Oats Free Bison and Apple Meatballs
Ground bison brings a rich, slightly sweet depth that pairs beautifully with grated apple, warm spices, and a glossy cider pan sauce — this is the kind of dish that feels special enough for a dinner party but straightforward enough for a weeknight. The apple gets squeezed dry before mixing in, which is a small but smart step that keeps the meatballs tender and well-structured rather than soggy. Cassava flour stands in as the binder here, doing exactly what breadcrumbs would do in a traditional recipe — without a single grain or oat in sight. That matters a lot when you're navigating a diet that requires avoiding oats, since conventional meatball recipes almost always sneak in rolled oats or oat-based fillers as a binder. The pan sauce — built from unsweetened apple cider, bone broth, apple cider vinegar, and fresh rosemary — reduces down into something deeply savory and just a little tangy, finished with arrowroot starch for that restaurant-worthy glossy coat. Ceylon cinnamon, turmeric, and ginger round out the spice profile with warmth and complexity that makes every bite feel layered and intentional. Serve them straight from the skillet with a scatter of fresh parsley and watch them disappear.
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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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