These delicious Paleo friendly meatballs are so simple to whip up and are a flavour sensation- Sweet, salty, sour and spicy- Perfect for food prep and easy weeknight meals!
Operation ‘Paleo-fy Niki’s favourite recipes’ is going well. Thanks for asking.
Niki is picky when it comes to meat. Really picky. Her favourite forms of animal protein would probably be chicken McNuggets (and the actual meat content of that is all but questionable), cheeseburgers and the overly processed meatballs they serve at birthday parties. The ones where beef is the tenth ingredient. The TENTH ingredient.
Seeing as all the ingredients bar the beef would be paleo friendly, this was a slight challenge- but one which doable. Then the ever kind sister threw the spanner in the works- she wanted her favourite condiment- the sweet and sour sauce to compliment the meatballs. Sister of the year award right there.
Anyway- I decided to play around with some ingredients, adjust some sauces to get that happy balance- and dammit, I think I nailed it.
These meatballs are moist, flavourful and to be honest- I’m glad Niki demanded suggested the sweet and sour sauce- It takes it up a notch. This quick, easy and healthy meatball recipe will change the way you look at ground meat again- and leave you snubbing those birthday party treats.
Just kidding, you need to eat those to balance the vino.
Sweet and Sour Meatballs [Paleo, Gluten Free, Grain Free]
Share this recipe on Pinterest
Love this Paleo Sweet and Sour Meatballs recipe?
Share it with the world on Pinterest.
Paleo Sweet and Sour Meatballs
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 kilogram ground beef Can sub for other ground meat
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 red bell pepper finely diced
- 1 onion finely diced
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup coconut flour sifted
- 1/2- 3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 3 eggs
- Coconut oil for frying
Sweet and Sour Sauce
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 tablespoon coconut aminos soy sauce substitute
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/2 cup tomato passata sauce
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoon orange juice
- Coconut oil for frying
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground meat, minced garlic, diced bell pepper and diced onion. Add the salt, cumin and red pepper flakes and mix well.
- In a small bowl, whisk the eggs and add to the mixture with the sifted coconut flour. Add the almond milk, 1/4 cup at a time until meat mixture is moist. Form mixture into golf sized meatballs and set aside.
- Coat a large frying pan with coconut oil and once hot, add the meatballs to cover the pan in an even layer. Cook for 2-3 minutes, flip, and cook again for another 2-3 minutes. Continue the process until all the meatballs are cooked. Set aside.
- In a large pot, add coconut oil and fry the garlic until fragrant. Add the coconut aminos, honey, tomato passata sauce, orange juice and red pepper flakes. Cook on low heat and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes. Once sauce has thickened, remove from heat.
- In a large bowl, add the meatballs then pour the sauce evenly over until the meatballs are fully coated.
- Serve immediately, or allow to cool
Notes
What is your favourite finger food at a party?
How much chicken do you think are in McNuggets?
What McDonalds myths are infamous in your city? Here the famous one is that there is pig fat in the soft serve cones.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. I may earn a small commission for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial, and/or link to any products or services from this website.
I think you have nailed it – the recipe looks awesome! I used to love sweet and sour chicken as a kid but have not had the stuff in years! I want to get some coconut aminos!
Thanks, Lauren! You should see the sweet and sour chicken here…it’s fluro. Fluro pink.
MC Donald myth: a customer once found a fried chicken head between her chicken nuggets. Yum!
Do the meatballs taste a little spicy? Because you add a good amount of chili flakes. I hope so because I’m not the biggest fan of sweet (and sour) sauces but the spice would balance it out I guess.
At parties here there is no finger good served. Only chips and pretzel sticks and snacks like this. BUT my dad made meat balls for one of my birthday parties, my 18th I think!! They were a hit!
I’d still eat the chicken nugget…ooops 🙂
YES…but- for my palates, it wasn’t spicy enough. I have an amazing salad dressing recipe you’d like- sriracha, peanut (or almond) butter, so sauce and red pepper flakes- thin out with milk/water.
I don’t have sriracha but I will give this a go with a mix of tabasco and ketchup 😀 not sure if I’d like a spicy salad though. But I’ll try, hehe.
This recipe looks delish (I mean for my son since I don’t eat meat anymore lol). I just made him meatballs actually last night…We don’t have McDonald’s myths that I am aware of, however, there is very little chicken in those nuggets and the chicken they use we really don’t want to eat.But oh how I loved them as a kid. And the sweet and sour sauce, which we have discussed already lol.
Just read your WIAW post and I reckon the little one will like it….
I wonder if a Red Mango parfait will taste good with sweet and sour sauce. Try it out? 😉
Oh that’s a new idea–coconut flour and ground beef…
Thanks, Linda- Maybe a keto cheat 😉
Haha OMG don’t even talk to be about chicken nuggets from McDonalds- definitely a childhood favorite despite the amount of crap in it…BBQ sauce was a necessity! Did you ever hear the ‘rumour’ that McDonalds milkshakes contain chicken fat- it definitely put me off those otherwise cups of liquid deliciousness! Can’t wait to try recreating this at home- I’m going to try making it with chicken and oat flour instead of coconut flour…hopefully it turns out just as yum!
You guys had the chicken fat rumour? We had the pig fat one haha…still didn’t put me off it! Definitely try it with oat flour or even rolled oats- I’ve made it with rolled before and it’s delicious
No chicken in Chicken Nuggets maybe? That’s why I always eat my own chicken. 🙂
Coconut Flour and ground beef. Now that is one #strangebutgood combo. Curious about Niki’s recap!
Haha, it’s ALL you’re fault there’s no chicken in those nuggets. You ate them all!
Be prepared to pee yourself…she is a disgrace.
Those look great. I haven’t had sweet and sour in a while but now I’m craving them.
Thanks Hollie! Sweet and Sour is an epic combo.
Ooh yummy!
We had that myth too, that there was more chicken in the mcflurry ice cream than in the chicken burger. I say myth… :-S
Hahaha well that’s an added protein boost at least 😉
I saw a Jamie Oliver show several years ago where he revealed how they process the meat in McDonald’s food- they basically take all the meat leftovers that aren’t really edible for humans, “wash” it in AMMONIA, and add fake flavor to make it taste like the real stuff. I haven’t eaten fast food since then.
I WATCHED THAT TOO- and then the kids still ate them and didn’t know what a potato or tomato was. Kids these days….
I try not to think about what’s actually in McNuggets, because I basically grew up on those things. They were probably one of my favourite things growing up, and I have a feeling a lot of it had to do with the sweet n sour sauce. I actually loved that damn sauce so much that I’d constantly be asking them for another handful… at which point they started charging 😆
Hahahaha I asked Niki how much they are these days and she said 50 cents!!! She sweet talks the server.
My favorite party snack are these meatballs right here! Well, the ones I grew up on came from a package and the sauce was made with chili sauce and grape jelly..sooo these might be a slightly healthier substitute 🙂
Haha, Thank you, Tara! Grape jelly…..I’m intrigued!
There has been some gross McDonalds myths…I try not to think about them. I’ll eat fast food once in a blue moon, but not McDonalds…unless it’s their breakfasts because I love me an egg mcmuffin.
McMuffins are epic. I’ve been having egg and cheese sandwiches for breakfast recently..definitely needs the damn muffin.
I have made sweet and sour meatballs (vegan) before and they were SO good!! I made them into a sub sandwich… you should definitely try that out!
I actually did try them in a sub and over spaghetti- so good!
Well, if your friend googles up “pink slime” that’s going to cure her mc nugget cravings pretty quick….
……….oh no.
My friend once brought sweet and sour meatballs to a Super Bowl party, and I watched her make them and won’t tell you what was in them (certainly not frozen meatballs and grape jelly….) but they were delicious. I can only imagine what a healthier version would taste like!
AMY! You need to try this out..I ate it in a sub and thought of you!