Low-Carb Chicken Pesto Meatballs

These Keto Chicken Pesto Meatballs are a delicious protein option to throw on top of salads, lettuce wraps, or even cauliflower rice. With just a few ingredients this is an easy batch cooking recipe to make on the weekend to have on hand all week for easy low carb meals. Here’s 5 ideas that would carry you through the entire week:

• Serve them on top of zucchini noodles with a little extra pesto and grated Parmesan.
• Tuck them into a lettuce wrap with olives, cherry tomatoes, and artichoke hearts.
• Make a large Italian salad with a red wine vinaigrette and top it off with these meatballs.
• Serve them with cauliflower rice and a side of Greek salad.
• Make a keto pizza dough and use these meatballs as the protein, simply give them a rough chop before adding them to the pizza!

Preparation time

Hands-on:    10 minutes
Overall:     20-30 minutes

Nutritional values (per serving, 4 meatballs)

Total Carbs	6.2	grams
Fiber	1.9	grams
Net Carbs	4.3	grams
Protein	27.3	grams
Fat	32.9	grams
of which Saturated	4.8	grams
Energy	424	kcal
Magnesium	81	mg (20.3% RDA)
Potassium	493	mg (24.6% EMR)

Macronutrient ratio: Calories from carbs (4%), protein (26%), fat (70%)

Ingredients (makes 4 servings)

• 450 g ground chicken, ideally thighs (1 lb)
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup almond flour (50 g/ 1.8 oz) or 3 tbsp coconut flour for nut-free (24 g/ 0.9 oz)
• 1/2 cup pesto, divided into 2 parts (125 g/ 4.5 oz)
• 1 small red onion, chopped (60 g/ 2.1 oz)
• 1/2 tsp sea salt

Note: You can easily make any pesto with your favorite herbs,, nuts or seeds, with or without dairy.

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 190 °C/ 375 °F (unless you cook them in a pan). Place the chicken, egg, almond flour, 1/4 cup pesto, chopped onion and salt in a large bowl and mix to combine.
   
2. Roll the mixture into 16 balls and place on a baking sheet.
   
   
3. Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Alternatively, cook the meatballs in a hot, lightly greased pan for 2-3 minutes per side, until browned and cooked through. Do not turn too soon or they will crumble (don't turn until a crust develops on the outside).
   
4. Top with the remaining 1/4 cup pesto to serve. Eat with fresh green salad, cauli-rice or roasted vegetables. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
   
   

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