Shellfish 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 you go back for seconds before the first plate is even finished. The sauce is genuinely clever — pineapple juice and sweet potato purée form the base, giving it that glossy, restaurant-style consistency without any of the mystery ingredients you'd find in a bottled version. Fresh ginger and coconut aminos thread through both the meatballs and the sauce, so every bite is cohesive and punchy rather than one-note. Arrowroot starch does the thickening work here, keeping everything clean and free from the additives that can sneak into conventional sweet and sour sauces. The sear-then-bake method is the real secret weapon — you get that caramelized crust on the outside while the oven finishes the job and locks in the juices. Tossed with warm pineapple chunks and finished with 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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