It’s easy to keep them gluten-free and low-carb by avoiding fillers such as breadcrumbs and opting for sugar-free ketchup and maple syrup when making the sauce. I love all kinds of meatballs, including turkey meatballs, pork meatballs, and chicken meatballs. But these cocktail meatballs are especially fun because of their size. They are also extra flavorful, thanks to the simple yet delicious three-ingredient sauce. In fact, I like these meatballs so much, that I often serve them to my family for dinner. Why wait until we host when we can enjoy them whenever we feel like it? They truly are very easy to make.
Ingredients
Instructions
Recipe Card
Olive oil spray: You’ll use it to grease the pan and lightly spray the meatballs before baking them. This is an optional ingredient - I don’t always use it. Ground beef: I use lean ground beef (85/15). To season: Kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. I often add chili powder, too. For the sauce: Ketchup (regular or unsweetened), Dijon mustard, and maple syrup (real or sugar-free).
Place the ground beef and spices in a bowl and mix them together. Form the mixture into 24 small meatballs. Arrange the meatballs on a parchment-lined, rimmed baking sheet. Bake them for 10 minutes at 400°F. Add the cooked meatballs to the sauce and turn to coat. Transfer them to a serving platter, brush them with more sauce (I use a pastry brush), and serve. On the other hand, I prefer to bake them first, because this ensures they are fully and evenly cooked. So, instead of adding the cooked meatballs to the sauce and simmering them, I simmer the sauce while the meatballs are in the oven, and then simply add them to the sauce and turn to coat. You can also serve them for dinner. I like to serve them on top of mashed cauliflower, and again, I don’t let any of the sauce go to waste – I pour any extra sauce on top of the meatballs. I also sometimes serve these meatballs with a side of creamed spinach, as shown in the photo below. You can also freeze them for up to three months. Spread them on a wax paper-lined tray and freeze them for a few hours. Once frozen, you can place them in freezer bags and thaw a few at a time.
