These Keto General Tso’s Meatballs are easy to make and family friendly. Delicious hot or cold, these sweet and spicy keto meatballs are also perfect for meal prep for lunches all week long!
Keto General Tso’s Meatballs guys – you’re gonna want to make these STAT.
These keto General Tso’s meatballs are inspired by the popular Chinese takeout dish that consists of fried chicken chunks in an addicting sauce that is both sweet and spicy.
I’ve taken all the flavors of the classic favorite and jammed them into these little gems of poultry bliss!
One of the things I love about these sweet and spicy keto meatballs is that they are equally delicious either hot or cold. Maybe I’m just weird that way, but I enjoy them right out of the fridge – no heating needed. Which makes them super convenient to take them for lunch on the go when you don’t have the option to warm them up.
I’m including some answers to frequently asked questions in the section below. If I’ve missed anything feel free to put your question in the comments and I’ll do my best to answer them.
What is the best ground meat to use for these keto meatballs?
I recommend that you use ground chicken or turkey for the most authentic flavor in these keto General Tso’s Meatballs, but ground pork would also work nicely.
In a pinch, you could use ground beef, but the stronger flavor of the meat won’t work as well with this particular sauce in my opinion.
Are keto meatballs gluten free?
The majority of my recipes here on IBIH are gluten free. These particular meatballs can be made with regular soy sauce if that’s what you have on hand and a small amount of gluten isn’t an issue for you.
Traditional soy sauce is a no-no for Paleo and Celiacs, so if you want to make sure these keto meatballs are gluten free, you can substitute a tamari-based gluten free soy sauce, or coconut aminos for the soy sauce in this recipe with excellent results.
Substitutions for this recipe
- Typically, General Tso’s chicken contains blisteringly hot dried peppers, but if you can’t get them, or you don’t like it too hot, you can use fresh chili’s instead and adjust the amount to your preference. Another option is to use crushed red pepper flakes, but the flavor won’t be as authentic.
- If you are Paleo, you can substitute honey for the granulated sweetener, and arrowroot powder (or another preferred thickener) for the xanthan gum. I don’t recommend omitting the thickener altogether in this recipe, because the sauce won’t cling to the meatballs as well and it won’t have that authentic sticky feel – however, the flavor will be just as good!
- If you are allergic to almonds, you can replace the almond flour with sunflower seed flour, hemp hearts, or crushed pork rinds to use as your binder in this keto meatball recipe.
Serving suggestions for Keto General Tso’s Meatballs
Finally, and I’m not trying to tell you how to live your life here, but these keto General Tso’s Meatballs go perfectly with my Coconut Lime Cauliflower Rice to soak up that sticky, yummy sauce.
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General Tso’s Meatballs (Low Carb & Gluten Free)
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Diet: Diabetic
Description
These keto General Tso’s Meatballs have all of the flavors and textures of the classic Chinese takeout favorite! Low carb and gluten free, there are also Paleo substitutions available.
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- 1 lb ground turkey or chicken
- 2 tablespoons minced ginger
- 1/4 cup scallions, chopped
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 cup almond flour
- 1 egg
- light flavored oil for frying
For the General Tso’s Sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
- 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar (unseasoned and sugar free)
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce (tamari based for GF, or coconut aminos for Paleo)
- 1/4 cup water
- 3 tablespoons sugar substitute (I like Swerve for keto, honey for Paleo)
- 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum (or arrowroot powder)
- 1/4 cup scallions, chopped
- 4 – 5 small dried chilies, seeded and chopped (or 1 tablespoon of crushed red pepper flakes)
Instructions
To make the meatballs:
- Combine all of the meatball ingredients and mix thoroughly.
- Form into 16 balls about 1 inch in diameter.
- Fry in hot oil over medium heat until cooked through and crispy.
**Alternatively you could bake them but they won’t get the crunchy exterior.
To make the sauce:
- Combine the sesame oil, vinegar, GF soy sauce, water, sugar substitute, and xanthan gum in a small saucepan and whisk until combined.
- Add the scallions and chili pepper and bring to a boil.
- Simmer for five minutes or until thickened, and remove from heat.
To serve:
- Add the cooked meatballs to the thickened sauce and stir to coat.
- Garnish with more chopped scallions and chilis if desired.
Notes
Approximate net carbs per serving = 4g
To lower the fat and calories, use extra lean ground turkey, and bake rather than fry them.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Keto meatballs
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Chinese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 meatballs
- Calories: 322
- Fat: 25g
- Carbohydrates: 5g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 23g
More Keto Meatball Recipes
Keto Spinach & Artichoke Dip Meatballs
Keto Chicken Piccata Meatballs
Keto Turkey Saltimbocca Meatballs
Bev says
Delish…..thanks for sharing!
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks Bev, still one of my faves too!
E. says
I made these for dinner tonight and they were so good! I didn’t have chilies on hand but I had a jalapeno so I just used one instead and it worked great. I also loved your parmigiana meatballs…buffalo balls are next!!
Mellissa Sevigny says
Dawn I think that Renee is referring to the recipe for Asian Meatballs in my cookbook, The Gluten Free Low Carber.
Mellissa Sevigny says
Hi Renee, yes you use a one to one ratio of anything that measures cup for cup like sugar. You can also find out on the website of whatever sweetener you are using – for example the equal site if you enter 2 Tbsp of sugar it will tell you how much equal to use in the recipe. Hope you like them! :)
Laurie says
These were very tasty. The sauce was too gelatinous for me though so I will use 1/2 tsp xanthan gum next time. I look forward to making some of your other meatball recipes next week. Thank you!
Laurie says
oops I mean 1/4 tsp
McDonna says
These were easy to prepare and – my OH my! – so delicious! We are in Atkins Induction right now, so I left out the almond flour, and used ground beef and minced onion since that’s what I had on hand. Scooped the meat mixture up by the tablespoonfuls and fried them in coconut oil.
For the sauce, I used olive oil and apple cider vinegar, along with Bragg’s Aminos instead of regular soy sauce and rice wine vinegar. Also used organic stevia as the sweetener. Was pretty sure the whole thing was going to taste as amazing as it smelled, and it did NOT disappoint!
This was my first experience working with chilies. **What an adventure!** Next time I will wear gloves to handle the dried chilies, as two days later my finger tips, cuticles and hands would still “light up” every time they came in contact with water! And should I mention that – of course – my nose started itching while preparing the chilies, and somehow – still don’t know how – the membranes of my nose came in contact with airborne chilie dust or something! My whole head tingled and my nose BURNED! LOL Then when we ate the meatballs, I definitely realized that the chilies I bought from my Asian market were still the fiery kind…not the flavorful-but-not-too-hot dried chilies I was trying to buy! In all fairness, my husband said the chilies were plenty warm but not hot, according to his tastes. But my lips, tongue, throat and stomach…all the way through…were keenly aware of a chilie pepper invasion!
The meatballs were too delicious to let a bit of fire keep me from enjoying them, however. Glad I made a double recipe. Hubs had them for both breakfast and lunch the next day! Will definitely make these again, this time with more respect for the red chilies and their fire! LOL
Mellissa Sevigny says
I probably should have put in a warning about handling the chilis – I learned that the hard way myself after the first time! Glad you all liked the recipe though, and thanks for taking the time to comment! :)
shawna talkington says
I have never worked with dried chili’s give me some pointers and what to look for at the store and how to prepare them please
Mellissa Sevigny says
You can use red pepper flakes if it’s easier!
Rachel Horowitz says
I was wondering if one could substitute red pepper flakes. How much do you suggest? I realize that spicy is subjective, though.
Additionally, do you think these would turn out well with a meatloaf mix (pork, veal, beef)? Obviously, I’d have to figure out the nutritional info for myself, but I do that all the time with recipes. (I’m on the Atkins Diet)
This looks like a really tasty recipe!
Mellissa Sevigny says
I would start with a 1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes and go up from there depending on how spicy you want it Rachel! And I think pretty much any ground meat would work in these! Enjoy! :)
Cindy {crazloucreations} says
Just stopping by to let you know that I am featuring this on my PINTASTIC Friday blog post today, Friday, May 10th. Stop over and say hello!
Cindy @ crazyloucreations.blogspot.com
Beverly says
These are in the oven right now! I am a lazy pants, so I pretty much just guesstimated amounts of everything, but it smells delicious!
looseal says
Awesome! Made this tonight with broccoli. Next time I am going to double the sauce to have over Asian vegetables.
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks, glad you liked it! This sauce would definitely work in ginormous quantities over anything – especially some kind of stir fry or veggie side dish!
Raymond says
I made this last night. Can you say, “Party in my mouth?!” My wife and I enjoyed it with jasmine rice and broccoli.
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks Raymond! :)