These Whole30 Sweet and Sour Paleo Meatballs are a healthy spin of a classic recipe that is gluten and sugar free! A crowd-pleasing weeknight meal!
Just wanted you give ya a heads up that your newest, most favorite dinner – these easy paleo meatballs -are sponsored by my friends over at Better Body Foods!
PIN Whole30 Sweet and Sour Paleo Meatballs
Well my friends. Christmas has come and gone.
How was it? Are you still in a Christmas cookie coma?
I am not ashamed to say that I took FULL advantage of the day where it is socially acceptable to pretend cookies are a food group. I got my fix in the form of eggnog snickerdoodle baked French toast casseroles, snickerdoodle martinis, my favorite healthy ginger snap recipe and, of course, some pistachio whipped shortbread cookies.
So aforementioned “cookie coma?” A VRY VRY real thing that is happening in my usually-eats-all-the-healthy-food person life right now.
Craving nutritiously yummy things to fill up my belly at this point in my existence.
BUT, are you one of those people that can’t go from makin’ it RAIN spiced paleo cookies with almond butter –> munching on a kale salad recipe the VERY next day, and actually enjoy it?
Me too. It’s like my stomach says “NO WAY. You cannot just fill me with sugary magic and then – BAM – RABBIT FOOD, over the short time that is only 24 hours. Slow down on the green-mood mmm’kay?”
Don’t look at me like that. I know your hungry belly does the very same thing.
Which is where these WHOLE30 sweet and sour paleo meatballs (starting before JANUARY 1st because #AllWeDoIsWin) are being total BALLERS (you knew it was coming) and saving your overnight-healthy-food-that-doesn’t-taste-healthy dinner dreams.
Fun fact about me: these very meatballs were my favorite food growing up. Between these and some homemade healthy hamburger helper, Mama FFF made them on the reg’, and I can still practically smell the scent of juicy meat swimming in thick, sticky-sweet and perfectly spicy sauce wafting through the house.
[clickToTweet tweet=”#Whole30 Sweet & Sour Meatballs are the ultimate, healthy weeknight dinner win! @BetterBodyFoods” quote=”#Whole30 Sweet & Sour Meatballs are the ultimate, healthy weeknight dinner win! @BetterBodyFoods” theme=”style2″]Hang on. Just gonna go to my happy place for a sec.
Aaaaand, we’re back.
Unfortunately, happy place vacation ended when my now-have-to-make-my-own-dinners self asked her to email me the recipe.
Sometimes you just shouldn’t know what you’re eating to make it taste so insanely yummy you know? I thought my days of rolling around thick, spicy-sweet meatballs heaven were OVER. Unless they were super plant-y gluten free vegan chickpea meatballs, or something that just felt MORE HEALTHY.
Until Better Body Foods created this AMAZING coconut vinegar (see below for where to find it!) IMMEDIATELY I knew where it had to go. I knew what I had to do.
I had to make you my food-bliss meal, but in a healthy-good-for-you way, so that you could experience the magically-tingly-sensation of the most perfect paleo meatball recipe that ever happened to this Earth.
The tangy, sour flavor of the vinegar combined with the natural sweetness of grape juice, warm kick of tabasco and the slow-simmered stickiness of the dates is mish-mashing together in a way that is going to make you want to press rep-EAT on this super quick and easy dinner.
And you’re never going to believe that this insanely-comfort-food-tasting-yumminess is packing a WHOLE lotta real food goodness. These whole30 sweet and sour paleo meatballs have no grape jelly, ketchup or other refined sugar nastiness swimming in this pot of thick, saucy-sweet dinner deliciousness. <–If you’re looking for some meatballs with a little more hidden veggie action you could also try my low carb buffalo chicken meatballs!
Just like the Moroccan Roasted Acorn Squash Soup, dates are the super-secret ingredient to giving the dairy free meatballs the sticky-sauce hug that is SO key to the creation of the perfect meatball. It’s the sort of sauce that you want to make double of…just so you can drink it when no one is around to judge you.
Not that I know anything about that. Just guessing.
And, it’s the kind of dinner that allows you to go from cookies –> clean eating OVERNIGHT.
No awkward conversations with your belly required.
Ingredients
For the meatballs:
- 1 lb Lean ground beef (I used 93% lean)
- 1 Egg
- 1/4 Cup Green onion, minced + extra for garnish
- 1/2 tsp Sea salt
- 1/4 tsp Pepper
- 4 tsp Coconut flour
For the sauce:
- 3/4 Cup 100% grape juice
- 1/2 Cup Canned tomato sauce
- 1/4 Cup Medjool dates (very lightly packed - 42g)
- 2 Tbsp Better Body Foods Coconut Vinegar
- 1/2 Tbsp Tomato paste
- 1 tsp Garlic minced
- 1/2 tsp Dry mustard
- 1/2 A small onion roughly chopped
- 1/4 tsp Sea salt
- 1/4 tsp Tabasco sauce
- 1/8 tsp Pepper
- Pinch Ground allspice
- Cauliflower rice, or white rice, for serving (not included in nutrition info)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
- In a large bowl, mix together the beef, egg, green onion, salt and pepper using your hands. Once mixed, add in the coconut flour and mix again until evenly dispersed.
- Roll into 1-1/2 inch balls and place onto a cookie sheet (it should make about 20 balls.) Bake until no longer pink inside, about 16-18 minutes. Make sure you don't over-bake, so the meat doesn't get tough.
- While the meatballs cook, stir togehter ALL of the sauce ingredients in a medium pot and bring to a boil on high heat. Once boiling, cook for 1.5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Once the sauce has boiled for 1.5 minutes, turn the heat down to medium and simmer until the sauce begins to thicken and reduce, about 8-9 minutes, stirring frequently
- Once reduced, pour the sauce into a high powered blender, or a small 3 cup food processor, and blend until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl and cover to keep warm.
- Once the meatballs are done, add them into the sauce and stir until well coated.
- Serve over side of choice, garnish with extra green onion and DEVOUR
Nutrition Info:
Recipes written and produced on Food Faith Fitness are for informational purposes only.
THIS POST IS SPONSORED BY MY FRIENDS AT BETTER BODY FOODS. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO CONTINUE CREATING GREAT CONTENT FOR YOU BY SUPPORTING PARTNERSHIPS WITH SUPER-FAB BRANDS THAT FOOD FAITH FITNESS LOVES TO WORK WITH! AS ALWAYS, OPINIONS REMAIN 100% MY OWN!
Stay in touch with Better Body Foods on social media for more healthy ideas! Facebook /Twitter/Pinterest/Instagram
You’re going to need Better Body Foods Coconut Vinegar to make this recipe, so here’s where to find it:
On the Better Body Foods website, and you can use the coupon code 1offBBFcv to get $1 off!
It’s also available at Walmart. You get a $1 rebate when your purchase the Coconut Vinegar at Walmart via the Ibotta app!
Weight Watchers Points Per Serving: SmartPoints: 8 Points+: 7. Old Points: 6
(per serving)
IF YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE, PLEASE REMEMBER TO TAG @FOODFAITHFIT AND #FOODFAITHFITNESS ON INSTAGRAM! I LOVE SEEING YOUR RECIPE RECREATIONS! 
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Brielle @ Breezy Bakes says
I NEED some of these meatballs in my life!
Taylor Kiser says
You DO!
Freizel says
Just made this for dinner tonight. Super easy to prep and make. My hubby, 3-year-old, 1-year-old and I absolutely love this dish! I served this with sautéed carrots and zucchini. It will definitely part of our go-to meals. The sauce ingredients and the meatball ingredients compliment each other well. I’m about to venture to your Recipe page to bookmark some more recipes. Thank you for sharing your recipes! 🙂
Taylor Kiser says
Yay! I am SO glad you loved them and hope you find some more recipes you love!!