Seed Oil Free Cassava Flour Sweet and Sour Meatballs
Sweet, tangy, and deeply savory, these meatballs hit every note you want from a classic takeout-style dish — without a drop of industrial seed oil in sight. The sauce gets its gorgeous body from sweet potato purée and unsweetened pineapple juice, thickened with arrowroot starch instead of cornstarch slurries loaded with mystery additives. Coconut aminos stand in for soy sauce throughout, delivering that umami depth while keeping the ingredient list completely clean. The meatballs themselves get a sear in coconut oil before finishing in the oven, which builds a real crust and locks in the juices from the 80/20 beef. Fresh ginger and garlic woven into both the meat mixture and the sauce mean the flavor is layered and bright, not flat or one-dimensional. Warm pineapple chunks folded in at the end add little bursts of caramelized sweetness that make every bite feel like a treat. This is the kind of recipe that proves cooking without refined oils doesn't mean sacrificing anything — least of all flavor.
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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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