Nitrate & Nitrite Free Bison and Apple Meatballs
Ground bison is a naturally lean, clean protein that sidesteps the cured and processed meats that so often sneak nitrates and nitrites into everyday cooking. Here, it gets paired with freshly grated apple — Honeycrisp or Fuji both work beautifully — which adds a subtle sweetness and keeps the texture tender without any fillers you'd need to second-guess. Warm spices like ginger, turmeric, and Ceylon cinnamon round out the flavor in a way that feels almost autumnal, while fresh thyme and parsley keep things bright. The pan sauce is where things really shine: unsweetened apple cider and bone broth deglaze all those caramelized bits from the skillet, then a splash of apple cider vinegar and fresh rosemary bring it to something genuinely restaurant-worthy. Arrowroot starch thickens the sauce into a glossy, clingy finish that coats every meatball without any mystery additives. Because every ingredient here is whole and unprocessed — from the cassava flour binder to the homemade-style broth — you're not left hunting labels or hoping for the best. These are the kind of meatballs that make a weeknight dinner feel like something worth sitting down for.
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Learn more →Ingredients
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
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- ¼ tsp ground ceylon cinnamon
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
For the pan sauce
- 1 cup apple cider (unsweetened, no additives)
- ½ 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 400°F (205°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 — 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 — do not overwork the mixture.
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