Keto Swedish meatballs are a cosy dinner the whole family will enjoy. Think juicy and tender gluten-free meatballs, cooked in a creamy, flavourful gravy. They taste just like authentic ones, but with only 3.3g net carbs per serving.
When my kids were small, I would regularly drive to IKEA with a Swedish friend. Our toddlers would let off steam in the soft play area, we'd buy some tea lights and at the end we'd all eat meatballs with lingonberry jam.
And of course, I would take a bag of frozen meatballs home for quick dinners. They never lasted long.
Today, I still love meatballs for dinner. But I prefer to make my own gluten-free, keto friendly version, without bread crumbs or flour.
This keto Swedish meatball recipe is so simple. It requires only 5 minutes prep and it is on the table in less than 30 minutes.
The hardest thing is sticking to one portion! It is that delicious.
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🌟 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Soft, light and fluffy meatballs
- Creamy sauce full of flavor
- Easy recipe!
- Ready in 25 minutes
- Only 3.3g net carbs per serving
Ingredients
Traditional Swedish meatballs are ALMOST entirely low carb, except for the breadcrumbs. Here are details about the ingredients you'll need.
Coconut flour: The perfect stand-in for wheat breadcrumbs.
Ground meat: I like to use a mix of lean ground beef and ground pork. The pork makes the meat mixture softer.
Onion and garlic: Fresh onion and garlic taste so much better than garlic powder and onion powder. To save time, you could use frozen chopped instead.
Spices: Salt and pepper, of course. Also, don't miss out on the warming goodness of nutmeg and allspice. They put the Swedishness into your low carb meatballs!
Xanthan gum: To thicken the sauce. You can also use ground chia seeds.
Coconut aminos: This is an umami flavouring sauce made from coconut. It lends a subtle salty sweetness that complements the creaminess of the sauce.
Instructions
(This section contains step by step instructions and photos that show how to make this recipe. Find the recipe card with ingredient amounts and nutritional information at the bottom of the post.)
Step 1: In a large mixing bowl, add the beef, pork, onion, garlic, parsley, egg, coconut flour, salt and spices. Mix to combine and roll into meatballs.
Step 2: In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and fry the meatballs on a medium heat until browned on all sides. Remove from the pan.
Step 3: Heat the butter. Once you see bubbles, add the xanthan gum or ground chia and whisk to combine.
Step 4: Add the chicken or beef broth and the rest of the sauce ingredients. and whisk again. Now whisk through the heavy cream.
Step 5: Simmer for two minutes, then add the meatballs back into the pan. Cook until the sauce has thickened up and the meatballs are cooked through.
Top tip
Spread out the meatballs in the frying pan so they don't touch. This way, they brown evenly. If necessary, fry them in two batches.
FAQ
Yes. Spread the meatballs in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in a preheated oven at 410F / 210C for 12 minutes or until browned all over.
Yes, you can use coconut cream instead of the heavy cream.
Yes. Instead of coconut flour, use either almond flour or crushed pork rinds. For both, you'll need to use 3 tbsp. Almond flour and pork rinds are less absorbent than coconut flour, that's why you need more.
I like to garnish this dish with freshly chopped parsley and serve it over cauliflower mash, cauliflower rice, zucchini noodles or steamed low carb vegetables like green beans and broccoli. It's also great with sugar free cranberry sauce.
Storage
Keto Swedish meatballs is a perfect dish to make ahead. It almost tastes better on the second day once the flavors have had time to mingle.
Store it in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
More ground beef recipes
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Recipe
Keto Swedish Meatballs
from Sugar Free LondonerNote: The servings slider only changes the first amount in each line and not any subsequent amounts. Please make your own calculations where necessary. ***As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Ingredients
- 9 oz lean ground beef 250g
- 9 oz ground pork 250g
- 1 small yellow onion very finely chopped (60g)
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 3 tablespoon parsley chopped (11g)
- 1 medium egg
- 1 tablespoon coconut flour
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
SAUCE
- 3 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1.5 cups beef or chicken broth
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum or ground chia
- ¼ teaspoon dijon mustard
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon coconut aminos
- Good pinch of nutmeg and allspice to taste
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, add the beef, pork, onion, garlic, parsley, egg, coconut flour, salt and spices. Mix to combine and roll into meatballs.
- In a large non-stick pan, heat the olive oil and fry the meatballs on a medium heat until browned on all sides. About 5 - 6 minutes. Note: It’s best to do this in two batches so as not to overcrowd the pan and so the meatballs cook evenly. Remove the meatballs from the pan..
- Add the butter to the skillet. Once you see bubbles, add the xanthan gum or ground chia and whisk using a hand whisk to combine. Add the stock/broth and the rest of the sauce ingredients and whisk again. Last, whisk through the cream.
- Cook for about two minutes, then add the meatballs back into the pan and cook for a further 6 - 8 minutes until the sauce has thickened up and the meatballs are cooked through.
Notes
Nutrition
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Helen
I made this tonight! It was amazing. Non keto husband love it too. Thank you for posting, it was something different to have and will definitely make it again.
Sam
Hi katrin.
Thank you for this recipe. I'll be trying it soon.
Sue
What is coconut aminos? Can I make the recipe without it? I don't want to ho to the expense of buying odd items as I can't afford it. Love all the ordinary ingredient recipes I've done of yours. Must admit you're my go to when trying to find good keto recipes.
Katrin Nürnberger
Of course, it is not essential to the recipe.
Laura
Sue, Coconut Aminos is a gluten-free, lower-sodium substitute for soy sauce. If watching your sodium levels isn't a concern, you could just use regular soy sauce.
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/coconut-aminos#:~:text=Coconut%20aminos%20has%2090%20mg,salt%20substitute%20for%20soy%20sauce.
"Coconut aminos has 90 mg of sodium per teaspoon (5 ml), while traditional soy sauce contains about 280 mg of sodium in the same serving size..."
Clare
OMG this looks amazing, and just the thing for this horrible cold damp weather. Will definitely be making shortly. Thanks for posting.
Deborah
Just what I needed .....perfect for this weather, and I love meatballs. Can't wait to try them. I usually add some pork panko to my meatballs to lighten them up. Is the coconut flour included to replace bread crumbs? Don't want to omit if it has a binding function as well, but the egg plus the pork panko ought to cover that I think.
So yummy!!!
Katrin Nürnberger
Hi Deborah, I'm using the coconut flour in place of breadcrumbs 🙂