This is a great change in flavor from the regular meals I usually make that are rich and hearty. These meatballs are extremely fresh and flavorful in their own way, bringing the bell pepper and lime to the forefront of each and every bite. They were such a treat to have while the snow was blowing outside, reminding us that spring is just around the corner.
You can even serve these as a party appetizer like I did by adding a dab of guacamole underneath the meatballs and then sticking a skewer through them. Or, you know, a toothpick if you don’t have any of those fancy mini-skewers. They work wonders and people just love them.
The guacamole goes great with these and is super simple to make. Seriously – it takes just about 30 seconds to whip this stuff together. Even if you don’t want to make the meatballs, you can use this fool-proof guac to slab on to just about anything you’d like.
Note: If you need to get more fat into your meal, you can easily serve more guac with the meatballs. Or, mix some mayonnaise into the guacamole for a creamier and more filling entree. You could even use fattier ground chicken – so if you go this route go for 20% fat/80% protein.
Yields 3 Servings of Low Carb Chili Lime Meatballs
The Preparation
Meatballs:
- 2 ounces cheddar cheese
- 1/2 medium red bell pepper
- 30 grams green onion
- 16 ounces ground chicken
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 medium lime, juiced and zested
- 2 tablespoons almond flour
- 2 tablespoons flaxseed meal
Guacamole:
- 1 medium avocado
- 1/2 medium lime, juiced
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and pepper, to taste
The Execution
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Shred 2 oz. Cheddar Cheese and set aside in a bowl.
2. Prep all of the vegetables – finely chop 1/2 red bell pepper and 2 spring onions.
3. Add ground chicken and vegetables to the bowl the with cheese. Chop 2 tbsp. cilantro and add to the bowl. Season with spices.
4. Juice 1/2 lime into the chicken meatball mixture, then zest the lime and add in the zest. I find it really easily with a lemon/lime juicer.
5. Add 2 tbsp. almond flour and flaxseed meal, then mix everything together well.
6. Roll out the meatballs as uniform as you can get them and bake for 15-18 minutes or until cooked through.
7. Make the simple guacamole by mashing together avocado, lime juice, garlic powder, and salt and pepper to taste.
8. Serve with simple guac for a delicious meal.
This makes a total of 3 servings of Low-Carb Chile-Lime Meatballs. Each serving comes out to be 462 calories, 32.1g fats, 5.7g net carbs, and 34.3g protein.
| NUTRITION | CALORIES | FAT | CARBS | FIBER | NET CARBS | PROTEIN |
| 2 ounce cheddar cheese | 229 | 18.9 | 1.8 | 0 | 1.8 | 13 |
| 1/2 medium red bell pepper | 18 | 0.2 | 3.5 | 1.2 | 2.3 | 0.6 |
| 30 gram green onion | 10 | 0.1 | 2.2 | 0.8 | 1.4 | 0.5 |
| 16 ounce ground chicken | 649 | 36.7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 79.1 |
| 2 tablespoon fresh cilantro | 0 | 0 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder | 5 | 0 | 1.2 | 0.1 | 1 | 0.3 |
| 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes | 3 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.1 |
| 1/2 teaspoon salt | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1/2 medium lime | 10 | 0.1 | 3.5 | 0.9 | 2.6 | 0.2 |
| 2 tablespoon almond flour | 81 | 7 | 3.1 | 1.8 | 1.3 | 2.9 |
| 2 tablespoon flaxseed meal | 69 | 5.5 | 3.8 | 3.5 | 0.3 | 2.3 |
| 1 medium avocado | 301 | 27.7 | 15.6 | 12.2 | 3.3 | 3.5 |
| 1/2 medium lime | 10 | 0.1 | 3.5 | 0.9 | 2.6 | 0.2 |
| 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder | 3 | 0 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 0.1 |
| — salt and pepper | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Totals | 1387 | 96.4 | 39.2 | 22 | 17.2 | 103 |
| Per Serving (/3) | 462 | 32.1 | 13.1 | 7.3 | 5.7 | 34.3 |
Low-Carb Chile-Lime Meatballs
Ingredients
Meatballs:
- 2 ounce cheddar cheese
- ½ medium red bell pepper
- 30 gram green onion
- 16 ounce ground chicken
- 2 tablespoon fresh cilantro chopped
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ medium lime juiced and zested
- 2 tablespoon almond flour
- 2 tablespoon flaxseed meal
Guacamole:
- 1 medium avocado
- ½ medium lime juiced
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Shred the cheddar cheese into a bowl and set aside.
- Finely chop the bell pepper and green onions.
- Add the ground chicken and vegetables to the bowl the with cheese. Chop the cilantro and add it in. Season with garlic powder, crushed red pepper, and salt.
- Add the lime juice and zest. I find it most comfortable to use a lemon/lime juicer for this step.
- Add the almond flour and flaxseed meal and mix everything together well.
- Shape the mixture into meatballs, making them as uniform as possible. Bake for 15–18 minutes or until cooked through.
- Make the simple guacamole by mashing together the avocado, lime juice, garlic powder, and salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve the meatballs on top of the simple guac for a delicious meal.
