Pecan Free Cassava Flour Sweet and Sour Meatballs
Sweet, tangy, and deeply savory all at once, these meatballs hit every note you want from a comfort dish with a little flair. The sauce is genuinely special — pineapple juice and sweet potato purée create a glossy, naturally thickened base that gets bright lift from apple cider vinegar and a warm kick from fresh ginger. Coconut aminos stand in for soy sauce throughout, giving the whole dish that rich, umami depth without any of the usual label-reading stress. Cassava flour binds the meatballs beautifully, keeping them tender and juicy through both the sear and the oven finish. The double-cooking method — a quick pan sear followed by a short bake — locks in a golden crust while making sure every meatball is cooked through to a safe internal temperature. Fresh pineapple chunks stirred in at the end add bursts of juicy sweetness that make the sauce feel vibrant rather than heavy. Topped with sliced scallions, this is the kind of weeknight dinner 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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