These low carb barbecue meatballs are a flavorful, easy dinner made with simple ingredients and a sugar free barbecue sauce. High in protein and lower in carbs, they work well for weeknight meals, meal prep, or party appetizers.
This healthy barbecue meatball recipe fits low carb, gluten free, and family friendly eating goals without sacrificing taste. They look like you spent hours preparing them but really only take 30 minutes from start to finish.
The ultimate party food and a must make for all of your holiday gatherings, these juicy low carb barbecue meatballs are always the first to be devoured. Loaded with protein and low in carbs, these can be enjoyed guilt free.
If you are looking for more healthy appetizer recipes, you will love these Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Shrimp, Red Pepper Spinach Pinwheels and definitely these Jalapeno Poppers!
All of these would be even more yummy with some Low Carb Bulletproof Hot Chocolate, Apple Chai Latte, Eggnog Latte and definitely some Spiked Apple Cider!
Also, my cookbooks are both on sale now and would make a great gift! The Everything Wheat Free Diet Cookbook and The Greek Yogurt Cookbook are both the lowest prices I have seen!
Why You Should Make These Low Carb Barbecue Meatballs
Whenever I am at a party I am always searching for healthier, lower carb and sugar options. These tender, juicy meatballs are always a hit and always disappear fast.
These barbecue meatballs give you all the bold, smoky BBQ flavor you love without the added sugar and heavy carbs found in traditional recipes. They are high in protein, filling, and easy to fit into low carb, gluten free, or blood sugar friendly eating plans.
Low carb BBQ meatballs are also simple to prep, work well for weeknight dinners or appetizers, game day snacks and are great for meal prep since they reheat well and keep their flavor. They also freeze really well to save for busy weeknights or convenient snacks.
Recipe Ingredients
- Ground beef- Look for grass fed, organic ground beef for the best quality, but you can also use ground chicken or turkey to save some calories and fat.
- Barbecue seasoning- I like to use seasoning that is low in sugar (or sugar free) and only uses a few, simple, quality ingredients like this one.
- Salt and pepper
- Egg
- Garlic
- Parmesan cheese
- Sugar free barbecue sauce- Many classic barbecue sauces are loaded with sugar and unnecessary additives so I choose one with clean ingredients like this one.
- Italian dressing- These can also be loaded with tons of sugar and unhealthy seed oils. This Italian dressing is my go-to with ingredients you can feel good about consuming.
How To Make These Low Carb Barbecue Meatballs
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a bowl, add the barbecue seasoning, pepper and salt to the ground beef and mix together.
Add the egg, minced garlic and the parmesan cheese on top of the seasoned ground beef. Use your hands to knead together all the ingredients until well combined.
Roll out 1 inch sized balls of the ground beef and place on a foiled baking sheet. (you can also use parchment paper)
In a separate small bowl, mix the Italian dressing and sugar free barbecue sauce together until smooth.
Place a small spoonful of the barbecue mix on top of each meatball before placing in the oven.
Cook in the oven for 10 minutes, then place another large spoonful of barbecue sauce over each meatball. Place meatballs back in the oven and cook for another 10 minutes, increasing the oven temperature to 375 degrees F.
Remove meatballs from the oven and serve in any leftover Italian barbecue sauce or stick with toothpicks to serve as an appetizer!
Recipe Tips
- If you are looking to decrease fat and calories, use ground turkey or chicken.
- Do you like spicy foods? You can always add some hot sauce or a pinch of cayenne pepper.
- If you are meal prepping for the week or for the future, make a double (or triple!) batch of these meatballs and freeze some for later. Place cooled bbq meatballs in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Related Recipes
Low Carb Buffalo Chicken Meatballs from Lauren Kelly Nutrition
Bacon Wrapped Brussels Sprouts from Fit Foodie Finds
Pomegranate Brie Pistachio Phyllo Cups from Lauren Kelly Nutrition
Please feel free to follow me on Pinterest, Facebook and Instagram! Thanks for stopping by!
Low Carb Barbecue Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 cup ground beef or other ground meat
- 1 tablespoon barbecue seasoning
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese grated
- ⅓ cup sugar free barbecue sauce
- ⅓ cup Italian dressing
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a bowl, add the barbecue seasoning, pepper and salt to the ground beef and mix together.
- Add the egg, minced garlic and the parmesan cheese on top of the seasoned ground beef. Use your hands to knead together all the ingredients until well combined.
- Roll out 1 inch sized balls of the ground beef and place on a foiled baking sheet. (you can also use parchment paper)
- In a separate small bowl, mix the Italian dressing and sugar free barbecue sauce together until smooth.
- Place a small spoonful of the barbecue mix on top of each meatball before placing in the oven.
- Cook in the oven for 10 minutes, then place another large spoonful of barbecue sauce over each meatball.
- Place meatballs back in the oven and cook for another 10 minutes, increasing the oven temperature to 375 degrees F.
- Remove from the oven and serve in any leftover Italian barbecue sauce or stick with toothpicks to serve as an appetizer!
Leave a Reply