When you’re looking for a quick and easy, low carb dinner you can get on the table for the family in under 30 minutes, these easy keto lemon chicken piccata meatballs should be on your menu!
Low Carb Chicken Piccata Meatballs
Just 15 minutes of prep time and about 6–8 minutes per side of cooking time is all it takes to make these low carb chicken piccata meatballs, and they are always a huge hit with my family.
This is one of those easy weeknight dinner recipes that feels special enough to serve guests, yet simple enough for busy weeknights.
These tender chicken meatballs are made with lean ground chicken, formed in a large mixing bowl, then quickly browned in a large skillet over medium heat before finishing in a rich, buttery lemon butter piccata sauce.
The sauce is zesty, bright, and perfectly balanced with fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, briny capers, and a splash of chicken stock or low sodium chicken broth.
This recipe is:
- Keto friendly
- Gluten-free
- Nut-free
- Just 2 net carbs per serving
Even family members not following a low carb or keto calorie diet love these meatballs. Serve them over zucchini noodles, spaghetti squash, or cauliflower mash for a complete low carb meal, or alongside green beans sautéed in olive oil.
If you’re feeding non-keto eaters, they’re delicious with egg noodles or even a slice of crusty bread to soak up the extra sauce.
Similar to my classic chicken piccata recipe, this version skips the extra steps of dredging chicken cutlets in flour and egg wash. Instead, the chicken meatballs are mixed once, rolled with wet hands or a cookie scoop, and cooked in a single pan—less mess, less cleanup, and maximum flavor.
Why You’ll Love These Chicken Piccata Meatballs
- One-pan recipe using a large skillet
- 5–7 minutes to brown, then finished in sauce
- Made with exact ingredients you likely already have
- Perfect for meal prep and stores well in an airtight container
- Reheats beautifully the next time you need a quick meal
The meatballs stay incredibly tender, and the sauce thickens just enough to cling to every bite without becoming heavy or gummy.
What is Glucomannan?
For this piccata sauce, I chose to use glucomannan powder instead of xanthan gum as a thickener. I’ve used glucomannan before in recipes like my keto Salisbury steak gravy, and it works beautifully in buttery sauces.
Glucomannan is a natural, water-soluble dietary fiber made from the root of the konjac plant. It’s the same fiber used to make shirataki noodles (also known as Miracle noodles) and has been used for generations in Japanese cooking.
Before discovering glucomannan, I often used xanthan gum, but many people find xanthan gum can become gel-like or slimy, especially if too much is added. Glucomannan thickens sauces smoothly and evenly, giving this lemon butter sauce a silky texture without clumping.
It has become a staple in my low carb kitchen, especially for sauces, gravies, and creamy dishes.
What can I Replace Glucomannan with?
If you don’t have glucomannan on hand, you can substitute xanthan gum using the same amount listed in the recipe. Be sure to whisk it in slowly and avoid over-thickening.
Can the Piccata Sauce Be Made Dairy-Free?
Yes! This friendly chicken piccata meatballs recipe can easily be made dairy-free.
To do so:
- Replace the heavy cream with full-fat coconut milk or coconut cream
- Keep the lemon juice, capers, and chicken broth the same
The result is still rich and flavorful, with a subtle background creaminess that works beautifully with the zesty lemon.
What can I swap Pork Rinds with?
The pork rinds help bind the meatball ingredients and keep them moist, but there are several easy swaps:
- Almond flour – use the same amount
- Sesame flour – great for nut-free households
- Coconut flour – reduce to ⅓ cup instead of ½ cup
If you’re avoiding pork products or simply don’t enjoy them, these swaps work well without changing the texture too much.
Low Carb Sides to Serve with Lemon Chicken Piccata Meatballs
Zucchini Noodle Salad
Storage & Reheating Tips
The sauce may settle—just stir from the bottom of the skillet to recombine
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days
Reheat gently in a skillet over medium heat, adding a splash of chicken stock if needed
Easy Low Carb Keto Chicken Piccata Meatballs Recipe
Easy Low Carb Keto Chicken Piccata Meatballs Recipe
Ingredients
Chicken Meatballs
- 2 pounds ground chicken
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup pork rind crumbs or see notes above for swaps
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil or coconut oil or olive oil
Piccata Sauce
- 1.5 cups chicken bone broth
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 1/3 cup lemon juice
- 1/4 cup capers with juice
- 1/2 teaspoon gluocomannan optional to thicken
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley to garnish optional
- 1/2 lemon optional
Instructions
Meatballs
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Mix the egg with dry seasonings, lemon zest, pork rind crumbs, and fresh parsley together in a large bowl. Once combined, mix in the chicken.
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Use a large cookie scoop to make 24 meatballs. Place them on a parchment lined baking sheet pan.
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Heat the avocado oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Place half the meatballs into the skillet and cook until browned. Remove, keep warm, then continue with remaining meatballs and remove. Please note, meatballs will not be fully cooked at this point.
Sauce
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To the same skillet you cooked the meatballs in, pour in all the sauce ingredients and bring to a simmer while scraping bits from bottom of skillet. Cook about 5-8 minutes until sauce thickens. Option to thicken quicker is to add gluocamannan.
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Once sauce is thickened to your liking, nestle the meatballs back in the sauce. Spoon sauce over the meatballs and cook about 5-8 minutes to finish cooking meatballs through. Internal temperature should be 165 degrees F.
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When ready to serve, squirt some lemon juice and fresh chopped parsley over the meatballs.
Notes
Nutrition
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