Last Updated on October 22, 2019
This is a guest recipe from Maya Krampf, the founder of Wholesome Yum and the author of the recently published Wholesome Yum Easy Keto Cookbook.
Both of my kids are obsessed with my mom’s kotleti—delicious Russian meat patties that use oats as a binder. So naturally, they aren’t keto- friendly.
These meatballs are inspired by my mom’s meat patties, with several changes to make them work with a keto lifestyle. I caramelize the onions she puts in, use almond flour instead of oats, and throw in some fresh herbs for good measure.
These are anything but boring meatballs . . . and my kids gobble them up just like my mom’s!
Wholesome Yum’s Caramelized Onion Meatballs
MAKES 18 MEATBALLS (6 APPETIZER SERVINGS)
SERVING SIZE three 1 1⁄2-inch meatballs (2.5 to 3 ounces)
PER SERVING 372 calories 29 g fat 3 g total carbs 3 g net carbs 23 g protein
Ingredients
¼ cup olive oil, divided into 2 tablespoons and 2 tablespoons
1 ¾ cups (6 ounces) onion, sliced into thin quarter moons
1 pound ground beef
¼ cup (1 ounce) blanched almond flour
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
1 teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 large egg
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a sheet pan with foil or parchment paper and grease lightly.
2. In a medium skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and cook for at least 20 minutes, until the onions are caramelized and their volume has reduced to about 1/2 cup. Set aside to cool.
3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the ground beef, almond flour, egg, rosemary, sage, thyme, sea salt, black pepper, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Mix until just combined.
4. When the onions are warm but no longer hot, fold them into the meat until just mixed in. Do not overmix.
5. Using a medium cookie scoop to scoop the meat mixture, gently form balls with your fingertips and place on the lined baking sheet. (You can also use rounded spoonfuls, 11/2 to 2 tablespoons in size.)
6. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until almost or just barely cooked through (about 150°F internal temperature). Drain any extra liquid from the pan and wipe the edges of the meatballs if needed.
7. Turn the oven to broil and move the oven rack right under the broiler. Place the meatballs under the broiler for about 2 minutes, until browned.
Maya Krampf is a cookbook author, content creator, photographer, and keto advocate. She is the founder of Wholesome Yum, a low carb keto blog that contains easy, natural, gluten-free, keto, and low carb recipes, with 10 ingredients or less!
