Almond flour replaces bread crumbs to create these low carb Asian Meatballs with a slightly sweet and sticky glaze. Serve these gluten free meatballs over zucchini noodles for a satisfying dinner or easy meal prep lunch.
We’ve been fighting the good fight to cut carbs for the past several months. It has been recipes like these absolutely yummy glazed Asian Meatballs that have made us feel like we’re not giving up a thing. With just a few easy swaps, we are still eating the meals with all the flavors we love. And, that is the secret to success!
My Cauliflower Beef Taco Skillet is a super delicious low carb fix for our Mexican food cravings. Well, my friends, these almond flour meatballs are both gluten free and far lower in carbs than most meatballs and have a sticky Asian glaze that’s worth writing home about!
Do yourself a favor and skip the white rice. Instead, pile these meatballs over a mound of quick zucchini noodles for even more flavor and nutrition.
Table of contents
Ingredients
For the Asian Meatballs
- Ground turkey – 93% lean ground turkey is very lean but has just enough fat to help bind the meatballs.
- Seasoning – The meatball mixture is seasoned with granulated garlic, onion powder, salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
- Eggs – A couple of large eggs.
- Almond flour – Like Bob’s Red Mill Superfine Almond Flour.
- Onion – Use a cheese grater to grate the onion so it will nicely blend into the meat mixture and add flavor, but not texture.
For the Sticky Asian Glaze and Zoodles
- Soy sauce – Always go with low-sodium soy sauce or substitute tamari for gluten free meatballs.
- Seasoned rice vinegar – Adds a bit of tang.
- Garlic – I use jarred minced garlic but you can mince fresh garlic cloves, if you prefer.
- Ginger – I’ve been using (and loving) ginger paste in place of fresh ginger root in recipes like this. Check the produce section near the jars of minced garlic. It keeps well in the fridge for a very long time and it’s a great kitchen shortcut.
- Honey – It is my preference to us natural sweeteners and honey works perfectly for this glaze. If you’re doing Keto, feel free to substitute it with your favorite artificial sweetener.
- Red pepper flakes and sesame seeds – I like to balance the flavors with a little kick from red pepper flakes. Garnish the meatballs with sesame seeds after cooking.
- Cornstarch – The glaze is thickened with a slurry of cornstarch and water before adding the cooked meatballs.
- Zucchini noodles – Use a spiralizer to create zucchini noodles from about 4 medium zucchini. You’ll also need a little olive oil and some of the seasonings already listed to cook them.
How to Make Asian Meatballs
This is a quick overview of how to make this recipe. Please refer to the recipe card at the end of this post for detailed instructions and amounts.
Make and Bake the Meatballs
- In a large bowl, whisk the egg. Stir in the almond flour, onion, granulated garlic, onion powder, salt and pepper.
- Add the ground turkey and stir until well combined.
- Using a medium cookie scoop, scoop about 2 tablespoons of the meatball mixture.
- Use your hands to form the meatballs into balls and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, leaving a little space in between. Coat the tops of the meatballs with a little nonstick cooking spray and bake in a preheated 400 degree F oven for about 18 to 20 minutes, or until internal temperature registers 165 degrees F when measured with an instant-read meat thermometer. Finish them off under the broiler for a couple of minutes, until slightly browned.
Make the Sticky Asian Glaze
- While the meatballs are cooking, add the soy sauce, garlic, ginger, rice vinegar, red pepper flakes, and honey to a large skillet and whisk well to combine. Place the skillet over low heat and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
- In a small bowl, combine the water and cornstarch until the cornstarch has dissolved. Whisk the cornstarch slurry into the sauce and continue to cook until thickened. Remove from the heat.
- Remove the meatballs from the oven.
- Use tongs to transfer the meatballs to the sauce in the skillet. Lightly toss the meatballs with the sauce until they are all coated. Garnish with sesame seeds.
Pro Tip
As you add the meatballs to the glaze, use a paper towel to lightly wipe the bottom of each meatball to remove any cooking liquid that may have formed.
Serving Suggestions
Rice or zucchini noodles: You can serve these over white or brown rice, if you’d like. But, to keep this meal low-carb, I highly suggest cooking up a quick batch of zucchini noodles. See the recipe card below for the easy instructions for simple zoodles – they are basically the same as my Garlic Parmesan Zucchini Noodles minus the Parm.
Meal Prep: These Asian Meatballs are plenty satisfying for dinner and are excellent for meal prep. Cook up a batch on the weekend and divide the zucchini noodles and meatballs between meal prep containers for easy lunches through the week.
Storage
Transfer leftovers to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Reheat leftovers in the microwave or in skillet on the stove over low heat, just until warmed through.
More Low Carb Dinner Ideas
- Broccoli Mushroom Stir Fry
- Zucchini Lasagna
- Chicken Lettuce Wraps
- Sweet and Sour Pork Kabobs
- Chicken Zucchini Casserole
For more healthy cooking inspiration, join us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest and join our FREE email list for the latest recipes straight to your inbox!
Asian Meatballs
Ingredients
Asian Meatballs
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup almond flour, like Bob’s Red Mill Superfine
- ¼ cup grated yellow onion, grate with a cheese grater
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic or garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- 2 pounds 93% lean ground turkey
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- Thinly sliced green onion, optional
Glaze
- ½ cup low sodium soy sauce, or tamari for gluten free
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger or ginger paste
- 2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch, see note
Zucchini Noodles
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 4 medium zucchini, spiralized
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Red pepper flakes, to taste, optional
Instructions
Asian Meatballs
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. with an oven rack in the center position. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk the egg. Stir in the almond flour, onion, granulated garlic, onion powder, salt and pepper. Add the turkey and stir until well combined.
- Using a medium cookie scoop, scoop about 2 tablespoons of the meatball mixture. Roll into a ball shape and place on the prepared baking sheet. Form the remaining meatballs and add them to the baking sheet, leaving a little space in between (should have about 30, give or take). Coat the tops of the meatballs with a little nonstick cooking spray (to help them brown at the end).
- Bake the meatballs for about 18 to 20 minutes, or until internal temperature registers 165 degrees F when measured with an instant-read meat thermometer. Without moving the oven rack, switch the oven to BROIL and continue to cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes, or until some of the liquid on the parchment paper has evaporated and the meatballs are lightly browned.
Glaze
- While the meatballs are cooking, add the soy sauce, garlic, ginger, rice vinegar, red pepper flakes (if using), and honey to a large skillet and whisk well to combine. Place the skillet over LOW heat and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
- In a small bowl, combine the water and cornstarch until the cornstarch has dissolved. Whisk the cornstarch slurry into the sauce and continue to cook until thickened. Remove from the heat.
- Remove the meatballs from the oven. Use tongs to transfer the meatballs to the sauce in the skillet. I transfer them one by one, lightly wiping the bottom of each meatball with a paper towel to remove any cooking liquid. Lightly toss the meatballs with the sauce until they are all coated. Garnish with sesame seeds.
Zucchini Noodles
- Warm the olive oil In a large skillet over MEDIUM-LOW heat. Add the garlic and cook for a minute or two, or until fragrant. Add the zucchini noodles and increase the heat to MEDIUM-HIGH. Cook, tossing with kitchen tongs, until the water releases from the zucchini and the noodles are just beginning to get tender. Remove from the heat and drain off as much of the water as possible. Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes, to taste.
- Serve the meatballs over the zucchini noodles.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home. All information provided regarding nutrition on this website is intended to be used for informational purposes only. Content related to nutrition is not medical advice nor is it intended to replace medical advice. The website is not intended to diagnose, prescribe, or treat any disease, condition, illness, or injury. Before beginning any diet program, modifying your diet, or making changes to the diet of a child in your care, including following the nutrition information available on the website, you should seek advice from a licensed professional.
More Dinner Inspiration
Cauliflower Beef Taco Skillet
Cheesy Turkey Meatballs
Pesto Chicken and Veggies
