Paraben Free Cassava Flour Sweet and Sour Meatballs
Sweet, tangy, and deeply savory all at once, these meatballs deliver a bold flavor punch that makes them feel anything but "restricted." The sauce is genuinely the star — pineapple juice, sweet potato purée, apple cider vinegar, and honey come together into something glossy and complex, thickened naturally with arrowroot starch instead of cornstarch or any processed thickener. Ground beef gets seasoned with fresh garlic, grated ginger, and turmeric before being seared in coconut oil for that irresistible browned crust, then finished in the oven to lock in juiciness. Every single ingredient here is whole-food and straightforward, which matters a lot when you're navigating preservatives and synthetic additives that tend to sneak into conventional sauces and store-bought meatball mixes. Coconut aminos stand in for soy sauce throughout, keeping the umami depth without any of the additives that come along for the ride in standard pantry staples. Fresh pineapple chunks stirred in at the end add brightness and texture that canned versions simply can't match. Pile these over rice or noodles and finish with scallions — dinner is genuinely exciting tonight.
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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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