BBQ Meatball Skewers with Spanish Chorizo

Nothing says summer like a barbecue. From family gatherings to birthday parties or office events, barbecues bring people together while enjoying some of the best seasonal produce.

This meal is another great addition to the collection of my keto-friendly BBQ recipes. I used fresh herbs & spices, lemon zest and Spanish chorizo for a smoky flavour boost.

I served the meatballs with a simple vegetable salsa and some keto buns which is one of the most popular recipes on my blog and amongst my friends. It's definitely the best low-carb & grain-free bread recipe I've ever made. In fact, it proved to be so popular that I also made a nut-free version! :-)

What's the difference between Spanish and Mexican chorizo?

Mexican chorizo is made with raw meat and spices. Spanish chorizo is made with cured meat. This post from The Kitchn explains the difference in detail.

Alternative Cooking Methods

Pan Frying: Preheat a large regular or griddle pan greased with lard or ghee on high heat. Turn the heat down to medium and place the skewers on the pan. When done, set aside and keep them warm near the cooker.

Oven Cooking: Cook under a broiler, or bake at 200 °C/ 400 °F until the meatballs are golden for 12-15 minutes.

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Step-by-step

1. Peel and finely dice the onion. Place the meat in a mixing bowl and add the onion, crushed garlic, fresh lemon zest, freshly chopped herbs, paprika and egg.

   

2. Using your hands or a fork, combine all the ingredients. If preparing in advance, cover the meat with a foil and place in the fridge overnight. When the meat is ready for the barbecue, slice the chorizo sausage (I used Spanish chorizo but you can use any other hard type). Using your hands, form 24 meatballs: 3 meatballs per skewer = 6 meatballs per serving (about 30 grams/ 1 ounce per meatball).

   

3. Assemble the skewers by piercing through the meatballs and chorizo slices in an alternating order (3 meatballs and 4 chorizo slices per skewer).

   

4. Place the skewers on the barbecue and cook on high for 7-8 minutes or until crispy on the outside and cooked inside. Enjoy!

   

Recipe

BBQ Meatball Skewers with Spanish Chorizo

★★★★★4.8 (34 ratings)

This is the perfect recipe for summer barbecues and gatherings. Juicy beef meatballs and slices of Spanish ...

Hands on

10m

Overall

20m

Servings

4

2.9 g

Net carbs

40 g

Protein

50.6 g

Fat

641

kcal

1 serving2 servings3 servings4 servings5 servings6 servings7 servings8 servings9 servings10 servings11 servings12 servings16 servings

US + metricMetricUS

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Ingredients makes 4 servings, 8 skewers

• 600 g ground beef (1.3 lb/ 21.2 oz)
• ¹/₂ medium red onion (50 g/ 1.7 oz)
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 large egg, free-range or organic
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1 tbsp fresh oregano or 1 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tbsp fresh basil or 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp fresh lemon zest (use organic unwaxed lemons)
• ¹/₂ tsp salt or to taste (I like pink Himalayan)
• 200 g Spanish chorizo or other hard type (7.1 oz)

Instructions

1. Peel and finely dice the onion. Place the meat in a mixing bowl and add the onion, crushed garlic, fresh lemon zest, freshly chopped herbs, paprika and egg.

2. Using your hands or a fork, combine all the ingredients. If preparing in advance, cover the meat with a foil and place in the fridge overnight. When the meat is ready for the barbecue, slice the chorizo sausage (I used Spanish chorizo but you can use any other hard type). Using your hands, form 24 meatballs: 3 meatballs per skewer = 6 meatballs per serving (about 30 grams/ 1 ounce per meatball).

3. Assemble the skewers by piercing through the meatballs and chorizo slices in an alternating order (3 meatballs and 4 chorizo slices per skewer).

4. Place the skewers on the barbecue and cook on high for 7-8 minutes or until crispy on the outside and cooked inside. Enjoy!

Nutrition per serving, 2 skewers

Carbs 2%Protein 25%Fat 73% of calories

Net carbs

2.9 g

Total carbs

4.1 g

Fiber

1.1 g

Sugars

0.9 g

Protein

40 g

Fat

50.6 g

Saturated fat

19 g

Calories

641 kcal

Sodium

1,023 mg · 44.5% RDA

Magnesium

43 mg · 10.8% RDA

Potassium

724 mg · 36.2% EMR

Nutrition by ingredient

Per 2 skewers	Net carbs	Protein	Fat	kcal
Beef, minced (ground), raw, grass-fed	0 g	25.8 g	30 g	381
Onion, red, fresh	0.8 g	0.2 g	0 g	5
Garlic, fresh	0.5 g	0.1 g	0 g	2
Egg, whole, fresh, raw (free-range or organic eggs)	0.1 g	1.6 g	1.2 g	18
Paprika, spices	0.3 g	0.2 g	0.2 g	5
Oregano, fresh	0.3 g	0 g	0 g	2
Basil, fresh	0 g	0.1 g	0 g	1
Lemon zest (peel), fresh	0 g	0 g	0 g	0
Salt, pink Himalayan rock salt	0 g	0 g	0 g	0
Chorizo sausage	0.9 g	12.1 g	19.1 g	228
Total	2.9 g	40 g	50.6 g	641

Serving size 2 skewers

• Gluten free
• Dairy free
• Nut free
• Avocado free
• Coconut free
• Fish free
• Shellfish free
• Beef free