
- 41g
- Fat
- 50g
- Total carbs
- 11 g
- Fiber
- 2.9 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient (optional ingredients excluded). Brands vary — check your labels if you track closely.
Ingredients
Nut-free (pork rind crumbs): Finely crushed pork rinds replace the almond flour in the binder. The meatballs stay just as tender and pick up a little extra savoriness.
- Blitz the pork rinds in a food processor (or crush them in a zip-top bag with a rolling pin) until they look like fine breadcrumbs, then use them in the paste exactly as you would the almond flour.
Turkey meatballs: All ground turkey for a leaner meatball. An extra spoonful of olive oil in the mix keeps them juicy.
- Stir the extra tablespoon of olive oil into the paste before adding the turkey. The mixture is softer than beef, so chill the shaped meatballs for 15 minutes before browning.
- Simmer in the sauce until the centers reach 165°F (74°C), 18–20 minutes.
Dairy-free: Almond milk and nutritional yeast replace the cream and parmesan in the meatballs, and they are served without the melted mozzarella.
- Make the paste with the almond milk, nutritional yeast and the extra 2 tablespoons of almond flour, which makes up for the body the parmesan would add. Skip the mozzarella in the final step and finish with basil.
- Meatballs
- To simmer
- Nice to have (optional)
- Meatballs
- To simmer
- Nice to have (optional)
- Meatballs
-
½ lb ground porkleave out - To simmer
- Also add
- Nice to have (optional)
- Meatballs
- To simmer
-
½ cup shredded mozzarellaleave out - Also add
- Nice to have (optional)
Estimated cost $14.97 for 4 servings ($3.74 each) · how we estimate
Instructions
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In a large bowl, whisk the egg, cream, almond flour, parmesan, garlic, parsley, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper into a thick paste. Let it stand 5 minutes so the almond flour can absorb some of the liquid — this paste does the job a bread-and-milk panade normally would.
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Add the beef and pork and mix gently with your hands just until evenly combined; overworking the meat makes dense, bouncy meatballs. With damp hands, roll into 16 balls about 1½ inches (4 cm) across, roughly 50 g each.
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Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the meatballs in two batches, turning every minute or so, until crusted on most sides, 5–6 minutes per batch. They will still be pink inside.
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Pour off excess fat and lower the heat to medium-low. Add the marinara — homemade no-sugar marinara or a jar with no added sugar — then return all the meatballs to the pan and turn to coat.
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Cover and simmer gently 15–18 minutes, turning once, until the meatballs are cooked through and an instant-read thermometer in the center of one reads 160°F (71°C).
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Scatter the mozzarella over the top, cover for 2 minutes to melt, and finish with torn basil. Serve over zucchini noodles or garlic butter shirataki.
Tips for success
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Read the jar: many marinaras add sugar or carrot purée. Choose one with about 6 g net carbs or less per ½ cup, or make your own. - For hands-off browning, bake the meatballs on a parchment-lined sheet at 425°F (220°C) for 12 minutes, then finish them in the simmering sauce.
- A 3-tablespoon cookie scoop keeps the meatballs identical in size, so they all finish cooking at the same time.
Nice to have, not needed
- An instant-read thermometer takes the guesswork out of the 160°F (71°C) check — without one, cut the largest meatball open: no pink should remain.
- Shaved parmesan and a drizzle of good olive oil at the table are a nice finish, but the dish is complete without them.
Storage & meal prepMeal-prep friendly
- Keeps 4 days in the fridge
- Freezes up to 3 months
Reheat: Warm covered in a saucepan over medium-low heat 10–12 minutes, or microwave 2–3 minutes, stirring halfway, until hot in the center.
Prep tip: Freeze the meatballs in their sauce in portion-size containers, without the mozzarella; add fresh cheese when you reheat.
Refrigerate in the sauce up to 4 days, or freeze up to 3 months. Reheat covered over low heat until hot through.
Variations
3 variations, each with its own ingredients and macrosNut-free (pork rind crumbs)
DietFinely crushed pork rinds replace the almond flour in the binder. The meatballs stay just as tender and pick up a little extra savoriness.
- blanched almond flour → pork rinds
7.7 g net · 663 kcal · 44 g protein · 49 g fat · ≈$3.83 per serving (−0.6 g net carbs vs the original)
Turkey meatballs
ProteinAll ground turkey for a leaner meatball. An extra spoonful of olive oil in the mix keeps them juicy.
- ground beef (80/20) → ground turkey (93% lean)
- + 1 tbsp olive oil
- no ground pork
8.1 g net · 535 kcal · 45 g protein · 35 g fat · ≈$3.61 per serving (−0.2 g net carbs vs the original)
Dairy-free
DietAlmond milk and nutritional yeast replace the cream and parmesan in the meatballs, and they are served without the melted mozzarella.
- heavy cream → unsweetened almond milk
- grated parmesan → nutritional yeast
- + 2 tbsp extra almond flour
- no shredded mozzarella
8.2 g net · 588 kcal · 36 g protein · 44 g fat · ≈$3.35 per serving (−0.1 g net carbs vs the original)
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