Keto Meatballs in the Microwave (5 Minutes!)

Don't have time to make keto meatballs? No problem! Here is a simple meatball hack that produces yummy low-carb meatballs in less than 5 minutes.

These well-seasoned "meatballs" are smothered in Rao's pasta sauce and topped with melted mozzarella cheese. They're so simple and delicious!

This easy meatball hack comes from chef Nigella Lawson, who removes the outside casing of sausages and uses the inside meat to create her "shortcut" meatballs.

We're basically doing the same thing with these keto meatballs, except we're using fully-cooked sausages, in which we peel off the outside casing and cut into bite-size pieces. Then, we pop in the microwave for one minute to heat until warm. After, we top with Rao's pasta sauce and shredded mozzarella and heat for a minute or so more. And, that's it, they're done!

We use sausages for quick meatballs since most freezer meatballs are higher in carbs due to added bread crumbs and other ingredients.

These quick keto meatballs are perfect for when you have little time to make lunch or dinner. You can also stuff these meatballs into a low-carb pita (we use Joseph's mini pitas), to create a delicious meatball-like sandwich. You really can't go wrong with these meatballs as a quick keto or low-carb meal!

Ingredients

Just 3 simple ingredients in this microwave recipe: fully-cooked sausage, Rao's pasta sauce and shredded mozzarella!

Fully-Cooked Italian Sausage Links: We usually buy the grocery-store brands, like Safeway's Open Nature Italian Chicken Sausage or Whole Foods Market Italian Chicken Sausage. Even though we love Aidells sausages, we typically don't use them for this dish since it's hard to remove the casing from their sausages. When purchasing, be sure to buy sausages that are only 1 to 2 grams of net carbs per link. For more information, see "Buying Fully-Cooked Sausage" below.

Rao's Arrabbiata Sauce: We recommend Rao's Arrabbiata Sauce since it's one the best low-carb sauces out there (in terms of carbs, taste and clean ingredients). Arrabbiata sauce is spicier than Marinara, but it adds a nice kick to the meatballs. You may also use Rao's Marinara Sauce or another low-carb sauce if you prefer.

Shredded Mozzarella: We love mozzarella, but you could also use grated parmesan.

Buying Fully-Cooked Sausage

Fully-cooked sausages are usually sold in the refrigerated sections of grocery stores next to the hot dogs and brats.

One of the most popular brands is Aidells sausages. We don't buy Aidells for this dish since it's really hard to remove the casing from their sausages. And you don't want chewy casing on your meatballs! However, you can buy Italian-Style Meatballs by Aidells that are microwaveable (even though the package doesn't indicate as such) and a delicious option.

We usually buy the grocery-store brands. For example, Safeway's brand is "Open Nature," and they sell Open Nature Italian Chicken Sausage, which is pretty darn tasty. Whole Foods also has their own brand too, called Whole Foods Market Italian Chicken Sausage, which is also tasty.

When purchasing, be sure to buy sausages that are only 1 to 2 grams of net carbs per link. You can buy pork or chicken sausages or other flavors if you like. Just be sure sure to check the carbs as some ingredients increase the sugars or carbs.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Just a few steps for this simple recipe!

STEP 1: Remove the casing from sausages by slicing the casing and peeling off as much as you can. You likely won't be able to peel the casing off in one go, so you may need to slice the casing in different areas until you can peel off all of the casing. Then, slice the inside meat into bite-size chunks and place in a microwaveable bowl and microwave on high for one minute.

STEP 2: Pour an ⅛ cup of Rao's sauce over the sausage chucks and stir. Top with with shredded mozzarella and heat on high for a minute or so, until cheese is melted.

More Microwave Recipes

If you try this recipe, we would love to hear your feedback! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag @lowcarbsimplified on your photo of this recipe on Instagram or Facebook. We hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do!