Keto Sausage Balls
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These easy to make keto sausage balls are the perfect morning breakfast or game day appetizer. With more flavor than traditional sausage balls (and way less carbs since we don’t use almond flour), you’ll want to batch cook and freeze them for a quick and easy meal any time.
Sausage balls are the perfect pairing for eggs and fruit in the morning, served with various dipping sauces as an appetizer, or snacked on by themselves. The spices and pork panko in this recipe add a flavor intensity you just won’t get with other sausage balls. If you like even more spice, use a spicy sausage like chorizo to add a little more zing. But, with how much flavor these little balls have, regular sausage or even ground chicken or turkey are perfect.
Using only one bowl to mix the ingredients and foil to line your pan, clean up takes less than five minutes. You can even make your sausage balls in the air fryer and get them on the table even quicker.
How to make keto sausage balls
- Add all of the ingredients to a large bowl and mix until combined.
- Roll the sausage mixture into 1 to 1 ¼ inch size balls and place them about ½ inch apart on a foil lined baking tray.
- Bake the keto sausage balls at 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes. Or Air fry at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes.
PRO TIP: Use a cookie scoop to easily measure uniform 1 inch sausage balls.
Key ingredients & swaps
- Ground sausage – The possibilities are endless. Use your favorite ground breakfast sausage or substitute with ground turkey or chicken if you prefer. The flavor will be slightly different if not using sausage, but still delicious!
- Cream cheese – Helps to bind the sausage balls together and adds the perfect amount of creaminess.
- Shredded cheddar cheese – Cheddar cheese is traditional, but feel free to use other types like pepper jack, parmesan cheese or colby to change up the flavor. If you don’t have shredded cheese, you can crumble up or shred block cheese for the same effect.
- Pork panko – To make your own pork panko, just grind pork rinds until they reach bread crumb consistency. You can also use almond flour or coconut flour in place of the pork panko. Use 1 cup of almond flour or 1/3 cup cup coconut flour for your low carb sausage ball.
- Seasonings – This cream cheese sausage ball recipe uses garlic powder, onion powder and cayenne pepper for flavoring. Feel free to omit or swap out any of the seasonings. Want a basic sausage ball? Omit all seasoning. Want Italian sausage balls? Add Italian seasoning!
Keto Sausage Balls Ingredients:
- 1 pound ground sausage
- 3 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup pork panko
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 3 green onions, chopped
Keto Sausage Balls Directions:
To a large bowl, add ground sausage, softened cream cheese, shredded cheese, pork panko, baking powder, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, cayenne pepper and sliced green onions. Mix with an electric mixer until combined.
Using a cookie scoop or your hands, scoop or roll into 1 inch sized balls and place about ½ inch apart on a foil lined baking tray. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 12-15 minutes or until sausage is cooked through.
Air fry at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until sausage is cooked through.
What are sausage balls?
Sausage balls are an incredibly versatile dish that can be eaten as a quick breakfast, easy meal, or a quick and easy appetizer.
Traditionally, sausage is combined with Bisquick and seasonings, but this keto version of sausage balls uses pork panko to cut down on carbs while maximizing flavor. Most other keto recipes use almond flour in place of flour.
Sausage balls make for a delicious breakfast but can also be served with various dips (see my recommendations below) and enjoyed as a crowd-pleasing appetizer or snack.
Storage information & meal prep instructions
These sausage balls as perfect for meal prepping, preparing ahead of time, and freezing in bulk. One batch makes 24 one-inch balls. Double or triple the recipe to batch cook and freeze for later.
You can easily prepare the balls and freeze or refrigerate them to cook at a later time. Just lay the prepared raw sausage balls on a baking sheet and freeze, then place them in an airtight container or freezer bag until you’re ready to cook them. To thaw, remove from the freezer the night before and thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Cook as directed.
You can also fully cook these sausage balls and refrigerate them for 3-5 days before reheating and eating, or freeze them for up to 3 months. Reheat by preheating the oven to 350 degrees and baking for 15 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
Keto Sausage Balls: FAQS
How many carbs are in a keto sausage ball?
Each keto sausage ball has only 0.4 gram of carbohydrate.
How do you get sausage balls to stick together?
The cream cheese in these sausage balls helps the balls stick together. If the mixture seems dry, add water, one teaspoon at a time, until the mixture becomes sticky enough to roll into balls.
Is sausage good on keto?
Sausage and other meats are perfect for the keto diet as they are high in protein and satisfying fat while being carb-free.
Nutritional information & Macros
Keto Sausage Balls
Servings: 24
| Amount Per Serving | |
|---|---|
| Calories | 98 |
| Fat | 8.9g |
| Protein | 5.7g |
| Total Carbs | 0.5g |
| Net Carbs | 0.4g |
