Keto Turkey Meatballs with Cranberry Glaze

These keto turkey meatballs may be VERY low in carbs, but you'd never know! This festive dish is perfect for meals or as a potluck dish!

As NYE was approaching, I was in “party food” mode.

The plan was to come up with a bunch of keto-friendly party foods, and basically just live off them for a few days. It’s just the two of us, but we did want a nice variety for the occasion.

As friends were posting their food plans, I got OBSESSED with a friend’s meatballs that were using grape jelly as a glaze. It sounded weird, but good.

Obviously it wasn’t going to work as a low carb meatballs option... but now I was really in the mood for glazed meatballs!

After going through the possibilities, this was the recipe I developed.

It turned out SO good. Aside from a slight visual quirk (more on that in a bit), these were everything you could want in a holiday party type meatball.

My husband - who is in NO WAY limiting carbs - has requested that these make it into regular rotation for meals!

Keto Turkey Meatballs with Cranberry Glaze

Keto meatballs are always a fun way to get your protein in, without necessarily feeling like you’re eating “diet food”.

(Have you tried my Low Carb Buffalo Chicken Meatballs & my Low Carb Chicken Meatballs in Mushroom Sauce!)

When it came to making a glazed low carb meatballs recipe for the holiday, there were a few ways we could go with it.

While our selection of low carb fruit possibilities was pretty narrow, I had a pretty clear candidate to use: Cranberries.

They’re low in carbs, and festive both in theme AND colour. Perfect!

From there, I decided to go on a “holiday dinner” theme. I was already planning to use poultry as the base, so that my husband could partake.

From there, I seasoned it with “stuffing” seasonings - especially summer savory - to develop the theme a bit more.

At the last minute, I decided to add some walnuts. We had some on hand, and it sounded like a fun way to add texture and interest.

... and now I’m being told that walnuts in meatballs need to be more of a THING, here.

Yeah, my husband was an especially big fan of the walnuts in there!

If you have nut allergy concerns, feel free to leave them out. They’re not “structural” in any way, just a flavour/texture add.

Carbs in these Keto Turkey Meatballs

For each meatball, just over 4.5 grams of the carbs comes from the sugar alcohols, so they are just under 0.5 grams net carbs each.

... realistically, slightly less than that, even - there's extra glaze.

This makes it good for crock pots, etc... but rarely will all of it be served up with the meatballs!

A Heads up on Crystallization

To achieve the thick, almost jam style glaze that I wanted, there is a fair amount of sweetener in this recipe.

I used a monkfruit / erythritol blend, which still has enough erythritol to crystalize.

While these low carb meatballs are hot - whether as you’re cooking the first time, or reheating them later - this won’t be an issue.

Just don’t be surprised if you pull the chilled meatballs out of the fridge, only to look like they’re covered in a layer of ice.

This is the erythritol coming out of solution, and it’s expected. Just head it up, give it a stir, and it’ll be back to normal!

How to Make Keto Turkey Meatballs with Cranberry Glaze

Cranberry Glaze:

Measure cranberries, water, sugar substitute, vinegar, and sriarcha - if using - into a pot.

Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, turn heat down to medium-low and allow to simmer until all of the cranberries have burst and a sauce is starting to form - don’t let it get too thick, though.

Remove from heat.

Press cranberry mixture through a fine metal sieve. Discard solids that couldn’t be scraped through the sieve. Season strained pulp with salt and pepper - to taste - and set aside..

Turkey Meatballs:

Mix ground turkey together with the walnuts, herbs, spices, salt, and pepper.

Form turkey mixture into meatballs, placing into a nonstick pan along with the olive oil.

Cook meatballs over medium-high until browned all around - they don’t have to be cooked all the way through.

Add cranberry glaze to the pan, stir well to coat.

Continue cooking until sauce thickens and meatballs are cooked all the way through.

Serve hot.

Keto Crockpot Meatballs

Want to serve these in a crockpot?

Once the meatballs are browned, transfer them to your crockpot. Add the pressed cranberry pulp to the crockpot, and stir to coat.

Depending on your needs, you can cook these on low for a long time, or on high for a shorter time, stirring occasionally.

For serving, keep it on low so it doesn’t dry out!

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Keto Turkey Meatballs with Cranberry Glaze

These keto turkey meatballs may be VERY low in carbs, but you'd never know! This festive dish is perfect for meals or potluck offerings!

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Total Time40 minutes mins

Course: Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Diet: Diabetic, Gluten Free, Low Lactose

Servings: 40 Meatballs

Calories: 63kcal

Equipment

• Wire mesh strainer

Ingredients

Cranberry Glaze:

• 12 oz Fresh or frozen cranberries
• ¾ cup Water
• 1 cup Sugar substitute
• 1 tablespoon Apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Sriracha optional
• Salt and pepper to taste

Turkey Meatballs:

• 2 lbs Lean ground turkey
• ½ cup Finely chopped walnuts
• 2 teaspoon Dried Parsley
• 1 teaspoon Dried summer savoury or sage
• 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon Onion powder
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 teaspoon Pepper
• 2 tablespoon Olive Oil

Instructions

Cranberry Glaze:

• Measure cranberries, water, sugar substitute, vinegar, and sriarcha - if using - into a pot.
• Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, turn heat down to medium-low and allow to simmer until all of the cranberries have burst and a sauce is starting to form - don’t let it get too thick, though.
• Remove from heat.
• Press cranberry mixture through a fine metal sieve. Discard solids that couldn’t be scraped through the sieve. Season strained pulp with salt and pepper - to taste - and set aside..

Turkey Meatballs:

• Mix ground turkey together with the walnuts, herbs, spices, salt, and pepper.
• Form turkey mixture into meatballs, placing into a nonstick pan along with the olive oil.
• Cook meatballs over medium-high until browned all around - they don’t have to be cooked all the way through.
• Add cranberry glaze to the pan, stir well to coat.
• Continue cooking until sauce thickens and meatballs are cooked all the way through.
• Serve hot.

Notes

For each meatball, just over 4.5 grams of the carbs comes from the sugar alcohols, so they are just under 0.5 grams net carbs each.

... realistically, slightly less than that, even - there's extra glaze. This makes it good for crock pots, etc... but rarely will all of it be served up with the meatballs.

Nutrition

Calories: 63kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 73mg | Potassium: 85mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0g | Vitamin A: 18IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 1mg

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