Air Fryer Keto Sausage Balls Recipe

deleciousfood | September 19, 2023 | Recipe | No Comments

Consistently preparing hearty, desirable breakfast foods can be difficult, especially when you’re avoiding carbs by following a ketogenic diet. There are many delicious, yet carb-heavy meals that try to lure you to the drive-thru in the name of convenience. However, these delicious breakfast treats can quickly hamper your keto diet, knocking your body out of ketosis and derailing your hard-earned progress.

These easy air fry keto sausage balls are ready to save the day and make your low carb breakfast easy to prepare. As recipe developer Joe Dillard of For Frying Out Loud shares, “This recipe comes together so quickly, and you can even make batches in advance to make your busy mornings even easier.” With their delicious flavor and crowd-pleasing appeal, keto sausage balls make the perfect easy breakfast even if you’re not following a low-carb meal plan. The tasty boost of protein in a perfectly poppable package is the perfect way to start your day.

Read more: 16 Low-Carb Alternatives to Pasta and Noodles

What Ingredients Do You Need for Air Fryer Keto Sausage Balls?

Keto Sausage Ball Ingredients – Joe Dillard/Tasting Table

For this 5-ingredient recipe, you’ll start with pork breakfast sausage. The spicy variety adds lots of flavor, but you can also choose regular, sage, or even maple depending on your heat tolerance, taste preferences, and carb intake. You’ll also need shredded cheddar cheese, full-fat cream cheese, an egg, and blanched super fine almond flour.

You’ll get the best results if you grate your own cheese fresh from the block. Pre-shredded cheese may be more convenient, but it also contains additives and fillers that prevent the shreds from clumping together in the bag. If you’re following a super clean keto diet or just looking for a cheese option that melts more evenly, grating it yourself is the way to go.

Also, you need to make sure you use almond flour and not almond flour. Almond flour is made from raw, unpeeled almonds, which are ground more coarsely and give you a “meatier,” more rustic chew. Almond flour, on the other hand, is made from blanched, skinless almonds, ground into a fine powder. This gives you the smoother texture this recipe is supposed to have.

Step 1: Add sausage, cheddar, cream cheese and egg to a bowl

make cheese meatballs — make cheesy meatballs – Joe Dillard/Tasting Table

In a large bowl, mix sausage, cheddar, cream cheese and egg until well combined.

Step 2: Add Almond Flour to the Bowl

almond flour sausage mixture — almond flour sausage mix – Joe Dillard/Tasting table

Gently fold the almond flour into the sausage mixture.

Step 3: Collect and Roll the Sausage Balls

make meatballs – Joe Dillard/Tasting Table

Roll sausage mixture into balls, 1 heaping tablespoon each.

Step 4: Preheat the Air Fryer

air fryer on – Joe Dillard/Tasting Table

Preheat air fryer to 400 F.

Step 5: Cook the Keto Sausage Balls

Air Fryer Meatballs – Joe Dillard/Tasting Table

Add the sausage balls to the fryer basket and cook for 12 minutes, turning them halfway through cooking. When cooked, the sausage balls should be lightly browned and have an internal temperature of at least 145 F.

Step 6: Serve the Air Fryer Sausage Balls

cheese sausage meatballs in pile — Heaped Cheese Sausage Meatballs – Joe Dillard/Tasting Table

Remove the balls from the air fryer basket and serve hot.

What are the health benefits of Keto Air Fryer Sausage Balls?

meatballs, cheese sausages — Cheese Sausage Meatballs – Joe Dillard/Tasting Table

Most ketogenic dieters who monitor their food intake stick to a set ratio of macronutrients: carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Keto is a low-carb, high-fat diet, and a generally accepted eating style guideline calls for approximately 5% of daily calories to come from carbohydrates, 25% from protein, and 70% from fat.

This recipe is very low in carbs, with only very marginal amounts coming from its main ingredients, as meat and cheese contain negligible amounts. The largest source of carbs in this dish comes from the almond flour, but with 2 total tablespoons used, you get an added 4 grams of total carbs, or 1 gram of net carbs per serving. To calculate net carbs, you take an ingredient’s total carbs and subtract the dietary fiber. Two tablespoons of almond flour contain 4 grams of total carbohydrates and 3 grams of fiber, so the serving contains 1 net carbohydrate.

Plus, the cheese and meat in this recipe are high in protein and fat. This ratio allows these keto air fryer sausage balls to fit seamlessly into a keto dieter’s breakfast routine, to be enjoyed as an appetizer, or to serve as a useful snack if one has need additional fat or protein intake throughout the day.

Can you make Keto Air Fryer Sausage Balls in advance?

You can definitely prepare this recipe in advance! To do this, simply follow all written instructions and allow your cooked sausage balls to cool completely before preparing them for storage. You can wrap them in plastic wrap or store them in a plastic container or zip-top bag for easy storage in the refrigerator. This is the best option if you plan to enjoy it in the next 3 days. However, you can also choose to store your sausage balls in the freezer for up to 1 month. If you opt to freeze, wrap your sausage balls in plastic wrap first, then add them to a resealable freezer bag or airtight container to preserve their freshness and avoid freezer burn.

If they have been frozen, thaw your keto sausage balls overnight in the refrigerator. Then heat them in the microwave or deep fryer until heated through.

Can you make keto sausage balls in the oven?

If you don’t have an air fryer, making these sausage balls in the oven is a wonderful alternative. Although slightly less convenient, you can still get a juicy and tasty breakfast in a very short time. To make these keto sausage balls in the oven, follow all written directions, but instead of placing them in an air fryer basket, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Preheat your oven to 350 F and bake for 25 minutes, or until the internal temperature of your sausage balls reaches at least 145 F.

Using an oven can also be beneficial if you have a very small air fryer, as this would eliminate the need to cook the sausage balls in batches. You always want to avoid overcrowding your air fryer basket, so if you have a particularly small fryer, the oven might actually help you serve these sausage balls even faster. Whichever route you choose, you’re sure to enjoy a treat that will satisfy your taste buds and keep you energized throughout your morning.