Xanthan Gum Free Apple & Sage Beef Meatballs

Total time45 min

Prep time20 min

Cook time25 min

Xanthan Gum Free Apple & Sage Beef Meatballs

Savory, warmly spiced, and finished in a glossy pan sauce, these beef meatballs are the kind of cozy weeknight dinner that feels far more special than the effort involved. The combination of fresh sage, Ceylon cinnamon, ginger, and turmeric gives the meat a deeply aromatic quality, while finely grated apple adds a subtle sweetness that keeps every bite interesting. Binding meatballs without xanthan gum is where a lot of recipes fall apart — literally — but cassava flour steps in here as a clean, grain-free binder that holds everything together beautifully. Squeezing the excess moisture from the grated apple before mixing is the key move that keeps the texture firm and satisfying rather than dense or soggy. The pan sauce comes together with unsweetened apple cider, bone broth, and a touch of arrowroot starch for thickening, so there's no need for any gums or additives to get that silky, spoon-coating consistency. Everything is built in a single skillet, from the hard sear that locks in flavor to the final simmer that glazes each meatball in that tangy, apple-forward sauce. Serve them straight from the pan with a scatter of fresh sage and watch them disappear fast.

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Ingredients

4 servings

For the meatballs

1 ½ lb ground beef (85% lean)
Simple Truth Organic Grass Fed Ground Beef 85/15 Kroger Ground Beef 85/15 SunFed Ranch 85% Lean 100% Grass Fed Organic Ground Beef Clayton's Organic 85% Lean 15% Fat Organic Ground Beef, 16 oz Nature's Promise Organic Grass-fed 85% Lean 15% Fat Ground Beef
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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
½ tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp ceylon cinnamon
1 tsp fine sea salt

For searing

2 tbsp coconut oil

For the pan sauce

¾ cup apple cider (unsweetened)
¾ 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 — 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 — do not overwork the meat.

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