Dairy Free Cassava Flour Sweet and Sour Meatballs
Sweet, tangy, and deeply savory all at once, these meatballs deliver the kind of bold flavor that makes you go back for seconds before the first plate is even finished. The sauce is genuinely clever — pineapple juice and apple cider vinegar bring the classic sweet-and-sour punch, while sweet potato purée adds body and a subtle earthiness that thickens everything beautifully without a drop of cream or butter. Coconut aminos stand in for soy sauce throughout, giving both the meatballs and the sauce that rich, umami depth you'd expect from a takeout-style dish. Cassava flour binds the beef without any dairy-based fillers, and the double-cooking method — a quick sear followed by a short oven bake — locks in a gorgeous crust while keeping the centers juicy. The arrowroot slurry pulls the whole sauce together into something glossy and cling-worthy, so every meatball gets properly coated. Fresh pineapple chunks stirred in at the end keep things bright and a little tropical, which makes this feel festive enough for a dinner party but easy enough for a weeknight. Finish with scallions for a pop of color and you've got a dish that looks and tastes like you put in way more effort than you 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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