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.
Print
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
Elisabeth says
This recipe is a keeper! I too doubled the sauce, used Sambal Olek for the chilis, and served my husband’s over jasmine rice. I will definitely be using this sauce for other stir fry dishes! Perfect combination of sweet, spicy, and sour!
Tasanee Campbell says
Made these tonight. Turned out so good, big hit with my little ones. Left out the almond flour in favor of another egg and a 1/2 c of parm.
Thanks
Tara says
I have to say, I am super excited about this recipe. I’ve been craving Chinese food something fierce (especially after all of the holiday flavors). This recipe is on my short list to make! Thanks for sharing!
Naomi says
Oh, man, I had this for dinner over cauli rice. So delicious! One complaint though: the sauce has a slimy mouth feel. Is that to be expected with xanthan gum?
Naomi says
I also used fat free turkey and had a mess. My solution: Patted the mass of turkey mixture onto a silicone-lined baking sheet in a rectangular shape. Using a large knife I cut it into 16 portions, separating the portions with the knife so that the scraping of the knife made a clean break from the rest of the turkey. I then just used my fingers to neaten up the meatball squares. Was thinking of leaving them in the square shapes because they would lie on a flat side easily while cooking, easier to flip to cook another flat side. I left them resting on the silicone mat and placed in the freezer. When they are fully frozen I will bag them up for freezer storage. It was much faster than trying to shape into balls. Now I can’t wait to cook and eat them!
Marguerite O says
Made these tonight and turned out fabulous! My husband, oldest son & I ate every last one. Neither of them eats LCHF so I served theirs with rice & only modification I made was to double the sauce. We ate it all. Thanks for all the great recipes!
Tom says
Wow! These are the best thing ever! I didn’t think 4 meatballs would be enough, but with a side salad, they are so flavorful, it was very satisfying. I want to put that sauce on everything!
Erica says
Can this sauce be frozen?
Mellissa Sevigny says
Technically yes, but I haven’t personally tried it and I’m not sure if it will affect the texture when thawed. Let us know how it works out if you try it!
Jillian says
I just cooked these tonight and they turned out perfect!!! I subbed ground corn starch since I didn’t have xanthan gum, but the sauce came out restaurant-quality. Thanks Mellissa!
Amanda Poppen says
Could I use ground beef instead of chicken or turkey? I’m in a time crunch for dinner tonight and don’t have either chicken nor turkey ground lol Only beef and pork! I know nutritional value will be different, but will it totally change the taste to something gross? Or should I be ok? lol
Mellissa Sevigny says
Sorry I didn’t get this last night Amanda! Did you end up going with the beef and how was it if so? I don’t think it would ruin it, just a slightly stronger flavor than chicken or turkey for future reference!
Louann says
I used ground beef in mine because I prefer it to chicken or turkey. I doubt there was any real difference. The sauce is most of the flavor anyway.
S says
You have to make these.. delicious. .. ..