Low-Carb Porcupine Meatballs Recipe - Simply So Healthy (2024)

FAQs

Low-Carb Porcupine Meatballs Recipe - Simply So Healthy? ›

Add moisture.

Eggs and binders like breadcrumbs mixed with milk all help with keeping meatballs tender and moist, so don't skip any of these.

Add moisture.

Eggs and binders like breadcrumbs mixed with milk all help with keeping meatballs tender and moist, so don't skip any of these.

Porcupine balls with tomato-based sauce contains 269 calories per 176 g serving. This serving contains 11 g of fat, 18 g of protein and 24 g of carbohydrate.

The Long Answer

Typically, meatballs contain bread or breadcrumbs as the main ingredient. This helps the balls maintain their shape. The presence of bread is a direct Keto violation, but all is not lost.

You guessed it, a little water or stock. You can take any meatball recipe and add a tablespoon or two of water or stock as a first step and see how it lightens your recipe. I like to add water or stock as a first ingredient and mix it thoroughly and then add the egg and mix it in the same way.

Egg and breadcrumbs are common mix-ins to add moisture and tenderness. Another binder option that people swear by is a panade, which is fresh or dry breadcrumbs that have been soaked in milk. “The soaked breadcrumbs help keep the proteins in the meat from shrinking,” as food writer Tara Holland explained in the Kitchn.

It's important to let the rice cool a bit before adding it to the meat so that it does not release any excess moisture and make the meatballs fall apart. Another important element to getting the right texture is to not overwork the meat when mixing.

The name comes from the appearance of the meatballs, which appear prickly when the rice pokes out of them as they cook, resembling a porcupine. Porcupine meatballs can be made in the slow cooker or baked. They can be served with relish such as red cabbage or radish and mashed potatoes.

Porcupine meatballs are ground beef-rice balls cooked in tomato sauce. The meatballs, a staple during the Great Depression because of the few ingredients required to make them, get their name from their appearance to porcupines (the rice makes the balls appear prickly).

Despite their rather funny name, porcupine meatballs are just beef meatballs made with white rice that get slowly cooked in a simple tomato sauce. The resulting meatballs are tender, flavorful, and perfect for serving on top of mashed potatoes, noodles, or honestly, more rice.

Can I eat meatballs on a diet? ›

Meatballs are also a great choice if you're looking for simple and tasty ways to lose weight and eat healthy. You can make Italian meatballs, Asian inspired meatballs, barbecue meatballs and so much more. It's all about what herbs and spices you decide to put in the meat mixture.

The theory is based on proteins (meat, poultry, fish, eggs) requiring an acidic environment for denaturation, whereas starchy carbohydrates (rice, pasta, bread, potato) need an alkaline environment. Other rules include not consuming fat with protein, and only consuming fruits/dairy on an empty stomach.

How many carbs are in keto meatballs? These meatballs have 2.6g of carbs and 1g of fiber per serving. That comes to 1.6g net carbs per serving of 5 meatballs.

Bread Crumb Substitutes

¼ cup panko. ¼ cup cracker or pretzel crumbs. ¼ cup crushed cornflakes or other unsweetened cereals. ⅔ cup regular rolled oats (Use this only as a substitute for bread crumbs in meat loaf and other meat mixtures, such as burgers.

When it comes to adding liquid to meatball mixtures, milk is often used for its versatility, depth of flavor, and richness. Without the use of milk, you may be faced with a plate of dry meatballs. Milk adds a certain level of moisture that helps produce perfectly tender meatballs.

Milk provides more than moisture

Not only does added fat provide loads of immeasurable flavor, but meatballs made with a little extra fat are also sure to stay nice and moist throughout the cooking process.

Bread soaked in some form of liquid puffs up when cooked, creating little air pockets that makes meatballs extra soft. It works far better than ordinary breadcrumbs which actually has the tendency to make meatballs tough little balls (panko breadcrumbs is ok though), and the Italians have been doing this for years.

Not adding any moisture to the meat.

Some kind of moisture, like eggs or a binder made from bread crumbs and milk, is essential when making meatballs. Without it, the protein content forces the meatballs to shrink as they cook, and produces a final dish with a tough texture.

Milk: Adds moisture and tenderizes the meat, making our meatballs juicy and tender once cooked. Egg: Adds more moisture and helps the mixture firm up once cooked. Parmesan: My secret ingredient for the best meatballs! Parmigiano-Reggiano adds flavor and salt to our mixture.

Lean meats, like ground turkey or very lean ground beef, can result in drier meatballs. Consider using a mix of lean and fattier meats, like a blend of ground beef with some ground pork or veal, for juicier meatballs.