Pork 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 a weeknight dinner feel genuinely exciting. Ground beef is seasoned with garlic, fresh ginger, turmeric, and coconut aminos before being seared and finished in the oven — a two-step method that locks in a golden crust while keeping the centers juicy and perfectly cooked. The sauce is where things get really interesting: pineapple juice and fresh pineapple chunks bring the brightness, sweet potato purée adds a velvety body, and apple cider vinegar keeps everything lively and balanced. Arrowroot starch thickens it all into a glossy, spoonable coating that clings to every meatball beautifully. Because the entire recipe is built around beef, there's no need to scrutinize labels or swap anything out — it's naturally free of pork in every component, from the meat to the sauce. Cassava flour binds the meatballs without any grain-based fillers, making this a surprisingly clean and wholesome take on a classic takeout-style dish. Pile them over rice, tuck them into lettuce cups, or just eat them straight from the skillet with a scattering of scallions on top.
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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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