Best Keto BBQ Chicken Meatballs

Looking for a snack or appetizer to feed a group? How about a Keto Superbowl appetizer or potluck dish? Make these Keto barbecue chicken meatballs and you’ll be a winner for sure. These bite-sized chicken meatballs are cooked for hours in a homemade barbecue sauce. The sauce is a little thinner than barbecue sauce that comes from a bottle since there’s less sugar in it, but it perfectly coats each meatball for a low-mess group snack. You can serve the meatballs warm with toothpicks or tiny serving forks!

What makes a barbecue sauce?

Barbecue sauce can vastly range in flavors depending on the region you live in and your personal tastes. It may even vary based on what you’re putting the barbecue sauce on! Most barbecue sauces will have a tomato base with flavors of beef added. Spices will typically include black or white pepper, garlic, and clove. You are welcome to adjust the flavors of this recipe’s barbecue sauce to suit your taste.

Why is there mayonnaise and flax in my meatballs?

It may seem a little odd at first, but the Keto diet calls for some creativity every now and then. Mayonnaise actually works very well as a binder if used in moderation, plus it adds fat to your meal. Ground flaxseeds also act as a binder by absorbing moisture and congealing. These ingredients will keep your meatballs together, moist, and at the perfect texture.

Tips for a thicker barbecue sauce

If you want a thicker barbecue sauce, you can work on this at two stages. In Step 1 of the recipe, reduce your sauce even further or omit some of the beef broth (you might have a little less sauce to work with though). In Step 4, after cooking the meatballs, you can continue cooking the sauce at a high heat with the lid OFF the crockpot until it thickens to your liking.

Net Carbs

0.7 g
Fiber

0.3 g
Total Carbs

1.7 g
Protein

7 g
Fats

4.5 g

72 cals

Quantity

Serving Size

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Beef broth

0.75 cup
Tomato sauce

4 fl oz
Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp
Red wine vinegar

1 tsp
Tapioca Flour

1.5 tsp
Brown Sugar Replacement

1 tbsp
Salt

0.5 tsp
Black pepper

0.25 tsp
Garlic powder

0.13 tsp
Onion powder

0.25 tsp
Ginger, ground

0.13 tsp
Cloves, ground

0.13 tsp
Nutmeg Ground

0.13 tsp
Ground chicken meat

1 lb
Mayonnaise

2 tbsp
Flaxseed / Linseed (Powder / Ground / Milled)

2 tsp
Salt

0.5 tsp
Black pepper

0.25 tsp
Italian seasoning

0.25 tsp
Onion powder

0.25 tsp
Parsley, dried

1 tsp

Step 1

Make the barbecue sauce by combining beef broth, tomato sauce, worcestershire, red wine vinegar, tapioca flour, brown sugar substitute, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, ground ginger, ground clove, and ground nutmeg in a saucepan. Whisk the ingredients together over medium heat while the sauce simmers and reduces. Cook until the sauce can leave a thin, glossy layer on the back of a metal spoon.
Step 2

Leave the barbecue sauce aside to cool and thicken a little more. Add ground chicken, mayonnaise, ground flax, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, onion powder, and parsley to a large mixing bowl. Mix the ingredients together to make the meatball mixture, then leave the mixture aside for 5 minutes to rest and thicken as well.
Step 3

Ladle some of the barbecue sauce in the bottom of a crockpot - enough to coat the bottom in a thin layer. Next, form the chicken mixture into 2-tablespoon meatballs. Place each meatball in the bottom of the crockpot. Once all the meatballs are formed in the crockpot, pour the remaining barbecue sauce over the meatballs.
Step 4

Cook the barbecue meatballs in your crockpot at high heat for 4 hours. You may cook for longer to thicken the barbecue sauce more at your discretion. Serve the meatballs with toothpicks straight from the crockpot or in a serving bowl.