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Whole 30No Added Sugar
These easy one-skillet sweet and sour meatballs are perfect for weeknights, packed with flavor and kid approved! They’re gluten free, paleo and there’s a Whole30 option to sweeten the sauce with dates. They’re sodelicious served over cauliflower rice, paleo noodles or yourfavoriteroasted veggies.
I’m all about the one-skillet meals lately every single time I cook!
And, while this isn’t a completeone-skillet meal (unless you throw your side dish in the skillet!) it’s super easy and really quick.
They’re ready in 25 minutes and oh-so-tasty! Tasty as in, my-pickiest-eaters-love them.
What You Need to Make One-Skillet Sweet and Sour Meatballs
These meatballs use simple ingredients – many that you probably already have on hand.
The sauce can be sweetened either with maple syrup, or with date paste or syrup for a Whole30 version. Here’s what you’ll need to prepare the meatballs:
Meatballs:
- grass fed ground beef
- organic ground pork
- egg
- coconut aminos
- blanched almond flour
- sea salt and black pepper
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- ground ginger
- avocado oil
Sauce:
- Paleo ketchup (Primal Kitchen, Tessemae’s, or homemade)
- 100% pineapple juice
- maple syrup or date paste/syrup, for Whole30
- rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- fresh garlic, minced
- freshly grated ginger
- hot sauce (optional)
- sea salt + black pepper
- arrowroot flour, or tapioca
How to Make Paleo Sweet and Sour Meatballs:
In a large bowl, combine all meatball ingredients and mix well with your hands. Heat a large heavy, deep skillet (nonstick is easier, or a well-seasoned cast iron) over medium heat and add the oil.
Roll the meatball mixture into 1.25” balls and place in hot skillet (you’ll make about 20-22) brown the meatballs, turning with a spoon just once or twice. You won’t cook them through just yet.
Once the outsides are browned, pour the sauce into skillet over the meatballs. Simmer meatballs in the sauce for 5 mins or until the sauce is thickened and the meatballs are just cooked through. Turn the meatballs a few times to evenly coat with sauce as they cook. The sauce will thicken even more as it cools after cooking.
Sprinkle green onions all over meatballs and sauce. Now it’s time to decide what to serve with your sweet and sour meatballs!
What To Serve with Sweet and Sour Meatballs
I personally love these meatballs served fried or sautéed cauliflower rice but there are absolutely other options if that’s not your thing.
Paleo noodles – either veggie noodles like zucchini, sweet potato, or butternut, OR pasta made with cassava flour like from Jovial would be delicious.
You can also go super simple and serve these meatballs alongside your favorite roasted or stir fried veggies like broccoli, peppers, onions, etc.
I hope you’re ready for an easy, delicious and fun dinner that also happens to be healthy!
Forget the takeout and let’s make these one-skillet paleo sweet and sour meatballs – grab your ingredients and a big skillet because it’s time to cook – let’s go!
One-Skillet Sweet and Sour Meatballs {Paleo}
One-Skillet Sweet and Sour Meatballs {Paleo}
These easy one-skillet sweet and sour meatballs are perfect for weeknights, packed with flavor and kid approved! They're gluten free, paleo and there's a Whole30 option to sweet the sauce with dates. They're sodelicious served over cauliflower rice, paleo noodles or yourfavoriteroasted veggies.
Author: Michele Rosen
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
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4.63 from 51 votes
Ingredients
Meatballs:
- 1lbgrass fed ground beef
- 1/2lborganic ground pork
- 1large egg
- 1/2Tbspcoconut aminos
- 3tbspblanched almond flour
- 1/2-3/4tspsea salt
- 1/8-1/4tspblack pepper
- 1tspgarlic powder
- 1tsponion powder
- 1/2tspground ginger
- 1Tbspavocado oil
Sauce:
- 1/3cupPaleo ketchupPrimal Kitchen, Tessemae’s, or homemade
- 3/4cup100% pineapple juice
- 2Tbspmaple syrup or date paste/syrupfor Whole30
- 1/3cuprice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 3clovesgarlicminced
- 2tspfresh grated ginger
- 1/2-1tsphot sauceoptional
- 1/2tspsea salt
- 1/2tspblack pepper
- 1Tbsp.arrowroot flouror tapioca
- Sea salt and black pepper
Instructions
In a large bowl, combine all meatball ingredients and mix well with your hands.
Heat a large heavy, deep skillet (nonstick is easier, or a well-seasoned cast iron) over medium heat and add the oil.
Roll the meatball mixture into 1.25” balls and place in hot skillet (you’ll make about 20-22) brown the meatballs, turning with a spoon just once or twice. You won’t cook them through just yet.
Once outsides are browned, pour the sauce into skillet over the meatballs. Simmer meatballs in the sauce for 5 mins or until the sauce is thickened and the meatballs are just cooked through. Turn the meatballs a few times to evenly coat with sauce as they cook. The sauce will thicken even more as it cools after cooking.
Sprinkle green onions all over meatballs and sauce and serve over sautéed cauliflower rice, roasted broccoli or any veggies you like. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Calories: 374kcal
Carbohydrates: 14g
Protein: 22g
Fat: 24g
Saturated Fat: 8g
Cholesterol: 106mg
Sodium: 675mg
Potassium: 407mg
Fiber: 1g
Sugar: 8g
Vitamin A: 40IU
Vitamin C: 4mg
Calcium: 42mg
Iron: 2mg
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About Michele
More than a little into running and paleo recipes (yoga now too!) but I'm not here to rain on your grains (or anything else) so come along for the ride! I do a little too much of everything (except cleaning), and I enjoy laughing at myself. As long as I'm the one making the jokes, that is. Just kidding. So bring me your angst, your appetite and your frying pan and climb aboard!
Reader Interactions
Reader Reviews & Comments
Marjorie says
Can’t wait to make these! You are and have been my go-to for paleo/Whole30 recipes.. Thank you for all your hard work. PS. Is the date paste something I can make or buy? Did I miss the note on that .. :-/ Thanks again Michele 🙂
Reply
Reagan says
Sounds so good! For the sauce, do you just mix all the ingredients in a bowl and then pour over the meatballs to simmer? Thanks!
Reply
Wendi Leonard says
My daughter can’t eat tomatoes. Do you have any recommendations for a substitute for ketchup?
Reply
nikki says
oh man this is good.Reply
Adriane says
Hello, how big is the skillet you use for this dish. THANK you
Reply
Melanie says
I made these today for a family of 6. It was a hit with everyone, including a toddler and a picky teenager. We ate with rice and broccoli . Thank you for making amazing recipes! I haven’t found one everyone didn’t love.Reply
Jo-Ann Osipow says
Easy to make and very tasty!Reply
Erin says
I’ve made these a couple of times now. They’re easier than I thought and are a family favorite! Thank you!Reply
Rachel says
I just made this for dinner last night. The sauce is amazing!!!!! I paired it with cauliflower rice that I cooked with ginger and pineapple chunks. Thank you for sharing this recipe. New family favorite!!!!
Reply
Valerie says
What could I use to replace the egg in this recipe?
Reply
Amber Marshall says
The egg is mostly just a binder, and really isn’t necessary. You can skip the egg. If you find yourself needing something to make the meatballs bind a little more, I find that dried chopped onions do pretty well and add a little flavor.
Reply
Courtney says
Could I use Cassava flour instead of Almond/Tapioca? I am allergic to both tapioca and almond.
Reply
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Mary says
Can you make this in a crockpot?
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