Artificial Flavors Free Cassava Flour Sweet and Sour Meatballs
Sweet, tangy, and deeply savory, these meatballs hit every note you want from a classic sweet and sour dish — without a single synthetic shortcut. The sauce gets its vibrant color and body from real sweet potato purée and unsweetened pineapple juice, while apple cider vinegar and coconut aminos bring that signature tang and umami depth. Fresh ginger and garlic do the heavy lifting on flavor, so there's no need for flavor packets or bottled sauces that sneak in artificial additives. Cassava flour binds the meatballs beautifully, keeping them tender and juicy through the sear-and-bake method that locks in a golden crust before they finish in the oven. Arrowroot starch thickens the sauce to a glossy, spoon-coating consistency using nothing but a simple cold-water slurry — clean and effective. Fresh pineapple chunks stirred in at the end add bright, juicy bursts that no canned, artificially flavored version could match. This is the kind of weeknight dinner that tastes indulgent but is built entirely from real, recognizable ingredients.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the meatballs
- 1 lb ground beef (80/20)
- 2 tbsp cassava flour
- 2 tbsp coconut aminos
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
For the sauce
- 1 cup pineapple juice (unsweetened)
- ⅓ cup sweet potato purée
- 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 3 tbsp coconut aminos
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
- 1 tsp arrowroot starch
- 1 tbsp cold water
- 1 cup fresh pineapple chunks (about 1-inch pieces)
For serving
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- 2
In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, cassava flour, 2 tbsp coconut aminos, garlic, 1 tsp grated ginger, salt, and turmeric. Mix with your hands until just combined — do not overwork the meat. Roll into balls about 1½ inches in diameter (roughly 20–22 meatballs) and arrange on the prepared baking sheet.
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