Low‑Carb Beef and Pork Meatballs in Quick Tomato Sauce
Juicy low‑carb meatballs made with ground almonds and Parmesan, cooked in a bright, garlicky tomato sauce — ready in under an hour.
These low‑carb meatballs keep all the comfort of the classic but swap breadcrumbs for ground almonds, cutting carbs while keeping the texture and flavour. They’re pork and beef for juiciness, Parmesan and parsley for savoury lift, and a quick tomato sauce ties it together.
Make them for a midweek supper, a light dinner party dish or to batch‑cook and reheat for lunches. They freeze well and are perfect served with roasted veg or a simple green salad.
Ingredients
- 400 g minced beef
- 200 g minced pork
- 60 g ground almonds
- 50 g grated Parmesan
- 1 egg
- 1 brown onion — small, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves — crushed
- 15 g fresh parsley — finely chopped
- 5 ml dried oregano
- 400 g tinned chopped tomatoes
- 15 ml tomato purée
- 150 ml chicken stock — low‑salt
- 30 ml olive oil
- 5 ml salt
- 5 ml black pepper — freshly ground
- 0 ml chilli flakes — optional
- 6 fresh basil — leaves to finish
Equipment
- baking tray
- instant-read thermometer
- grater
Instructions
Warm 1 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan over a medium hob. Add the finely chopped brown onion and crushed garlic cloves and sweat gently until soft and translucent, 5–6 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for 5 minutes.
Place minced beef, minced pork, ground almonds, grated Parmesan, egg, fresh parsley, dried oregano, salt, black pepper and chilli flakes in a large bowl. Add the cooled onion and garlic. Mix gently with your hands or a fork until just combined — do not overwork the mix or the meatballs will be dense.
Shape the mixture into 16 even meatballs (about 45–50 g each). Place the meatballs on a baking tray, leaving space between them.
Chill the meatballs on the baking tray in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up — this helps them keep their shape when frying.
Heat the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium‑high hob. Working in two batches so you don't overcrowd the pan, brown the meatballs on all sides, about 6 minutes per batch (total c.12 minutes). Transfer browned meatballs to a plate.
Reduce the heat to medium and add the tinned chopped tomatoes, tomato purée and chicken stock to the same pan. Scrape any sticky brown bits from the base with a wooden spoon and bring to a gentle simmer. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes to concentrate the flavours.
Nestle the browned meatballs back into the tomato sauce, cover with a lid or foil and simmer gently for 8 minutes until cooked through (pork must reach a safe temperature).
Turn off the heat, scatter torn fresh basil and a little extra grated Parmesan over the top and leave to rest for 2 minutes. Serve hot.
Tips
- Sweat the onion first and let it cool — raw, watery onion will make the mixture too loose and the meatballs soggy.
- For perfectly even cooking, shape the meatballs by weighing them (about 45–50 g each) or use a small ice‑cream scoop.
- Do not overmix the meat — handle briefly so the texture stays tender rather than chewy.
- Make ahead: form and chill meatballs overnight; cook straight from chilled (add an extra 2–3 minutes to simmer time).
- Freeze uncooked meatballs on a tray, then transfer to a container; cook from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the simmer.
Substitutions
ground almonds → finely crushed pork scratchings, same weight (60 g)
Stays closeminced pork → extra minced beef, 200 g
Noticeably differentgrated Parmesan → grated Pecorino Romano, same quantity (50 g)
Stays closechicken stock → vegetable stock, 150 ml
Stays close
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 460
- Calories
- 38 g
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 31 g
- Fat
- 3 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
- Sugar
- 550 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make these meatballs gluten‑free?
Yes — this recipe is already gluten‑free because it uses ground almonds rather than breadcrumbs. Ensure your stock and any packaged ingredients are labelled gluten‑free.
Can I bake the meatballs instead of frying?
Yes — bake at 200°C fan/220°C conventional for 15–18 minutes on a baking tray until browned, then add to the sauce and simmer for 6–8 minutes.
How do I stop meatballs falling apart?
Chilling the shaped meatballs for at least 30 minutes firms them so they keep their shape in the pan. Also avoid overworking the mix and brown them gently in batches.
Can I use only beef or only pork?
Yes — using 600 g of one mince works, but a mix of beef and pork gives best juiciness and flavour.
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