Make Mozzarella-Stuffed Meatballs with just 3 ingredients and 5 minutes of prep time! Serve them for dinner tonight, and your whole family will enjoy this delicious carnivore recipe together. If desired, you can add a few classic seasonings and make a flavorful keto option without any extra work!
Table of Contents (click to view)
What are Keto Carnivore Recipes?
After years of coaching people how to successfully use a keto diet for fat loss, mental clarity, stable blood sugar, and other benefits, we know animal foods have an important and essential role for health.
Not everyone needs to eliminate all plant foods and follow a pure carnivore diet (although you can!). Many do well by prioritizing fatty animal foods and adding in low-oxalate herbs and vegetables on the side.
“Keto carnivore” generally references this dietary and cooking style. It means we’re following keto diet macros with a heavy “carnivorous” focus.
I recommend reading What to Eat on A Carnivore Diet and downloading a copy of our Carnivore Diet Food List, to gain a clear idea of the variety available to you. Then add in any and all other foods that don’t cause adverse reactions.
Take a peek at my collection of Keto Carnivore Recipes for specific meal prep ideas.
Do I need Breadcrumbs to Make Meatballs?
No, you do not need breadcrumbs to make stuffed meatballs!
As you also see in my original Carnivore Meatball Recipe, I don’t use breadcrumbs, flour, or binders of any kind. Many keto recipes call for almond flour, however, I don’t find this necessary and prefer a nut-free option.
In the keto variation listed below, I suggest mixing an egg into the meat. If you’re worried about the meatballs falling apart, go ahead and do this for the keto or carnivore recipe.
It’s an extra step and extra ingredient that isn’t 100% necessary but doesn’t hurt to use and adds more flavor. If you want an egg-free recipe, don’t use the egg.
Choose whatever is best for your preferences and goals.
How to make Low-Carb Cheese Stuffed Meatballs
Keto stuffed meatballs are a great choice for meal prep! They are so easy I can teach my oldest daughter to make them all by herself.
Find more meal prep ideas for breakfast, lunch, and dinner in my collection of Carnivore Ground Beef Recipes.
I recommend ButcherBox as a source of organic, grass-fed, and grass-finished ground beef. They specialize in delivering high-quality meat to your door (US only). Getting a monthly subscription makes grocery shopping and meal prep easier because you can rely on their quality and consistency.
Need a grocery shopping shortcut? Check out ButcherBox and see if it’s the solution you’re looking for.
Meal prep is easier with top-notch protein, delivered to your doorstep. Having quality meals for a family without the grocery store chaos is one secret to stress-free cooking.
Ingredients
- Ground beef
- Salt
- Whole milk mozzarella cheese
KETO VARIATION
- Egg
- Onion powder
- Italian seasoning
- Garlic powder
- Salt
- Black pepper
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
Mix the salt and meat in a bowl. If following the keto option, add those ingredients now.
Cut the cheese into 8 cubes. Do your best to make them cubed, not rectangle otherwise, you’ll make oblong balls.
Divide the meat into 8 4-ounce balls. Make a well in the center of each ball and insert the cheese. Press the meat around to cover the hole and smooth over any lumps.
Arrange meatballs in a 9×13-inch glass baking dish or large cookie sheet with the seam-side up. The cheese may ooze out of the seam a little bit. Keeping the seam up means it won’t stick to the pan.
Bake for 25 minutes until cooked. Cool slightly and serve warm.
How do you Store Leftover Keto Mozzarella Meatballs?
Storing low carb meatballs is easy! First, let them cool to room temperature. Second, place leftovers in an airtight container and store them in the fridge for up to 5 days after cooking.
You can also freeze cheese stuffed meatballs. Arrange them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and place them in the freezer for 4 hours until frozen. Then remove from the paper and store in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months.
Reheat leftovers in a casserole dish covered with foil in the oven at 350*F for about 10 minutes or until they are hot.
Avoid overheating the meatballs, so they don’t dry out.
Read over this complete tutorial on how to freeze meatballs and thaw them for even more details and tips.
What to Eat with Mozzarella-Stuffed Meatballs
Serve meatballs as an appetizer, side, or main course.
Originally published in my third cookbook, The Carnivore Cookbook, this cheese-stuffed meatball recipe pairs well with Brown Butter Veloute, Compound Butter, Carnivore Alfredo, Flourless Gravy, and other recipes listed in “Chapter One: Fats and Sauces.”
Unlock the power of nutrient-dense, fiber-free nutrition with The Carnivore Cookbook, available in both digital and print formats. Say goodbye to the struggle of finding strict carnivore recipes—this collection is your ultimate solution.
There are many easy keto recipes to serve also. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Cauliflower Rice – a classic low-carb replacement for rice
- Zucchini Noodles or other keto pasta alternatives
- Cauliflower Mash – this creamy dish is absolutely delicious!
- Marinara Sauce – if store-bought, check the label and make sure it’s sugar-free
- Keto Sweet and Sour Sauce – perfect for dipping meatballs into!
Mozzarella-Stuffed Meatballs (Carnivore + Keto Options)
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 8 ounces mozzarella cheese whole milk
KETO VARIATION
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F (175°C).
- Mix the salt and meat in a bowl. If following the keto option, add those ingredients now.2 pounds ground beef, 2 teaspoons salt, 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Cut the cheese into 8 cubes.
- Divide the meat into 8 4-ounce balls. Make a well in the center of each ball and insert the cheese. Press the meat around to cover the hole and smooth over any lumps.
- Arrange meatballs in a 9×13-inch glass baking dish or large cookie sheet with the seam up.
- Bake for 25 minutes until cooked. Cool slightly and serve warm.
Nutrition & Macros
To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, please calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients and amounts used, using your preferred nutrition calculator. Under no circumstances shall the this website and the author be responsible for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on the given nutritional information.
More Keto Carnivore Ground Beef Dinner Recipes
Browse through my full Carnivore Diet Recipes collection of more ideas!
Just a thought. If you’re using 80/20 ground beef, you’ll have some grease in your pan. One way to avoid this is to use a muffin pan. Cut up a couple slices of plain white bread and put these pieces under the meatballs; bake as usual. When you’re done, your meatballs come out easily, and you can simply discard the grease-soaked bread.
That is a great suggestion, Wayne. Thanks for your readership and comments.
If you aren’t fully carnivore but mainly keto, you can use mushrooms in your meatballs in place of bread crumbs. You can also use pork rinds as a filler.
Great suggestions! Mushrooms instead of bread crumbs is new to me. Sounds tasty.