Description
These juicy baked meatballs are ready fast. Made without breadcrumbs, they are low-carb and gluten-free.
Ingredients
Scale
Meatballs:
- 1 pound ground beef – 85% lean (see notes)
- ½ teaspoon of salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese – grated, not shredded
Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened ketchup
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup – or a sugar-free syrup
- 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce – or a gluten-free alternative
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with high-heat-resistant parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, use your hands to mix together the meatball ingredients: ground beef, kosher salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and parmesan.
- Form the mixture into 20 meatballs. It’s easiest to shape the mixture into a log, slice it into five slices, then divide each slice into four parts and shape those into meatballs.
- Place the meatballs on the prepared baking sheet, not touching each other. Bake them until they are cooked through, about 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, whisk together the sauce ingredients: ketchup, maple syrup, soy sauce, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper.
- Five minutes before the meatballs should be done, heat the sauce gently over medium-low heat. If it seems too thick, add a tablespoon or two of water.
- When the meatballs are done baking, use tongs to transfer them to the sauce. Gently toss to coat.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- I don’t recommend using extra-lean ground beef in this recipe. It’s too dry, so the meatballs won’t be as juicy and could also fall apart – the fat helps keep the mixture together.
- To keep the meatballs juicy, don’t overbake them. 15 minutes at 400°F should be enough for them to be cooked through without becoming too dry. However, ovens vary, so to ensure they are ready, check with an instant-read thermometer.
- If you need to feed a crowd, this recipe scales beautifully. I often double it to ensure I have tasty leftovers for several days.
- You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat them in the microwave, covered, at 50% power. You can also freeze the leftovers for up to three months.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5 meatballs
- Calories: 287 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 628 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Carbohydrates: 5 g
- Protein: 23 g