Keto Swedish Meatballs
These healthy keto Swedish meatballs will please everyone with a rich sauce that balances perfectly.
The meatballs resemble my original “classic” Swedish meatball recipe except for grains in the form of flour, for my gravy, and bread crumbs. Understanding how to create a reduction sauce is key when eliminating grains from the diet. It can be done in a dairy-free version by using beef tallow and coconut cream. This recipe uses a bit of heavy cream and cream cheese to create the same results as its high-carb counterpart.
Sauce For Keto Swedish Meatballs
A meatball is tasty on its own but when you can cover it with a rich sauce? YES PLEASE!
The secret ingredient that enhances the flavor of this Swedish meatball sauce is coffee. Its robust flavor gives an undertone to the sauce that is needed to keep the balance. I learned from my mother-in-law about adding coffee to the sauce and have never made it any other way again.
I often get asked how to “thicken” gravy or sauce and what should be used in place of flour and/or cornstarch. REDUCTION REDUCTION REDUCTION. It may take a bit longer to prepare but the results are always worth it.
Binding The Keto Swedish Meatball Sauce
Several recipes that I see recommend using Xanthum Gum and while it has great potential in other recipes, for a sauce, it alters the flavor and the texture reducing the experience of a balanced taste.
A reduction sauce simply allows the ingredients to simmer while removing moisture to create a higher concentration of remaining ingredients. If you’ve ever tasted a freeze-dried fruit or vegetable, the flavor is intensified.
The use of heavy cream (or coconut cream for dairy-free) has a higher fat content, typically 36-40%. To achieve the reduction sauce, it’s important to take the time to reduce it at a lower temperature to prevent scorching. Regular stirring will keep your sauce incorporated and reduce the chance of burning.
Keto Style Swedish Meatballs: What Does That Mean?
Traditionally, the use of bread crumbs has been used to soften and guarantee a well-formed meatball. This isn’t what you want on a healthy eating plan. The great thing is that they are unnecessary to create a great meatball.
I first learned of using alternatives to bread crumbs about 20 years ago while following a Weight Watchers eating plan. Then, we were told to use oats soaked in water but I found using a little parmesan cheese worked better.
If you’ve ever worked with ground chicken, you’ll know that it’s very sticky and forms well without assistance. The same thing is true of ground pork while ground turkey is watery and not ideal. Using grass-fed beef is another ground meat that doesn’t need much assistance in holding its form.
By adding a balance of fresh and dried herbs for seasoning, you balance the flavor in the meatballs. This recipe has a rich sauce and needs a better balance from its leading character. By using minced yellow bell pepper, finely diced mushrooms, and minced onion, the meatball takes on a light and enhanced flavor.
For a dairy-free version of the meatballs, replace parmesan cheese with 1 teaspoon of Xanthum gum or by adding an extra egg to your meatballs.
I prefer to bake these meatballs on parchment paper for two reasons. First, it prevents sticking and is easier to clean. The second reason is for an easier time collecting the fat renders for the sauce.
Make-Ahead Meals
It’s important to have meals made in advance when you’re on a wellness journey. Harvard has a study on that here. Life happens, plans change, and a flat tire on the way home zaps your spirit to make dinner.
As we transition to an empty nest the hardest part (aside from missing all the madness of sports and constantly seeing teens invading our home) was adjusting how meals were made. We no longer needed 2lbs of meat to cover 1 meal of meatballs or 2lbs of chicken for the hope of a leftover. I love to cook, thus this blog, but why not just cook a batch and section it out for later? So if this keto Swedish meatballs recipe seems large, you have a few options; eat it all week, cut the recipe in half, or freeze the other half for later.
Currently, our freezer has over 10 delicious meals, ready to thaw or place in the oven within minutes and it’s glorious (like when teen boys aren’t there to ravage your surplus….don’t get me wrong, I love all of you boys and wouldn’t exchange the brief time we got to enjoy all 10+ of you)
Building A Collection Of Freezer Meals
Building a group of freezer meals doesn’t have to mean an all-day event where you do 30 freezer meals (Though that process got our family through my time coaching/judging and my kid’s sports). As you prepare healthy meals, double the recipe and stash the other half in the freezer.
When I pick up a pack of Pork Panko crumbs, I like to use the package right away by preparing Chicken Cutlets or my Stuffed Chicken Meatballs and then popping them in the freezer for a ready-to-cook option. A two-pack of pork tenderloin can be seasoned and ready for another time. A deal on ground beef can be divided and seasoned for taco night. If you have other ways that you meal plan, share them with us on IG with the hashtag #HRImealprep
Learn more about a Healthy Ketogenic Diet HERE
Swedish Meatballs
Equipment
- Skillet
- Oven
- Baking Sheet
- Parchment Paper
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 pound Grass-fed beef
- 1 pound Ground Pork or Turkey
- ½ cup Yellow or Orange Bell Pepper, finely minced
- 2 clove Garlic, minced
- ⅓ cup Onion, finely minced
- 1 large Egg
- ¼ cup Mushroom, finely diced
- ¼ cup Parsley, fresh and minced
- 1 tsp Ground Nutmeg
- 1 tsp Salt
- 2 tsp Fresh cracked pepper
Gravy
- 1 ½ cup Beef bone broth
- ½ cup Coffee, hot
- 1 serving Fat drippings from meatballs
- ½ cup Heavy Cream or Coconut Cream
- ½ tsp Xanthum Gum optional
- ¼ tsp Nutmeg
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 Salt and Pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp Fresh minced Parsley for garnish
Instructions
Meatballs
- Preheat oven to 375° F / 190° C Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix with hands until well blended.
- Roll meat into 2 inch balls, place on lined baking sheet
- Bake at 375° / 190° C for 30 minutes
- Remove from oven, allow to sit for 5 minutes before draining fat renderings from pan.
Gravy
- Add bone broth and heavy cream to a large skillet and heat on medium/high heat.
- Simmer for 5 minutes before adding fat from meatballs, hot coffee, xanthum gum, nutmeg, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Continue to simmer until gravy begins to reduce and thicken.
- Add meatballs to the sauce and reduce heat to low. Gently spoon gravy over the meatballs to coat. Turn off the heat and allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving
- Garnish with fresh chopped parsley. Serve with mashed or riced cauliflower
Notes
The Lord is my light and my salvation — whom shall I fear?
Psalm 27:1
The Lord is the stronghold of my life — of whom shall I be afraid?
Often, I look at motivational memes about wellness, fitness, or health and think “THAT’S” what I needed to see or hear today. While the clever sayings help refocus the mind on choosing between, say, ordering a pizza or eating the meal you prepped for that day. I always try to seek beyond that clever meme to focus on God. By choosing health and wellness, we are choosing God, to better our body and mind so that through our commitment, we can show His love.
