These Keto Shepherd’s Pie Meatballs contain all of the comforting flavors of a traditional Shepherd’s Pie, in a fun new low carb meatball format! They’re dairy free too!
Earlier this week I posted the base layer for these keto shepherd’s pie meatballs, the Keto Cheddar Leek Cauliflower Puree. If you read that post, you know that this dish is inspired by a Shepherd’s Pie I had in London at The Windmill in Mayfair.
Fun fact: Shepherd’s Pie is traditionally made with ground or minced lamb. Which makes sense, because Shepherd’s work with sheep, not cows. Growing up in New England, my mom made a dish she always called Shepherd’s Pie, but it was made with ground beef, topped with a layer of corn kernels, and then mashed potatoes.
As kids we loved it, but it wasn’t technically Shepherd’s Pie. A meat pie made in that way is typically called Cottage Pie.
Now you know…
Because lamb can have a strong, gamey flavor that can be off-putting to some, I mixed the meat in these meatballs with a 50/50 mix of beef and lamb. That gave them just enough lamb flavor to be authentic and delicious, but not so much as to be overpowering.
That being said, if you can get lamb and love the flavor, you can certainly use all lamb in this recipe. And if you can’t get lamb at all, or it’s too pricey in your area to make it worth it, then you can mix pork and beef, or even go all beef if you prefer.
Then I guess they would be Cottage Meatballs…. 😂
These Keto Shepherd’s Pie Meatballs are flavored with the classic Worcestershire sauce, thyme, and a small amount of minced carrot for authenticity.
Worcestershire sauce is technically not gluten free because it can contain soy sauce or malt vinegar which both contain gluten. If that’s a concern for you then you can replace it with Coconut Aminos, which have a similar flavor profile and no gluten.
The sauce for these Keto Shepherd’s Pie Meatballs gets its red color from tomato paste, and also contains tangy Worcestershire sauce, some ground mustard, and chicken broth – among other things.
The end result, especially when served over the Keto Cheddar Leek Cauliflower Mash, is comfortingly authentic and ultra satisfying to tuck into.
These keto meatballs are a fun departure from the typical layered Shepherd’s pie format, and are pretty easy to execute.
Mr. Hungry was a huge fan, and he’s pretty tough to please when it comes to meatballs. So if he’s any indication, then keto or not your family will likely enjoy these Keto Shepherd’s Pie Meatballs too!
“We don’t need to go to London anymore, these are amazing.” – Mr. Hungry
As always, I love getting your feedback on my recipes, so let me know if this one was a hit with your tribe too!
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Keto Shepherd’s Pie Meatballs
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
These Keto Shepherd’s Pie Meatballs contain all of the comforting flavors of the classic shepherd’s pie, in a fun new low carb meatball format!
Ingredients
For the meatballs:
- 1 pound ground beef (80/20)
- 1 pound ground lamb
- 1/2 cup super fine blanched almond flour
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon finely grated carrot
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil for frying
For the sauce:
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 1/4 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
Instructions
To make the meatballs:
- Put all of the meatball ingredients (except for the oil) into a medium-sized bowl. Mix well with your hands, and then form into 18 meatballs, about 2 inches in diameter.
- Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat for about 2 minutes, or until the oil is shimmering.
- Add the meatballs and cook for about 3 minutes, then turn over with tongs and cook for an additional 3 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Remove the meatballs from the pan and set aside.
To make the sauce:
- Add all of the sauce ingredients to the same skillet you cooked the meatballs in and stir well.
- Bring the sauce to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium and add the meatballs back to the pan and stir to coat in the sauce.
- Simmer the sauce for 10 minutes, or until it has thickened and reduced by about one third, and the meatballs are cooked through.
- Serve hot, preferably over a serving of Keto Cheddar Leek Cauliflower Mash.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes
Approximate net carbs per serving = 3g.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Keto Meatball Recipes
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: British
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3 meatballs + 3 T sauce
- Calories: 391
- Fat: 28g
- Carbohydrates: 4g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 18g
Keywords: Keto Meatballs, Shepherd’s Pie Meatballs, Meatballs
Jennifer says
Absolutely delicious!! And I made it with the leek cheddar cauli mash and it was amazing! Thanks for your awesome recipes!
★★★★★
Tammy says
Winner winner, meatball dinner!! One of the best meatball recipes I have tried in a very long time. Very tender and so flavourful. I served it with your Keto Cheddar Leek Cauliflower Mash using Kerrygold sharp aged cheddar and green onions instead of leeks because I couldn’t find any decent leeks.
★★★★★
Tammy says
Oh and I forgot to mention that I used all beef.
Debbie Harkins Whitehurst says
I love this recipe. I typically don’t have lamp on hand and use all beef instead and it’s still delicious. Love it with the Cauliflower Mash with Leeks.
★★★★★
Susan says
We LOVE lamb, but for reasons that matter not, we didn’t have any. I used 2 pounds of a beef, pork, veal mixture. Made the leek Cali mash. Doubled the sauce. OUTSTANDING!!! Honestly, people need to follow your way of making cauliflower mashed potatoes…. you have it down to a science!
★★★★★
Mellissa Sevigny says
Yay! So happy you loved these as much as we did!
Kara says
If I could’ve found lamb, I would’ve loved to incorporate that, such a bummer. However, the meatballs are still delicious, AND I whipped up a batch of the cheddar leek cauliflower mash, and WOW. Flavor explosion. They go together extremely well!
Jessica says
I’m not a fan of lamb, so I just used 2lbs of ground beef, and this was a delicious recipe. I’ve been looking to get away from my normal rotation and this was a great break away.
★★★★★
Mellissa Sevigny says
So glad you liked it!!!
alilduckling says
Tried this last night and it was wonderful!. What you call sauce, we call gravy – which we get very little of! Will be trying more meatball recipes!
ryvir says
Lamb in any form costs an arm and a leg here so I subbed ground turkey. This is probably my favorite meal that I’ve made from your blog. I could put this sauce on anything.
★★★★★
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks for letting us know that it works well with ground turkey! So happy you’re enjoying this recipe as much as we did!
Marilyn says
Can the xantham gum be omitted or substituted?
Mellissa Sevigny says
The xanthan gum helps the sauce thicken and cling to the meatballs – if you omit it the sauce will be more watery but still tasty. You can sub another thickener if you have a preference.
Penny R says
My meatballs fell apart, so I just mixed them up with the sauce and it became a meat sauce! Really good. Heated it in the microwave at work and everyone was walking around saying what smells so good!!!!
Rob says
Do you think 1/8 cup coconut flour might work in place of the almond flour? Or maybe psyllium husks or pork rinds? Kiddo is nut-allergic.
Mellissa Sevigny says
You could try coconut flour, or if he’s not allergic to them try hemp hearts – it’s my new favorite non-nut meatball filler!
Sarah in CA says
What would you recommend as a substitute for the lamb? Lamb is extraordinary expensive and hard to find in any form much lass ground. I plan of making this recipe very soon. My daughter is gluten free and dairy free. Recipes are hard to come by that fit her medical needs. your site is one of those gems I can count on.
Thanks so much.
Mellissa Sevigny says
As mentioned in the post, you can sub pork for lamb or just do all beef – either will work fine! Turkey would probably also work if that’s more readily available in your area. Hope you and your daughter both enjoy them!
Sarah in CA says
Thaks so much. i saw the different options, I was just wondering which would be the most simnilar to lamb. I have plenty of ground turkey on hand. I’ll give that a try. This will be the third time making this recipe. Fantastic flavor.
★★★★★