Lactose Free Bison and Apple Meatballs
Ground bison is a leaner, richer alternative to beef, and here it pairs beautifully with grated apple and warm spices like ginger, turmeric, and Ceylon cinnamon for a meatball that feels both comforting and a little unexpected. Every single ingredient in this recipe is naturally free of dairy, so there's no swapping, substituting, or label-scanning required ā it just works as written. Squeezing the moisture out of the grated apple before mixing is a smart step that keeps the texture tight and satisfying rather than soft and dense. The pan sauce is where things really shine: unsweetened apple cider and bone broth deglaze all those caramelized bits from the skillet, and a quick arrowroot slurry pulls it into a glossy, lightly thickened finish that coats every meatball. It's the kind of sauce that tastes like it took far more effort than it did. Whether you serve these over roasted vegetables, a grain, or straight from the skillet, they make a genuinely impressive weeknight dinner that doesn't compromise on flavor or richness.
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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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