These Whole30 Sweet and Sour Paleo Meatballs are a healthy spin of a classic recipe that is gluten and sugar free! A crowd-pleasing 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!
Table of Contents
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.
Ingredients Needed
In my PERSONAL opinion, you can NEVER have too many meatball recipes. Dress up a big bowl of pasta and marinara sauce with some healthy turkey meatballs or enjoy some easy mexican meatballs with zucchini noodles and you will be SO satisfied. There’s a meatball recipe for every occasion here on the blog, so why not make another? Introducing whole30 approved meatballs- they are easy to make, they are healthy, and they are slathered in the most flavorful and tasty sweet and sour sauce that everyone will love, picky eaters included! Let’s go ahead and pull together everything we will need to make these meatballs; here is the rundown:
For the Meatballs:
- Lean Ground Beef
- Egg
- Green Onion
- Sea Salt
- Pepper
- Coconut Flour
For the Sauce:
- Grape Juice
- Canned Tomato Sauce
- Medjool Dates
- Better Body Foods Coconut Vinegar
- Tomato Paste
- Garlic
- Dry Mustard
- Small Onion
- Sea Salt
- Tabasco Sauce
- Pepper
- Ground Allspice
- Cauliflower rice or White Rice for serving
How to make Sweet & Sour Whole30 Meatballs
Mix
Turn on the oven and let it preheat. In a large bowl, add all the ingredients up to the coconut flour and mix thoroughly together with your hands. Once mixed, add in the coconut flour and mix once again, until it is well incorporated.
Bake
Using your hands, roll the meat mixture into balls and place them on a cookie sheet. Bake them in the preheated oven until they are no longer pink inside.
Simmer
While the meatballs are cooking, add all the sauce ingredients to a small pot and bring it to a boil, stirring often. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and allow the sauce to cook and reduce a bit.
Process
Once the sauce has simmered for a while, pour it into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Set it aside, covered to keep it warm.
Serve
Once the meatballs are done, pour the sauce over them in a bowl and carefully toss to evenly coat them. Serve this whole30 beef meatball recipe over rice, garnishing with sliced green onion and DEVOUR!
Top Tips for making Whole30 Meatballs
- Don’t Over-mix: One the meat mixture has been thoroughly combined, roll up your meatballs and bake them. There’s no need to overmix as it could affect the texture.
- Don’t Over-bake: Bake your meatballs until the pink is gone, but no need to go further or the meat could become tough!
- Blend the sauce: The sauce will be delicious after you cook it, but for a smoother, more velvety finished product, I recommend blending it in a high powered blender or small food processor.
Serving Suggestions
Now that your whole30 meatball recipe is all cooked up, hot and ready to enjoy, it’s time to make it a meal! If you consider white rice whole30, go ahead and serve it up with that. Cauliflower rice would be a delicious low carb alternative (check out how to make cauliflower rice), and zoodles or mashed sweet potatoes would also be fun and delicious options to serve your meatballs with!
How to store Meatballs
These meatballs, once cooked, will last up to 3 days in your fridge in an airtight container and they make FABULOUS leftovers for meal prep. They can also be stored in an airtight container or freezer style ziploc bag, labeled with the date you made them, for up to 3 months!
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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JessicaT says
I made this last week and they were great! Big hit with the family. I didn’t have coconut vinegar so I used a 1/3 apple cider, 1/3 rice wine vinegar, 1/3 Madeira (because I didn’t have sherry either). So, the grape juice flavor was very pronounced. Would the coconut vinegar countered that flavor? The meatballs were still delicious and I’ll be making them again soon. Thank you!
Taylor Kiser says
Yes it would have I think since, when I make them, the sauce is not very grapey at all! But I am so glad you like!!
Donna says
These made quite a tasty dinner last night. I modified just a little (water/honey instead of grape juice & medjool dates), and I served them with green beans, roasted red potatoes and cauliflower rolls. Thanks for sharing your delicious recipe!
Taylor Kiser says
I am so glad you liked it!!! Thanks for letting me know!
Jennifer Parker says
Could you simmer these in the crock pot? Will the sauce hold up?
Taylor Kiser says
I really can’t tell you as the recipe was not developed that way – I’m sorry!
Elesha says
Hi! Do you have a suggestion on an egg substitute for this recipe? Do I need the binder? Three of the five people in my family have egg allergies and I am building a new recipe binder with family friendly meals. I’d love to have a meatball in the mix. Could I just eliminate it altogether? Thanks for the help!
Taylor Kiser says
You DEFINITELY need a binder and, with coconut flour, eggs are pretty key. I really can’t tell you a sub as recipes are not tested any other way than as written – I am sorry! Definitely can’t eliminate it all together!
Carolyn says
what options can be used instead of grape juice and dates to make this whole30 compliant?
Taylor Kiser says
Grapes and date juice are whole30 compliant 🙂 I don’t think there are any subs, and I wouldn’t be able to tell you as recipes are only tested as written. Sorry!
mariam says
loving these healthy meatballs!! thanks for sharing!
Taylor Kiser says
Thank you!
Karli Fouché says
Hi Taylor, the recipe sounds amazing and I am going to try it tonight – I am just not a big coconut flour fan, can I sibstitute it with almond flour?
Taylor Kiser says
Coconut flour and almond flour are VERY different, so unfortunately you can’t I’m sorry! These really don’t taste like coconut flour though! You may be able to use almond flour, but not the same amount and I can’t really advise how much as recipes are only tested as written. Let me know if you try!
Carolyn says
Well heck yeah, I want these!
gerry speirs says
Love dem meatballs!!
Lisa Huff says
Love this idea! Looks so good!
Taylor Kiser says
Thanks Lisa!