One of my favorite low carb meals to cook for the family is this low carb meatloaf recipe. Let’s make it!
Who else has ground beef or ground turkey that needs to be cooked, but you’re stumped on what to make for the family while sticking to a low carb diet? It has to be ketogenic diet friendly, right? Just me? Surely not! Let’s whip up this delicious low carb meatloaf recipe that’s meaty and perfect for our family of 6.
If you’re craving a hearty meal, this easy low carb meatloaf recipe is exactly what you need. I often find myself stuck in a rut, eating the same meals over and over, but this dish always spices things up.
Easy Low Carb Meatloaf Recipe
If you’re craving a hearty meal, this easy low carb meatloaf recipe is exactly what you need. I often find myself stuck in a rut, eating the same meals over and over, but this dish always spices things up.
Ingredients
- 1 Pound Ground Beef
- 1 Egg
- 1 Cup Mozzarella Cheese
- 1 Cup Baby Spinach
- 2 Tablespoons Parmesan Cheese
- 8 oz Canned Tomato Paste
- 2 Teaspoons Italian Seasoning
- 1 Teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 Clove Chopped Garlic
- 2 Tablespoons Dried Basil
- Cooking Spray
Instructions
Prepare for the Meat Mixture
Add ground beef to a large mixing bowl.
Mix in the following ingredients:
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
- 1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
Combine the meat, egg, and seasoning ingredients thoroughly.
Shape the Meatloaf
Pull a piece of plastic wrap approximately 4 inches longer than your loaf pan and place it on the counter.
Place the beef mixture onto the plastic wrap, shaping it into a rectangle about 1/2 inch thick.
Top the meat mixture with baby spinach and a cup of mozzarella cheese, just like a pizza.
Using the plastic wrap, roll the edges of the meat mixture onto itself to form a log. Pinch the edges to seal in the ingredients.
Firm Up the Meatloaf
Place the low carb meatloaf log into the refrigerator for 20 minutes to firm up.
Preheat the Oven
While the meatloaf is firming, preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Prepare the Tomato Topping
In a second mixing bowl, combine:
- 8 oz canned tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
- 1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
Bake the Meatloaf
Once the meatloaf is firm, remove it from the fridge and transfer it from the plastic wrap to your loaf pan, which has been sprayed with cooking spray.
Top the uncooked low carb meatloaf with the tomato mixture.
Cover the loaf pan with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
Remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes at 350 degrees until cooked through and golden brown.
For a crispy top, broil for 2 minutes.
Serve
Let the low carb meatloaf sit for approximately 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
For an optional flavor kick, top with chives.
Check out our awesome keto sides ideas for suggestions on what to eat with this low carb meatloaf!
Enjoy your delicious and healthy low carb meatloaf!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
6Amount Per Serving: Calories: 289Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 115mgSodium: 590mgCarbohydrates: 2gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 27g
Low Carb Meatloaf nutrition data provided will vary depending on your ingredients.
Meatloaf Ingredients
Here are the low-carb meatloaf ingredients you will need to make this delicious keto-friendly recipe.
Lean Ground Beef – if you are looking to change this low carb recipe of, try using ground turkey or ground chicken as an alternative.
1 Egg – the egg acts as a binder to help ensure a moist meatloaf.
Mozzarella Cheese – because who doesn’t love cheese! This meatloaf’s secret ingredient is the mozzarella cheese.
Baby Spinach – we are sneaking in some vegetables, don’t worry you won’t taste them!
Parmesan Cheese – did we mention we love using cheese as a low carb ingredient?
Canned Tomato Paste – we will use this to create a low carb meatloaf tomato topping.
Salt & Black Pepper – a recipe staple to help ensure that your low carb meatloaf is properly seasoned.
Chopped Garlic – who doesn’t love garlic? If you aren’t a garlic fan, you can leave this meatloaf ingredient out.
Onion Powder, Italian Seasoning, Dried Basil – these herbs will help the meatloaf and the tomato topping flavor without adding any carbohydrates to this recipe.
Cooking Spray – prevent the meatloaf from sticking to your loaf pan by making sure you use a cooking spray of your choice. When making a low carb recipe, we prefer either a olive oil cooking spray or coconut oil cooking spray.
Best Meatloaf Cooking Tips
When making your low carb meatloaf, we want you to love it! Here are a few tips for making our low carb meatloaf recipe.
Cook to 160 Degrees – use a baking thermometer to ensure that the meatloaf is 160 degrees. Cooking your meatloaf over 165 degrees increases your risk of drying out your meatloaf (and nobody wants that!)
Add More Veggies – if you like the idea of sneaking vegetables into your low carb dish, this is easy to do with our meatloaf! Shredded zucchini is a great low carb vegetable that can easily be added and can help add more moisture to your dish.
Wait Before Eating – while we know you will want to eat right after pulling this meatloaf out of the oven, hold your horses! Let’s wait around 10 minutes and let the meatloaf rest before cutting into it. By letting your low carb meatloaf rest, it helps the juices distribute, reabsorb and settle. Serving without resting, your meatloaf can turn dry. Nobody likes a dry meatloaf!
How to Store Your Meatloaf for Leftovers
Leftover meatloaf is the jam! Here are a few tips for storing your meatloaf leftovers.
Refrigerating Meatloaf Leftovers – you can leave our low carb meatloaf in an airtight container or tightly wrapped in plastic wrap fro 3 to 4 days in your fridge.
Reheating – To reheat the meatloaf, place in the oven at 300 degrees F. Use your cooking thermometer to determine when it is ready. You want to reheat meatloaf to 160 degrees internal temperature.
You can also reheat this in the microwave or with an airfryer. Check your settings to determine the best time and temperature for reheating.
Freezing Meatloaf – Make a double batch and have an extra low-carb meatloaf waiting in the freezer. To freeze a meatloaf, ensure that you wrap your meat loaf tightly and place in a freezer bag or an airtight container. Mark the date on the bag or container. Meatloaf can be stored for up to 3 months in the freezer.
Meatloaf Recipe Alternatives
Here are more ways you can jazz up your low carb meatloaf recipe. Remember to make this recipe your own! If you are wanting to ensure keeping this with low carbohydrates, make sure that you watch the nutritional data on any added ingredients.
Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf – yes, you read that right. You can wrap your meatloaf in bacon. A bacon meatloaf will add on the fat, but not the carbs.
Sugar Free Ketchup – in place of canned tomatoes, you can use a sugar-free ketchup as a topping or dipping meatloaf sauce. Check out the Heinz no sugar Ketchup on Amazon.
Pork Rinds – chicharrones are not only low carb and keto friendly ingredient but they can add new texture to your meatloaf while providing even more protein. 2 ounces of pork rinds yields 35 grams of protein, 0 carbs and 310 calories.
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