These meatballs are my family’s absolute favorite meatballs and just so happen to be a great low carb recipe too! Crock Pot Meatball Parmesan creates tender meatballs full of flavor that are perfect over your favorite pasta substitute (or spaghetti if you aren’t low carb).
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Cris here.
Ever since my family started eating low carb, I have known “fake” food was never going to cut it. I am … ahem… after all… a comfort food blogger. There was definitely a learning curve around her… a period jokingly called “Mom’s Egg Phase” by my ten year old. During that time, I was testing all kinds of recipes and most of them were pretty eggy… so much so that I am pretty sure my family was about to take away my egg carton rights.
But thankfully, Mommy started figuring things out in the kitchen and pretty soon they decided this low carb thing wasn’t so bad and actually quite yummy! THESE meatballs were a big part of that process. Everyone LOVES Crock Pot Meatball Parmesan night at this house. So now any time I am developing a new low carb recipe, I set the goal of creating something delicious for everyone, regardless of whether those at my table are low carb eaters or comfort food eaters.
Crock Pot Meatball Parmesan {Low Carb} Recipe
Note: Scroll to the bottom of this post for a printable version of this recipe.
Ingredients for Crock Pot Meatball Parmesan {Low Carb}
- 2 lbs Lean Ground Beef
- 1/2 Cup Marinara Sauce (This is our favorite low carb sauce.)
- 2 Tablespoons Dried Minced Onion (or Freeze Dried Shallots)
- 2 teaspoons Minced Garlic (I used freeze dried)
- 1 1/2 teaspoon Pizza Seasoning (or Italian Seasoning)
- 3/4 Cup Shredded Parmesan
- 2 Eggs
- Salt and Pepper to Taste
- Favorite Pasta Alternative (or cooked spaghetti if you aren’t low carb)
- Additional Marinara and Shredded Mozzarella to Taste
How to Make Crock Pot Meatball Parmesan {Low Carb}
- In a large bowl mix together marinara sauce with meat, onion, garlic, parm, eggs and seasonings. I like to use my VERY favorite food chopper to mix up my meatball mixtures.
- Spray a 7 or 6 quart slow cooker with cooking spray and form mixture into 24 meatballs, stacking lightly if necessary. I like to use my large cookie scoop to form uniform meatballs.
- Cover and cook on high for 2 -3 hours until the meatballs are cooked through. (I always use my meat thermometer to check. I just set mine to 165 and wait for the alarm to go off. Easy peasy!)
- Remove meatballs from slow cooker.
- Set aside any you would like to freeze. To serve, toss in additional marinara and place over your favorite pasta/alternative and top with cheese. To freeze, place in a single layer on a cookie sheet and freeze for a couple hours then transfer to a freezer bag.
Notes on Crock Pot Meatball Parmesan {Low Carb}
- Marinara sauces vary GREATLY in carb counts. This is our very favorite low carb pasta sauce with only 3 net carbs per 1/2 cup!
- We prefer this recipe with thin zoodles (Zucchini noodles). We find thinner zucchini noodles give a more pasta like feel than the thicker ones. I use the 2MM blade on our favorite spiralizer and they come out perfect every time!
- We figure this recipe (using the ingredients we used) to be approximately 1.2 net carbs per 3 meatballs. That does not include the additional marinara, zoodles or additional cheese to top your dish with as all those ingredients will vary greatly depending on how much you choose to use when serving.
- As with any of our recipes, calorie counts and nutritional information varies greatly depending on which products you choose to use when cooking this dish.
- All slow cookers cook differently, so cooking times are always a basic guideline and should always be tested first in your own slow cooker and time adjusted as needed.
Printable Recipe for Crock Pot Meatball Parmesan {Low Carb}
Crock Pot Meatball Parmesan {Low Carb}
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Lean Ground Beef
- 1/2 Cup Marinara Sauce This is our favorite low carb sauce.
- 2 Tablespoons Dried Minced Onion or Freeze Dried Shallots
- 2 teaspoons Minced Garlic I used freeze dried
- 1 1/2 teaspoon Pizza Seasoning or Italian Seasoning
- 3/4 Cup Shredded Parmesan
- 2 Eggs
- Salt and Pepper to Taste
- Favorite Pasta Alternative or cooked spaghetti if you aren't low carb
- Additional Marinara and Shredded Mozzarella to Taste
Instructions
- In a large bowl mix together marinara sauce with meat, onion, garlic, parm, eggs and seasonings. I like to use my VERY favorite food chopper to mix up my meatball mixtures.
- Spray a 7 or 6 quart slow cooker with cooking spray and form mixture into 24 meatballs, stacking lightly if necessary. I like to use my large cookie scoop to form uniform meatballs.
- Cover and cook on high for 2 -3 hours until the meatballs are cooked through. (I always use my meat thermometer to check. I just set mine to 165 and wait for the alarm to go off. Easy peasy!)
- Remove meatballs from slow cooker.
- Set aside any you would like to freeze. To serve, toss in additional marinara and place over your favorite pasta/alternative and top with cheese. To freeze, place in a single layer on a cookie sheet and freeze for a couple hours then transfer to a freezer bag.
Notes
- Marinara sauces vary GREATLY in carb counts. This is our very favorite low carb pasta sauce with only 3 net carbs per 1/2 cup!
- We prefer this recipe with thin zoodles (Zucchini noodles). We find thinner zucchini noodles give a more pasta like feel than the thicker ones. I use the 2MM blade on our favorite spiralizer and they come out perfect every time!
- We figure this recipe (using the ingredients we used) to be approximately 1.2 net carbs per 3 meatballs. That does not include the additional marinara, zoodles or additional cheese to top your dish with as all those ingredients will vary greatly depending on how much you choose to use when serving.
- As with any of our recipes, calorie counts and nutritional information varies greatly depending on which products you choose to use when cooking this dish.
- All slow cookers cook differently, so cooking times are always a basic guideline and should always be tested first in your own slow cooker and time adjusted as needed.
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janelynn says
August 24, 2017 at 7:36 amEight Dollars for a jar of sauce!!! –not where I come from; we make our own. You might as well buy from the finest restaurant. I grew up on a farm and have been poor all my life.
Cris says
August 29, 2017 at 12:50 amThat’s awesome that you guys make your own! I completely agree with you that it is pricey and if I weren’t eating low carb I would totally choose a cheaper sauce that had a higher carb count.
However one of the great things about eating low carb is I don’t go through a jar of sauce as quickly as I used to. I used to use a jar for a single meal, but now I am able to make this low carb sauce stretch for 3 meals.