This Meatball Alfredo is a low carb, keto-friendly dinner made with juicy ground venison meatballs simmered in a creamy Alfredo sauce and served over a bed of lightly steamed zucchini noodles. It's hearty, satisfying, and easy enough for a weeknight meal.
I love having a few go-to recipes that make enough to stretch into multiple meals, and this one is perfect for that. The leftovers reheat beautifully or you can switch it up and turn the meatballs into a Meatball Pizza for a second-day dinner that feels brand new!
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Why You'll Love Meatball Alfredo
Protein-rich and flavorful: Venison makes a lean, tender meatball that holds up well in creamy sauce.
Family sized recipe: Easily feeds four to six people with leftovers.
Low carb dinner: Alfredo sauce and zucchini noodles make this keto-friendly and naturally gluten free.
Key Ingredients
Ground Venison: A lean meat with bold flavor that works great in meatballs.
Thick Cut Bacon: Adds savory richness and a touch of smokiness.
Leeks: Mild and slightly sweet, they're a great base flavor.
Smoked Paprika: Enhances the flavor of the meatballs with subtle depth.
Alfredo Sauce: you use a store bought Alfredo or make your own homemade Alfredo sauce.
Zucchini: Spiralized into noodles for a fresh and light alternative to pasta.
Substitutions
Bacon: Use store bought bacon crumbles to save time.
Noodles: Try spaghetti squash or this healthier pasta option of Banza Chickpea Spiral pasta (high in fiber and protein).
Protein: Swap venison with ground beef, turkey, or chicken.
Variations
Spicy Meatball Alfredo: Use spicy sausage instead of venison for more heat.
Pesto Alfredo: Stir in a spoonful of homemade basil pesto to brighten up the sauce.
Sun-Dried Tomato & Artichoke: Add chopped sun-dried tomatoes and artichokes for extra flavor and texture.
Top Tips
- Brown meatballs well to lock in flavor.
- Let mushrooms fully cook down before adding the Alfredo sauce to prevent thinning.
- Steam zucchini noodles just until warmed through. They should still have a little bite.
Storage
Fridge: Store meatballs and sauce for up to 3 days in airtight containers.
Freezer: Freeze meatballs and sauce (without zoodles) for up to 3 weeks.
Reheating: Warm gently on the stovetop over low heat.
Note: Steamed zucchini doesn't freeze well.
Serve with:
Serve these Venison Meatballs over zucchini noodles with a side of low carb Zucchini Cheddar Biscuits to soak up that rich Alfredo sauce.
For something green and comforting, these Cabbage Noodles pair perfectly.
Add a pop of color and flavor with Roasted Radishes.
Related Recipes
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When you make this recipe, please comment below and let me know what you think. I'd love it if you tag me on Instagram @grumpyshoneybunch or #grumpyshoneybunch so I can see your photos!
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📖 Recipe
Venison Meatball Alfredo
Equipment
- Steamer
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Ingredients
- 8 slices thick cut bacon cooked and crumbled
- 2 pounds ground venison
- 1 tablespoon bacon fat , or olive oil
- ⅓ cup leeks chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
- 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
- 15 ounces Rao's Alfredo Sauce with Garlic
- 2 small zucchini , spiralized
Instructions
- Cook bacon in oven as per package instructions. Reserve one tablespoon of bacon fat.
- Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of reserved bacon fat to a large skillet and cook leeks and garlic until softened. Remove from skillet and place in a small bowl to cool.
- In a large mixing bowl, using your hands, combine the ground venison, bacon, leeks, garlic, paprika, salt and pepper until just combined.
- Using a ¼ cup scoop, shape meat mixture into a ball shape. Place meatballs in skillet that you cooked the leeks in and cook until well browned on all sides.
- Remove meatballs from skillet and place on a paper towel lined plate to catch and grease that may puddle beneath the meatballs.
- Add mushrooms to the same skillet you cooked the meatballs in and cook until water has evaporated.
- Stir alfredo sauce into the cooked mushrooms, then add the meatballs. Cover and simmer about 10-15 minutes.
- While the meatballs are simmering, spiralize your zucchini and steam it in your microwave steamer about 5 minutes. Just until the zucchini is hot and still has a bite to it.
- Serve Venison Meatball Alfredo over top of zucchini noodles and garnish with fresh parsley if desired.
Mel says
Great recipe! This was delicious. Don't forget to calculate your own macros as the mushrooms were not included at an entire jar of Rao's is more than I think was used in this posting. I did make some changes with what I had. I used one pound ground venison mixed with one pound ground pork. I also used green onions instead of leeks. I also put this on top of riced cauliflower since I only had a small zucchini to spiral into noodles. This is getting long winded, but I recently started cooking bacon in my instant pot on sauté mode in order to contain the mess in my small kitchen and there is much less clean up!
Deidre Sue says
Fabulous dinner!
Note: mushrooms omitted from ingredient list. Don't forget the 'shrooms!