Keto Mini Meatballs for Raclette and Table Grills - No Breadcrumbs
Keto mini meatballs for raclette are walnut-sized balls of ground meat that you press flat and cook directly on the grill plate - instead of a soaked bread roll, an egg, ground almonds, Parmesan and a teaspoon of psyllium husk hold the mixture together. Hidden in the middle is a cube of mountain cheese that melts while they grill. Per person you end up with about 1.5 g net carbs, and now that the autumn evenings are drawing in, it is exactly the right time to dig the raclette machine out of the cupboard.
The key facts at a glance
- Time required: approx. 50 minutes - 30 minutes preparation, 10 minutes preheating and 10 minutes grilling at the table - ideal for getting ready ahead of the raclette evening.
- Approx. 1.5 g net carbs and 41 g fat per person.
- Ingredients: mixed ground meat, egg, ground almonds, Parmesan, psyllium husk, mustard, marjoram and mountain cheese.
- Suits raclette and table grills as the meat component, New Year's Eve, Christmas and any table with kids.
Ingredients
One serving is 7 to 8 mini meatballs (approx. 150 g cooked) as the meat component of a raclette evening for 4 people.
| Amount | Ingredient | Note | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| mixed ground meat | beef and pork, use on the day you buy it | |||
| beef and pork, use on the day you buy it | ||||
| egg (medium) | - | |||
| ground almonds | blanched, replaces the bread roll | |||
| blanched, replaces the bread roll | ||||
| Parmesan | finely grated | |||
| finely grated | ||||
| psyllium husk | approx. 1 heaped tsp | |||
| approx. 1 heaped tsp | ||||
| onion | approx. 1/2 small onion, finely grated | |||
| approx. 1/2 small onion, finely grated | ||||
| medium-hot mustard | approx. 1 tbsp | |||
| approx. 1 tbsp | ||||
| dried marjoram | approx. 1 tsp | |||
| approx. 1 tsp | ||||
| salt | - | |||
| pepper | freshly ground | |||
| freshly ground | ||||
| mountain cheese (e.g. Gruyère) | cut into approx. 30 cubes of 1.2 cm | |||
| cut into approx. 30 cubes of 1.2 cm | ||||
| rapeseed oil | approx. 2 tsp, for the grill plate | |||
| approx. 2 tsp, for the grill plate | ||||
How it is made
-
Prepare the onion and cheese
approx. 5 minutesDone Amount Icon Ingredient 40 g onion approx. 1/2 small onion, finely grated 80 g mountain cheese (e.g. Gruyère) cut into approx. 30 cubes of 1.2 cm Peel the onion (40 g) and grate it finely. Cut the mountain cheese (80 g) into about 30 cubes with 1.2 cm sides.
-
Mix and rest the meat mixture
approx. 13 minutesDone Amount Icon Ingredient 500 g mixed ground meat beef and pork, use on the day you buy it 30 g ground almonds blanched, replaces the bread roll 20 g Parmesan finely grated 5 g psyllium husk approx. 1 heaped tsp 15 g medium-hot mustard approx. 1 tbsp 1 g dried marjoram approx. 1 tsp 0.5 tsp salt 0.3 tsp pepper freshly ground Knead the ground meat (500 g) thoroughly with the egg (1 piece), ground almonds (30 g), Parmesan (20 g), psyllium husk (5 g), onion, mustard (15 g), marjoram (1 g), salt (0.5 tsp) and pepper (0.25 tsp). Leave to rest for 10 minutes so the psyllium husk can swell and bind the mixture.
-
Shape the mini meatballs
approx. 12 minutesWith wet hands, take about 20 g of the mixture at a time, press a cube of mountain cheese into it and wrap it completely in meat. Roll into a ball and press it into a 1.5 cm thick patty. This makes about 30.
-
Prepare the grill plate
10 minutesDone Amount Icon Ingredient 10 ml rapeseed oil approx. 2 tsp, for the grill plate Preheat the raclette machine for 10 minutes and brush the grill plate thinly with rapeseed oil (10 ml). Only put the meatballs on once they sizzle clearly as they touch the plate.
-
Grill at the table
8-10 minutesPut 8 to 10 mini meatballs at a time on the grill plate and fry for 4 to 5 minutes until they release by themselves. Turn and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes. The core must reach at least 70 °C; the meat is then grey all the way through.
You did it! Enjoy every delicious bite.
Which tips help with mini meatballs on the raclette grill plate?
- Shape the balls no bigger than a walnut and press them to 1.5 cm, or they stay raw inside.
- Grate the onion finely instead of dicing it; coarse pieces make the small patties fall apart.
- Shape them with wet hands so the mixture does not stick and the surface stays smooth.
- Wrap the cube of mountain cheese completely in meat, or the cheese runs out onto the plate.
- Only turn them after 4 to 5 minutes, once the crust releases from the plate by itself.
- If in doubt, break one open: grey all the way through, juices clear.
Why are mini meatballs without breadcrumbs keto-friendly?
Classic German meatballs (Frikadellen) contain a soaked bread roll, often topped up with breadcrumbs. A roll of around 50 g brings about 25 g carbs into the mixture - with 500 g of ground meat that is 6 to 7 g per person from the binder alone. Here ground almonds, Parmesan and an egg do that job, and the teaspoon of psyllium husk soaks up the moisture the bread would otherwise absorb. That leaves approx. 1.5 g net carbs per person, coming almost entirely from the onion, mustard and almonds. Against that stand 41 g fat and 34 g protein - around 72 % of the energy comes from fat. Ground meat, mountain cheese and Parmesan are practically carb-free, as the entries in the German Nutrient Database show. That makes the mini meatballs the protein-rich counterpart to the vegetable and cheese pans of the raclette evening.
Source: Max Rubner Institute - German Nutrient Database (BLS) , Harvard T.H. Chan - The Nutrition Source: Fiber
Internal temperature: when is ground meat safely cooked through?
Mincing spreads bacteria right through ground meat, so it has to be cooked all the way through. The German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment recommends heating meat until the core reaches at least 70 °C for at least 2 minutes. That is exactly why these meatballs are kept walnut-sized and pressed to 1.5 cm: a patty that thick reliably reaches the core temperature on the grill plate after 8 to 10 minutes, whereas a full-sized meatball would burn on the outside before it is done inside. To check, break one open: the meat must be grey all the way through and the juices clear.
Source: BfR - Consumer tips: protection against food-borne infections in the home
Binding without bread: what almonds, Parmesan and psyllium do
The ground almonds add volume and a tender crumb, the Parmesan adds flavor and structure, and the egg glues everything together. Psyllium husk swells with the meat juices into a gel and stops the small patties from falling apart on the grill plate. Do not use more than a teaspoon, or the mixture turns rubbery. The 10-minute rest after mixing matters more than the exact amount.
How do I serve and vary the mini meatballs at raclette?
Put the shaped meatballs on a plate next to the grill plate so everyone can add more. Brush the grill plate thinly with oil and only put the patties on once it is properly hot, after 10 minutes of preheating. Turn them once after 4 to 5 minutes. In practice a standard raclette grill plate holds 8 to 10 mini meatballs at a time; load more and the plate cools down, so the patties stew rather than brown. For a second variation, put a grilled meatball into a raclette pan, top it with half a slice of raclette cheese and slide it under the grill for 4 minutes. Aioli, mustard or sugar-free ketchup go well alongside. In October and November, when raclette season starts, the mini meatballs are the uncomplicated meat side for family evenings.
Prepping ahead: what works the day before, and what doesn't?
Ground meat is best used on the day you buy it. Mixing the raw mixture and shaping the meatballs in the morning is fine, as long as they stay covered in the fridge below 4 °C until the evening. Leaving shaped raw meatballs overnight, on the other hand, is something I do not recommend. If you need a day's head start, fry the patties in a pan the day before over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes per side until they reach 70 °C (158 °F) in the center, cool them quickly and refrigerate them covered. In the evening they heat through on the grill plate in 4 to 5 minutes. Cooked meatballs keep for 2 to 3 days in the fridge and, cold with mustard, also make a good packed lunch for work.
Without pork or with a different cheese
Pure ground beef works instead of the mixed meat; it is leaner, so add a tablespoon of olive oil to the mixture to keep the small patties juicy. Ground lamb with a cube of feta instead of mountain cheese makes a Mediterranean version - swap the marjoram for oregano. If you need to avoid nuts, use double the amount of Parmesan instead of the ground almonds.
Nutrition values
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Per serving | Keto context |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calories | approx. 335 kcal | approx. 505 kcal | A filling meat component; with pans and vegetables it becomes a complete dinner. |
| A filling meat component; with pans and vegetables it becomes a complete dinner. | |||
| Fat | approx. 27 g | approx. 41 g | High fat share from the ground meat, mountain cheese and almonds - very well suited to keto. |
| High fat share from the ground meat, mountain cheese and almonds - very well suited to keto. | |||
| Net carbs | approx. 1 g | approx. 1.5 g | Close to zero. Leaving out the bread roll saves around 6 g per person. |
| Close to zero. Leaving out the bread roll saves around 6 g per person. | |||
| Sugar | approx. 0.6 g | approx. 1 g | Only natural sugar from the onion, mustard and almonds. |
| Only natural sugar from the onion, mustard and almonds. | |||
| Protein | approx. 22.5 g | approx. 34 g | High. Covers a large part of a meal's protein needs. |
| High. Covers a large part of a meal's protein needs. | |||
| Salt | approx. 1 g | approx. 1.5 g | Moderate. Together with raclette cheese the evening's salt adds up quickly, so do not add extra salt to the mixture. |
| Moderate. Together with raclette cheese the evening's salt adds up quickly, so do not add extra salt to the mixture. | |||
Note: Nutrition values are estimated averages per 100 g and per serving and may vary depending on ingredients, brands, portion size, and preparation. They do not replace individual nutrition or medical advice.
FAQ
Are meatballs without breadcrumbs keto-friendly?
Yes. Without bread and breadcrumbs they are almost nothing but meat, egg and cheese. These mini meatballs come to approx. 1.5 g net carbs per person with 41 g fat and 34 g protein.
What can I use instead of ground almonds or psyllium husk?
Instead of almonds, use double the amount of Parmesan or 2 tablespoons of ground hazelnuts. The mixture also works without psyllium husk - then work in an extra tablespoon of almonds or Parmesan so it does not get too soft.
Do the mini meatballs suit weight loss on keto?
Yes, as long as you keep an eye on the amount. A serving of about 7 to 8 mini meatballs provides around 505 kcal and 34 g protein and keeps you full for a long time. If you are also eating several cheese pans, it is better to halve the number of meatballs.
How long do mini meatballs take on the raclette?
Pressed flat to 1.5 cm, about 8 to 10 minutes on the preheated grill plate, turned once after 4 to 5 minutes. The core should reach at least 70 °C.
Can I also bake the meatballs with cheese in the raclette pan?
Yes. Put a grilled meatball into the pan, lay half a slice of raclette cheese on top and slide it under the grill for 4 minutes. Raw meatballs do not belong in the pan - they will not reliably cook through there. Every half slice of raclette cheese adds around 50 kcal.