Macadamia Free Apple & Sage Beef Meatballs
These meatballs hit a genuinely unexpected flavor combination ā sweet apple, earthy sage, warm cinnamon, and a whisper of ginger all folded into juicy ground beef, then finished in a glossy cider and bone broth pan sauce. Grating and squeezing the apple before mixing it in is the kind of small technique that makes a real difference, keeping the texture tight and satisfying rather than soft and dense. Cassava flour binds everything together cleanly, and arrowroot starch gives the sauce that silky, restaurant-quality finish without any grain-based thickeners. The whole thing comes together in one skillet, which means those caramelized browned bits on the bottom of the pan get scraped right into the sauce for extra depth. Tree nut concerns are completely off the table here ā every ingredient is straightforward and easy to verify, from the coconut oil used for searing to the unsweetened apple cider in the sauce. Whether you're serving these over mashed root vegetables, cauliflower rice, or just straight from the pan, the sweet-savory glaze makes them feel special enough for a dinner party but simple enough for a weeknight.
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Learn more āIngredients
4 servings
For the meatballs
- 1 Ā½ lb ground beef (85% lean)
- 1 medium apple (such as honeycrisp or fuji), peeled and finely grated
- 3 tbsp cassava flour
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp fresh sage, finely chopped
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, finely grated
- Ā½ tsp ground turmeric
- Ā½ tsp ceylon cinnamon
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
For searing
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
For the pan sauce
- Ā¾ cup apple cider (unsweetened)
- Ā¾ cup bone broth (homemade or aip-compliant brand)
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp arrowroot starch
For serving
- 1 tbsp fresh sage leaves, thinly sliced (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Grate the apple on the fine side of a box grater, then squeeze the grated apple firmly in your hand or in a clean kitchen towel over the sink to remove as much liquid as possible ā this keeps the meatballs from becoming dense and wet.
- 2
In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, squeezed grated apple, cassava flour, garlic, chopped sage, ginger, turmeric, Ceylon cinnamon, and salt. Mix with your hands until just combined and uniform ā do not overwork the meat.
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