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LOW CARB MEATLOAF that the whole family will devour! Wrapped in bacon, topped with the simplest little sauce, and baked to juicy meatloaf perfection.
I’m a total sucker for meatloaf and meatballs.
My mom never made either one when I was a kid, so when I grew up and discovered how tasty they both are, I started making up for lost time.
We went through a period where we were eating meatloaf every few nights there for awhile. I’m sure the husband loved it. 😉
Anyway, we still have this low carb meatloaf at least once a month. It’s easy to prepare, hearty, comforting, and it’s just plain delicious.I can never get enough of the sweet tangy sauce on top!
How to make this low carb meatloaf recipe:
I like to use lean ground beef for my meatloaf, because it’s getting wrapped in bacon before baking. The fat from the bacon keeps the meatloaf plenty moist, so no need to worry about using a higher fat content in the beef.
Mix together your beef with some minced bell pepper, onion, and garlic.
Stir in eggs, crushed pork rinds or almond flour, cheddar, Parmesan, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper.
Mix that up real good with your hands to combine and then pat it out into a loaf shape on your baking sheet.
Lay slices of bacon over the top and pop it all in the oven. The sauce will come in after the meatloaf has baked a bit.
Low carb meatloaf binder:
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You have two options in this recipe for a binder: crushed pork rinds or almond flour.
The pork rinds end up being a bit more light and they don’t add carbs to the meatloaf.
The almond flour seems to hold together a bit better, but produces a heavier meatloaf with a few more carbs.
We like both, but usually go for the almond flour in my house.
Low carb meatloaf topping:
Once the meatloaf has baked for about 30 minutes, whisk together the meatloaf sauce and spoon it over the top.
The topping consists of just 2 ingredients: sugar free ketchup and bottled Italian salad dressing.
You can use no sugar added Heinz ketchup if you’re low carb or Primal Kitchen Ketchup if you’re keto.
They add the perfect sweet and tangy flavor to this low carb meatloaf.
I add a second layer of sauce about 10 minutes before the meatloaf is done. We like it saucy in our house!
What to serve with this keto meatloaf:
Cauliflower Mac and Cheese: The perfect side for meatloaf!
Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts: Roasted to perfection.
Cauliflower Potato Salad: The texture isn’t quite the same as regular potato salad, but the flavor is spot on!
Keto Mashed Cauliflower: The creamiest!
Keto Coleslaw: My mom’s famous recipe.
Ranch Dressing: A side salad with my homemade ranch is always a win!
Low Carb Meatloaf
Total comfort food and it's low carb! That saucy topping is the perfect combo of sweet and tangy.
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 green bell pepper
- 1/2 onion
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup almond flour *see note
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar
- 1/4 cup powdered Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 slices thin-cut bacon
- 3 tablespoons sugar free ketchup
- 1 tablespoon bottled Italian salad dressing
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Mince the green pepper, onion, and garlic.
- Add to a large bowl with the ground beef, eggs, almond flour, cheddar, Parmesan cheese, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Use your hands to combine.
- Shape mixture into a loaf, about 7x4 inches, and place in a 9x13 baking dish.
- Cut the bacon slices in half and drape over the meatloaf.
- Bake for 25 minutes.
- Whisk together the ketchup and Italian dressing. Spoon half of the mixture over the meatloaf.
- Increase heat to 425 and bake an additional 10 minutes and then spread the remaining sauce over the meatloaf.
- Continue baking for 10-15 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.
- Let rest 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
You may substitute crush pork rinds for the almond flour, though the meatloaf won't hold together quite as well.
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Nutrition Information
Yield 6 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 356Total Fat 22gSaturated Fat 8gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 12gCholesterol 148mgSodium 798mgCarbohydrates 5gNet Carbohydrates 4gFiber 1gSugar 1gProtein 31g
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52 comments
OMG ! The best meatloaf. I doubled the recipe so we could have leftovers. Now my go to meatloaf. Thanks.
Love to hear that! Thanks, Ellen!
Ellen do you know how long it took to cook then? I’m doubling mine also!
I added 15 minutes to the cook time and then stuck a thermometer in the middle and it was done.
Making this right now…smells sooooo delicious!
Hope you loved it!
Does anyone have an estimated cook time if I doubled the amount of beef?
I double the amount of everything (but I used a loaf pan to bake the meatloaf in) and I did not have to add more time. Loaf pans are smaller than a 9″x 13″ pan so I cooked 1 pan at a time but again I did not have to add more time because I split the mixture into two separate pans.
Simply delicious. I crumbled the bacon into bits and scattered the bits across the top of the uncooked meatloaf instead of cutting the bacon slices in half and I used a loaf pan to bake the meatloaf in. Mmm mmm good!!
I just made this for dinner and it was delicious! Hubby went back for seconds. Very juicy. I used 1/2 almond flour and 1/2 pork rinds. Definitely a keeper!
So delicious! Thank you so much for this recipe. It was a big hit tonight.
Can you sub in fresh parmesan cheese?
I’ve never tried. The powdery stuff works well as a binder, but I think freshly shredded would as well.