High Fructose Corn Syrup Free Bison and Apple Meatballs
Ground bison is a naturally lean, clean protein, and paired with freshly grated apple, warm spices, and a glossy pan sauce, it makes for a meatball that feels genuinely special. The apple adds subtle sweetness and moisture without any processed sweeteners ā just real fruit doing exactly what it should. Cassava flour binds everything together beautifully, keeping the texture tender and light while staying completely free of anything refined or artificially sweetened. The pan sauce is where things really shine: unsweetened apple cider and bone broth reduce down into something rich and savory, thickened naturally with arrowroot starch instead of cornstarch or any additive-heavy shortcut. Searing the meatballs first in coconut oil before finishing them in the oven gives you that irresistible browned crust with a juicy center every time. Store-bought meatballs and pre-made sauces are notorious for hiding unwanted sweeteners in the ingredient list, so making this from scratch puts you fully in control of what goes on the plate. Finish with a scatter of fresh parsley and serve straight from the skillet for a dinner that looks impressive but comes together with straightforward, honest ingredients.
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Learn more āIngredients
4 servings
For the meatballs
- 1 lb ground bison
- 1 medium apple (such as honeycrisp or fuji), peeled and grated
- 2 tbsp cassava flour
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- Ā½ tsp ground ginger
- Ā¼ tsp ground turmeric
- Ā¼ tsp ground ceylon cinnamon
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
For the pan sauce
- 1 cup apple cider (unsweetened, no additives)
- Ā½ cup bone broth (homemade or aip-compliant brand)
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- 1 tsp arrowroot starch
- 1 tbsp cold water
For serving
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, roughly chopped (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 400Ā°F (205Ā°C). Grate the apple on the large holes of a box grater, then squeeze the grated apple firmly in your hands 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 bison, squeezed grated apple, cassava flour, garlic, parsley, thyme, ginger, turmeric, Ceylon cinnamon, and salt. Mix with your hands until just combined and uniform ā do not overwork the mixture.
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