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These meatballs are perfect for a cocktail party or any special occasion. They are flavoured with Italian herbs, marinara sauce and topped with olives. With a hidden surprise inside, these meatballs will disappear from your table before you even know it. If you make the meatballs in advance and need to reheat them, have a look at these great tips at The Kitchn. For more healthy ideas, check out my keto party recipes!
Hands-on Overall
Nutritional values (per serving)
Net carbs1 grams
Protein6.9 grams
Fat9.3 grams
Calories117 kcal
Calories from carbs 4%, protein 24%, fat 72%
Total carbs1.5 gramsFiber0.5 gramsSugars0.5 gramsSaturated fat3 gramsSodium224 mg(10% RDA)Magnesium15 mg(4% RDA)Potassium124 mg(6% EMR)
Ingredients (makes 20-25 meatballs)
Meatballs:
- 500 g ground beef (1.1 lb)
- 1 large egg
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 cup almond flour (50 g/ 1.8 oz) or 1/2 cup coconut flour (30 g/ 1.1 oz)
- 1 cup diced mozzarella, 20-25 pieces (132 g/ 4.7 oz) - use the low-moisture pizza type
- 1 tsp salt or to taste (I like pink Himalayan)
- freshly ground black pepper
Sauce and Topping:
- 1/2 cup Homemade Marinara Sauce (120 g/ 4.2 oz)
- 20-25 pitted olives, green or black (60 g/ 2.1 oz)
- fresh basil for garnish
Tip: If served for dinner, it will be enough for four people. Try the meatballs on top of cauli-rice or zucchini noodles.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 230 °C/ 450 °F. Dice the mozzarella in 20-25 equal sized pieces. Place it in the freezer for 30-60 minutes. Freezing the cheese will prevent it from leaking out while baking. Place the meat, egg, minced garlic, thyme, oregano, ...
- ... almond flour, salt and pepper into a bowl. Mix until well combined using your hands or a mixer.
- Divide the meat into 20-25 pieces (I made 20). Remove the cheese from the freezer.
- Take each piece and flatten using your hands. Place a piece of the mozzarella cheese in the middle and fold the meat over it.
- Briefly roll between hands and place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper or a non-stick baking mat. Place in the oven and bake for 13-15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare the Marinara Sauce. Place the marinara sauce in a large pan and heat up over a medium heat.
The first time I made this recipe, I used too much marinara sauce (photo below) which I then used to make another batch of meatballs.
- Take the meatballs from the oven and place in the pan with marinara sauce. Using a spoon or a spatula, cover with the sauce from all sides. Drain the olives (I used both green and black Kalamata olives).
- Insert a toothpick into each olive and then into each meatball. Garnish with freshly chopped basil and enjoy!
Tip: You can serve the marinara sauce separately from the meatballs by dipping into it.
Ingredient nutritional breakdown (per serving)
| Net carbs | Protein | Fat | Calories |
|---|
| Beef, minced (ground), raw, grass-fed |
| 0 g | 4.3 g | 5 g | 64 kcal |
| Egg, whole, fresh, raw (free-range or organic eggs) |
| 0 g | 0.3 g | 0.2 g | 4 kcal |
| Garlic, fresh |
| 0.1 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 kcal |
| Oregano, dried |
| 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 kcal |
| Thyme, dried |
| 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 kcal |
| Almond flour (blanched ground almonds, almond meal) |
| 0.2 g | 0.5 g | 1.3 g | 15 kcal |
| Mozzarella cheese (low moisture, for pizza) |
| 0.4 g | 1.6 g | 1.3 g | 19 kcal |
| Salt, pink Himalayan rock salt |
| 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 kcal |
| Pepper, black, spices |
| 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 kcal |
| Marinara sauce |
| 0.3 g | 0.1 g | 1 g | 10 kcal |
| Green olives |
| 0 g | 0 g | 0.2 g | 2 kcal |
| Black olives |
| 0 g | 0 g | 0.2 g | 2 kcal |
| Basil, fresh |
| 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 kcal |
| Total per serving |
| 1 g | 6.9 g | 9.3 g | 117 kcal |
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