Macadamia Free Cassava Flour Sweet and Sour Meatballs
These meatballs hit every note you want from a sweet and sour dish — tangy, sticky, savory, and just a little bit bright from fresh pineapple. The sauce gets its gorgeous body from sweet potato purée and pineapple juice rather than anything artificial, and arrowroot starch pulls it all together into a glossy, spoon-coating finish. Ground beef gets seasoned with garlic, ginger, and turmeric before being seared for color and then finished in the oven, so you get a proper crust without any guesswork about doneness. Coconut aminos stand in for soy sauce throughout, delivering that deep umami backbone in both the meatballs and the sauce. The whole thing comes together in one skillet after the oven does its work, which means cleanup is genuinely minimal. Scallions on top add a fresh pop of color and a mild bite that balances the sweetness beautifully. This is the kind of weeknight dinner that 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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