See how to make gluten-free Swedish meatballs in just 30 minutes! These tasty low carb meatballs in gravy are a quick family meal idea. It’s the perfect homemade Keto meatball recipe that tastes just like Ikea Swedish meatballs but without gluten and less carbs.
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Keto Low-Carb Gluten-Free Swedish Meatballs Recipe
The only reason my husband tolerates medragging him to Ikea on a busy Saturday afternoon to buy things I don’t reallyneed is: Swedish meatballs. While I browse through the aisle, he usuallyretreats to the cafeteria to order kottbular (seriously, how cute isthat name), which are tasty meatballs in gravy.
But since he started the ketogenic diet, heonly eats low-carb meatballs. Imagine his disappointment when he found out thatIkea Swedish meatballs are no longer on his menu. He loves his low carb comfortfood though – so high time for Ikea copycat Swedish meatballs aka gluten-freemeatballs: all of the delicious flavour, none of the carbs.
My gluten-free meatballs are very flavourfulbut without all of the carbs often found in traditional meatball recipes. Andthe best part is that these low carb Keto meatballs recipe is ready in 30minutes. Easy, keto, low carb Swedish meatballs… you and your kids will love thisketo ground beef recipe!
What makes a meatball Swedish?
Swedish meatballs are made of ground meat, usually a 50:50 pork and beef ratio, and served in a creamy gravy. Swedish meatballs are often smaller in size than Italian meatballs and use other seasonings. By the way, if you need gluten and dairy-free meatballs, try my Italian slow cooker meatball recipe.
There are probably as many traditional Swedishmeatballs as there are Swedish grandmas. While I have Swedish ancestors, I don’tclaim this to be an authentic Swedish meatballs recipe. But I do know thatthese low carb Swedish meatballs are absolutely delicious!
Ingredients for low carb Swedish meatballs recipe
These are basically keto copycat Ikea meatballsand here are the ingredients in these easy gluten-free Swedish meatballs Youcan find the exact measurements in the recipe box below.
- ground meet – You can use all beef (chuck is best), a mix of beef and pork/turkey/chicken.
- almond flour
- egg – The egg helps to hold the mixture together.
- onion – Finely mince or grate the onion.
- cream cheese – Many traditional Swedish meatball recipes use cream. But since these are flourless meatballs, there is no flour to absorb the liquid, so I use cream cheese. If you need a dairy-free meatballs recipe, simply omit the cream cheese.
- spices and herbs – I seasoned this keto meatball recipe with salt, ground black pepper, a dash of nutmeg and parsley.
- fat for frying – You can use butter, olive oil or canola oil. For the best taste, use a combination of butter and olive oil.
If desired, youcan also add 1 minced garlic clove or 1/2 tsp garlic powder.
Swedish meatball sauce
The ingredients in Keto Swedish meatball sauce are:
- heavy cream – For a lighter recipe, use cream with less fat.
- unsalted broth – You can use beef, chicken or vegetable broth but make sure it’s unsalted.
- Dijon mustard – Dijon mustard adds depth of flavour and tang that contrasts nicely with the cream.
- salt and pepper
There is an optional ingredient that you can use for how to thicken Swedish meatball sauce: unflavoured gelatin powder. Gelatin is perfectly fine to consume on a keto diet and will help to thicken liquids such as keto gravy.
I didn’t use it in this easy meatball recipe as I liked the consistency, but if you prefer a thicker low carb gluten-free gravy, you have that option.
How to make keto gluten-free Swedish meatballs
It’s finally time to cook low carb and healthy Swedish meatballs! In this healthy meatball recipe, I show how to make meatballs on the stovetop in a pan. But this isn’t the only method for cooking meatballs. You can also bake them in the oven or make slow cooker meatballs. If you want to know how to make meatballs in a crockpot, take a look at this recipe.
Here is the step-by-step for how to makeSwedish meatballs:
Make the meatball mixture
- Startby heating 1 tablespoon of each butter and olive oil in a large pan or skillet.Add the minced onion and cook until translucent. Stir constantly. Set aside.
- Crumblethe ground meat into a large mixing bowl.
- Addthe egg, almond flour, cream cheese, onion from step 1, parsley, salt and pepper.
- Mixwith clean hands until combined.
Tip: Just mix until the ingredients are combined.Overmixing can make the meatballs tough.
Form keto meatballs recipe
- Usea cookie scoop to portion the meatballs. The cookie coop helps to create evenly-sizedmeatballs, but you can make the meatballs without it, too.
- Rolleach meatball between the palms of your hands until round.
- Repeatuntil the meatball mixture is used up.
Tips for fluffy meatballs: Don’t press the meatball mixtureinto the cookie scoop and just lightly roll into a ball. A smaller size isbetter because the meatballs won’t dry out and cook through quicker.
Cook keto low-carb meatballs
- Heatthe rest of the butter and olive oil in the pan on medium-high heat.
- Frythe meatballs in batches until all sides are browned, for 4 to 5 minutes. Don’tcrowd the pan and keep the meatballs approximately 1 inch/2.5 cm apart.
- Transferto a warm plate lined with a paper towel and cover with foil.
How do I know when the meatballs are done?
The meatballs are done when the outside is brownedall around, and the inside is cooked through, meaning the meat isn’t pink. Ifthe meatballs are still pink inside, fry for another 1 to 2 minutes
How to make gluten-free low carb Swedish meatballs sauce
Tasty, thick low carb gravy is a must forSwedish meatballs! Thankfully, this Keto gravy recipe is quick and easy, andyou can make it in the same pan as the meatballs – that’s one less dish to wash!
Let’s go over the steps for how to make keto gravy for meatballs:
- After the meatballs are done cooking, remove them from the pan and keep warm until serving.
- There should still be oil and meatball drippings in the pan. We need those to cook our gluten-free Swedish meatball sauce.
- Add the broth, heavy cream and Dijon mustard to the pan.
- Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the volume is reduced by half, for about 5 to 8 minutes. Stir constantly and lower the heat if the sauce boils too much.
- You’re done cooking when the sauce looks thick and stays on the back of a spoon.
- Season with salt and pepper according to your taste.
How to thicken Keto Swedish meatball sauce
As I mentioned, it’s possible to thicken the meatballgravy. But instead of starch or flour, we use a keto-friendly thickener, namelygelatin. To do this follow these steps:
- Addcold water into a small mixing bowl and sprinkle the gelatin on top.
- Setaside to bloom for a few minutes.
- Stirthe gelatin into the gravy and whisk until dissolved.
- Takethe pan off the heat. The sauce will thicken as the gravy cools.
- Ifthe gravy is too thick simply rewarm and whisk to your desired consistency.
How do you serve gluten-free meatballs with keto gravy?
What do you serve with Swedish meatballs? Oncethe meatballs and sauce are done, put the meatballs back into the pan and swirlaround to cover with sauce. Optionally, sprinkle with parsley and serve warm.
Keto side dishes for gluten-free Swedishmeatballs are zucchini noodles, cauliflower mash, or cauliflower rice. Low carbmeatballs with gravy also taste scrumptious served with roasted veggies.
How to store low carb Swedish meatballs with sauce
You can store gluten-free Swedish meatballs inan airtight food container in the fridge for up two days.
Can you reheat gluten-free meatballs?
Yes, Keto meatballs can be reheated with one ofthree ways:
- pan: Add the meatballs and sauce to a pan or skillet. Warm over medium heat until hot but avoid cooking on high heat.
- oven: To reheat low-carb meatballs in the oven, place the recipe into an oven-safe dish and warm in a preheated oven for 10 minutes.
- microwave: You can also warm keto meatballs in the microwave. Simply put the easy Swedish meatballs into a microwave-safe container and warm for 2 to 4 minutes.
Can you freeze keto gluten-free Swedish meatballs with creamy gravy?
My low carb Swedish meatball recipe is veryfreezer friendly. You can freeze these Keto meatballs with gravy in anairtight, freezer-safe food container for a month. I usually freeze meatballs whenI have leftovers or for meal prep.
To serve, let the meatballs defrost in thefridge for a couple of hours or overnight. Then reheat as described above.
Can you make gluten-free Swedish meatballs ahead of time?
Yes, you can make low carb Swedish meatballs ahead of time. Store the Keto meatball recipe refrigerated or frozen and gently re-heat when you’re ready to serve.
Keto Low-Carb Gluten-Free Swedish Meatballs Recipe
Yield: 20 - 24 meatballs
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
See how to make gluten-free Swedish meatballs in just 30 minutes! These tasty low carb meatballs in gravy are a quick family meal idea. It's the perfect homemade Keto meatball recipe that tastes just like Ikea Swedish meatballs but without gluten and less carbs.
Ingredients
Swedish meatballs
- 1 1/2 lb / 700 g / 24.7 oz ground meat* (see note below)
- 1/4 cup / 25 g / 0.9 oz almond flour
- 1 egg
- 1 small onion, finely diced or grated
- 2 tbsp cream cheese (full fat or low fat are fine)
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp parsley, minced
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
Gravy
- 1 1/2 cups / 350 ml / 11.8 fl oz heavy cream
- 1 1/2 cups / 350 ml / 11.8 fl oz unsalted broth (e.g. beef, chicken, vegetable)
- 1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- salt
- ground black pepper
Instructions
How to make Swedish meatballs
- Heating 1 tablespoon of each butter and olive oil in a large pan or skillet. Add the minced onion and cook until translucent. Stir constantly. Set aside.
- Crumble the ground meat into a large mixing bowl.
- Add the egg, almond flour, cream cheese, onion from step 1, parsley, salt and pepper.
- Mix with clean hands until combined.
- Use a cookie scoop to portion the meatballs. The cookies coop helps to create evenly-sized meatballs, but you can make the meatballs without it, too.
- Roll each meatball between the palms of your hands until round.
- Repeat until the meatball mixture is used up.
- Heat the rest of the butter and olive oil in the pan on medium-high heat.
- Fry the meatballs in batches until all sides are browned, for 4 to 5 minutes. Don’t crowd the pan and keep the meatballs approximately 1 inch/2.5 cm apart.
- Transfer to a warm plate lined with a paper towel and cover with foil.
How to make gluten-free gravy
- After the meatballs are done cooking, remove the from them pan and keep warm until serving.
- There should still be oil and meatball drippings in the pan. We need those to cook our gluten-free Swedish meatball sauce.
- Add the broth, heavy cream and Dijon mustard in the pan.
- Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the volume is reduced by half, for about 5 to 8 minutes. Stir constantly and reduce the heat if the sauce cooks too much. You’re done cooking when the sauce looks thick and stays on the back of a spoon.
- Season with salt and pepper according to your taste.
Notes
*Ground meat
You can use all beef (chuck is best), a mix of beef and pork/turkey/chicken.
How to store low carb Swedish meatballs
You can store gluten-free Swedish meatballs in an airtight food container in the fridge for up two days.
Can you reheat gluten-free meatballs?
Yes, Keto meatballs can be reheated with one of three ways:
- pan: Add the meatballs and sauce to a pan or skillet. Warm over medium heat until hot but avoid cooking on high heat.
- oven: To reheat low-carb meatballs in the oven, place the recipe into an oven-safe dish and warm in a preheated oven for 10 minutes.
- microwave: You can also warm keto meatballs in the microwave. Simply put the easy Swedish meatballs into a microwave-safe container and warm for 2 to 4 minutes.
Can you freeze keto gluten-free Swedish meatballs?
This Swedish meatball recipe is very freezer friendly. You can freeze these Keto meatballs with gravy in an airtight, freezer-safe food container for a month.
To serve, let the meatballs defrost in the fridge for a couple of hours or overnight. Then reheat as described above.
Can you make gluten-free Swedish meatballsahead of time?
Yes, you can make low carb Swedish meatballs ahead of time. Store the Keto meatball recipe refrigerated or frozen and gently re-heat when you’re ready to serve.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 168Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 54mgSodium: 171mgCarbohydrates: 2gFiber: 0gSugar: 1gProtein: 9g
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