Chestnut Free Cassava Flour Sweet and Sour Meatballs
These meatballs hit every note you want from a sweet and sour dish — tangy, sticky, a little sweet, and deeply savory — without relying on any of the usual shortcut ingredients that can cause problems for people navigating tree nut allergies. The binding comes from cassava flour, which keeps the meatballs tender and cohesive, while coconut aminos, fresh ginger, and turmeric build a warm, aromatic base right into the meat itself. The sauce is genuinely clever: sweet potato purée gives it body and a subtle earthiness, pineapple juice and apple cider vinegar bring the classic tang, and a quick arrowroot slurry pulls everything into a glossy, spoon-coating finish. Fresh pineapple chunks go in at the very end so they stay bright and juicy rather than turning soft and mushy. Searing the meatballs before finishing them in the oven means you get that caramelized crust on the outside and a fully cooked, safe center — no guesswork. The whole thing comes together in one skillet for the sauce and one baking sheet for the meatballs, which makes cleanup surprisingly painless. Scatter some sliced scallions over the top and you have a dish that looks and tastes like it took far more effort than it actually did.
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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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