Wheat Free Apple & Sage Beef Meatballs
These meatballs are a genuinely exciting weeknight dinner ā savory, warmly spiced, and finished in a glossy cider pan sauce that tastes like it took way more effort than it did. Cassava flour steps in as the binder here, doing exactly what breadcrumbs would in a traditional recipe without any wheat in sight, so the texture stays tender and cohesive rather than crumbly or dense. The trick of squeezing the grated apple dry before mixing is a small step that makes a real difference, keeping the meatballs firm enough to sear beautifully in coconut oil and develop that deep, caramelized crust. Fresh sage and Ceylon cinnamon give the beef a fragrant, almost autumnal character that pairs perfectly with the unsweetened apple cider and bone broth sauce. Arrowroot starch thickens that sauce into a silky glaze ā no flour needed, no compromise on richness. If you've ever felt like wheat-free cooking means settling for something less satisfying, this recipe is a solid argument against that idea. Serve them straight from the skillet with a scatter of fresh sage and watch them disappear fast.
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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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