“In case you didn’t already know, ‘Boerewors’ is a beloved South African sausage that boasts a very unique flavour. I have a Boerewors recipe on this site if you are up for the challenge of making your own sausages. However, if you aren’t, but still long for the flavour, I have made an easy version for you to sample. This was easy, I simply took the flavours present in boerewors and used them in meatballs! And, to keep things slightly authentic, the tomato sauce very loosely mimics a ‘smoor’. Smoor is a traditional lightly-spiced tomato sauce that often accompanies our beloved ‘Boerie Rolls’. I recommend you serve this dish with Creamy Cauliflower Rice. I have included the macro-breakdown for the inclusion of that as well below the recipe. Geniet!” – Monya
Fats of Life® is a keto and low carb recipe blog that I love to run as a hobby in my spare time. I am also the author of the best-selling Keto Kitchen Series of cookbooks. This includes my debut best-seller Keto Kitchen (2020). The fun and exciting Lazy Keto Kitchen (2021). And, the clever and inspiring Budget Keto Kitchen (2022). My 4th cookbook, Quick Keto Kitchen (2023) is as fantastic as the first three, and packed with spectacular, easy creations!
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More on Boerewors Meatballs…
Boerewors, a traditional South African sausage, is renowned for its vibrant blend of spices and aromatic flavours. Combining ground beef, pork, and an array of spices such as coriander and cloves, boerewors imparts a distinct taste that captivates the senses. By infusing these flavours into my meatballs, I have created a delicious twist on a classic dish.
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To complement the boerewors meatballs, I turned to the iconic South African ‘smoor’ sauce. This sauce, with its roots in Cape Malay cuisine, combines tomatoes, onions, and spices to create a thick, tangy, and slightly sweet flavour profile. The smoor sauce acts as the perfect accompaniment, enhancing the meatballs with its bold and aromatic essence.
The aromatic blend of boerewors spices in the meatballs, paired with the tangy and sweet notes of the smoor sauce, creates a symphony of flavours that is both comforting and exciting. Through this unique combination, we can savour the essence of South Africa’s culinary heritage.
It is important to note that to maintain ketosis, it’s essential to track carbohydrate intake and ensure it aligns with your daily macro goals. Consulting with a healthcare professional is advised before making significant dietary changes. Scroll to the bottom to see the full macros and allergens for this ‘Boerewors’ Meatballs (Keto) dish, as well as all the Dinner ideas on Fats of Life®.
'Boerewors' Meatballs
Per serving
Equipment
Ingredients
For the meatballs
- 250 g (8.8 oz) ground beef mince 20% fat
- 250 g (8.8 oz) ground pork mince 12% fat
- 2 TB whole coriander seeds
- 1 TB ground (milled) chia seeds
- 1/4 tsp ground coriander
- 1/8 tsp ground allspice
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper, generous 6-7 cracks
- 15 g (0.5 oz) lard
For the spiced tomato sauce
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 tin chopped / crushed tomatoes, (400g / 14.1oz)
- 1 tsp medium curry powder
- 1 tsp ground paprika
- 1 tsp powdered erythritol, confectioners
To finish and serve
- sea salt flakes
- chopped parsley, to garnish
- Creamy Cauliflower Rice, Fats of Life recipe (optional)
Instructions
- Assuming you are serving this over Creamy Cauliflower Rice like we did, prepare that and set aside to keep warm. Proceed with the recipe...
- Preheat the oven to 160°C (fan oven). This is 180°C for conventional ovens (or 350°F / gas mark 4).
- Combine the pork and beef mince in a large bowl. Add the whole coriander seeds to a mortar and use the pestle to grind well. This can take some time, but its best done this way and we want that lovely texture. Add the ground chia, ground coriander (yes, we also need the very finely ground store-bought ground coriander to enhance the flavour further) and ground allspice. Season the mince mixture with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Combine very well to ensure it is evenly seasoned with the spices and seasoning. (If you are up for it, use clean, preferably cold hands to get stuck in.) Use a dessert spoon to form small, compact meatballs (approx. 20-25g / 0.7-0.9oz each). Set them aside on a plate.
- To cook the meatballs, melt the lard in a large non-stick pan or wok and fry the meatballs in two batches until browned on the outside. Work gently with them, using a spoon to turn them over. Once browned, set them aside on a tray lined with parchment paper. Once all the meatballs are beautifully caramelised on the outside, transfer the tray to the oven to gently finish cooking through. (Use a slotted spoon to remove the meatballs so all the fat remains in the pan).
- While the meatballs are gently cooking through in the oven, start with the spicy tomato sauce. Add the chopped garlic to the pan. There should be plenty of fat left in the pan. Reduce the heat completely to ensure the garlic does not burn. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to scrape and loosen any bits of meat that may have stuck to the bottom (this is flavour!)
- Once the garlic has softened, tip in the chopped tomatoes, curry powder and ground paprika. Continue to cook until the tomato sauce loses most of it's moisture. Add the sweetener and stir well to combine. Continue to cook until the mixture reduces to a thick consistency. A good test is to run a spatula running along the bottom of the pan: the sauce should remain parted, as pictured.This won't take too long, approx. 10-12 minutes. If you started the sauce straight after putting the meatballs in the oven, 10-12 minutes would be sufficient time for the meatballs to have finished cooking through.
- However, if the steps to make the sauce took you longer to cook, you may want to turn the oven down to very low heat to avoid overcooking the meatballs and drying them out. You may want to test one: cut it open, it shouldn't be pink. NOTE: If you made your meatballs bigger than the size I suggested, they will require longer in the oven to cook.
- To serve, remove the meatballs from the oven and pour in all the fat that runs off from the tray into the tomato sauce. Mix well to emulsify. This step is optional, but why waste fat?
- Serve the meatballs with the sauce (in whichever way you fancy). Don't forget to season with sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley to add a fresh element. (Funnyman loved it with a drizzle of Portuguese piri-piri olive oil.)
- Enjoy over the Creamy Cauliflower Rice like we did. I have included the macros with the Creamy Cauliflower Rice further down this page.
My name is Monya Kilian Palmer. If you loved this recipe, please follow and tag me @mkilianpalmer on Instagram so we can all see your lovely creations!
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The links above will take you to Amazon UK. For USA and other countries, see the global Amazon links here: Keto Kitchen ; Lazy Keto Kitchen ; Budget Keto Kitchen ; Quick Keto Kitchen.
Nutritional Information per serving (without Creamy Cauliflower Rice)
Calories 395Kcal / 1653kJ
Fat 29g
Carbohydrates 6.1g
Protein 27g
Allergens
None present
Nutritional Information per serving (with Creamy Cauliflower Rice)
Calories 531Kcal / 2221kJ
Fat 40g
Carbohydrates 10g
Protein 33g
Allergens
Milk
Eggs (may be found in some brands of cream cheese - check label)
See all the Dinner ideas on Fats of Life:
Disclaimer: The nutritional analysis, macro and allergen breakdown of the recipes on this site have been manually and carefully calculated using the cloud-based software NUTRITICS®. NUTRITICS® is fully approved by the relevant Trading Standards organizations and is EU and FDA-compliant. The macro calculations are provided as a courtesy to you based on the author's weighing of ingredients when creating the dishes. If Erythritol (a sugar polyol) has been used in any of the recipes, it has already been manually excluded from the final carbohydrate count. The author is a chef - not a medical professional - and this website has been designed to provide you with recipe ideas to suit the low carb lifestyle you have discussed with your GP.
1 Comment
Drop me a line if you have any questions or comments about this recipe. I will do my best to reply as soon as possible! Monya xxx