Paleo Sweet and Sour Meatballs
Posted Jan 05, 2017, Updated Oct 19, 2021
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Paleo Sweet and Sour Meatballs are a delicious, kid-approved, quick & easy dinner recipe. Made with a few ingredients in 20 minutes.
These paleo sweet and sour meatballs are a healthy meal that’s delicious and easy. Served with a side of stir fry vegetables you have a healthy and balanced dinner the whole family loves.
Because if I’m being honest, I don’t always have the energy to spend hours in the kitchen, but I still want to feed my family nourishing meals that they actually like.
Asian recipes (like these lettuce wraps, cashew chicken stir fry, etc). almost always win in my house when I need a quick dinner! They’re healthy, take less than 30 minutes to prepare, and taste amazing. These Paleo Sweet and Sour Meatballs are always a hit, and everyone in my family loves them! Plus they are gluten-free, dairy-free and refined sugar free!
How to Make Paleo Sweet and Sour Meatballs:
This recipe is easy to make in the oven or on the stovetop.
In the Oven
If you’d prefer to make baked meatballs, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a large baking sheet, set aside.
Then, place the meatballs on a greased baking sheet evenly spread out.
Next, bake the meatballs in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes. Meatballs should reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees F.
On the Stovetop
If you prefer to cook the paleo sweet and sour meatballs on the stovetop, being by heating 1-2 TBS olive oil in a nonstick fry pan over medium heat.
Then, add half of the meatballs and cover.
Cook, covered, on one side for 4-5 minutes or until they are golden-brown.
Remove lid and flip the meatballs. Cook for another 4-5 minutes until meatballs are golden brown and the internal temperature is 160 degrees F.
Serve
Serve these paleo sweet and sour meatballs with your favorite Asian dishes like stir fried vegetables, fried rice, or an asian quinoa salad, etc.
Store/freeze
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Recipe FAQs
The egg and coconut flour bind the meatballs together so they don’t fall apart.
Either method works really well, it’s completely a personal preference.
You can replace the dairy-free milk with some soy sauce, hoisin sauce, or even a pureed vegetable (like pumpkin or zucchini) for moisture.
Paleo Sweet and Sour Meatballs: Ingredients & Substitutions
Meatballs
- Ground Turkey. Lean ground beef and ground chicken also work well in this recipe.
- Milk. Any dairy-free, paleo-friendly milk works great in this recipe. Regular milk also works.
- Onion/garlic powder. Real onion and minced garlic can be substituted for the powders. Just be aware it will add texture to the meatballs. I recommend cooking them together until soft and letting them cool before mixing them into the meatballs.
- Coconut flour. It only takes a small amount of coconut flour to bind the meatballs together beautifully! No need to use breadcrumbs or other ingredients that usually make them off-limits for people with dietary restrictions. I don’t recommend substitutions.
Sauce
- Coconut sugar. I usually use coconut sugar as the sweetener. I have also had success with honey and regular organic sugar (not paleo).
- Vinegar. Both apple cider and distilled white vinegar can be used in this recipe.
- Ketchup. To keep these healthy sweet and sour meatballs paleo, be sure to use a paleo-approved ketchup or this low carb ketchup! If paleo isn’t your thing, any ketchup will work (just please choose an organic variety whose main ingredient is not corn syrup)!
- Coconut Aminos. If you do not need to keep this recipe paleo, you can substitute soy sauce for the coconut aminos.
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Paleo Sweet and Sour Meatballs
Ingredients
Meatballs:
- 1 lb ground turkey or 93/7 lean ground beef
- 1 TBS coconut aminos (or soy sauce – not paleo)
- 1 TBS milk unsweetened almond or coconut milk
- 1 egg beaten
- 1 ½ TBS coconut flour
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¾ tsp sea salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
Sweet and Sour Sauce:
- ¾ cup coconut sugar or honey or organic cane sugar (not paleo)
- ½ cup distilled white or apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup ketchup {paleo approved}
- 1 tsp garlic salt
- 1 TBS coconut aminos (or soy sauce – not paleo)
Thickener:
- 1 TBS tapioca flour or arrowroot flour
- 1½ TBS water
Instructions
Making the meatballs:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a baking sheet, set aside.
- In a small bowl, mix together the dry ingredients (coconut flour, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper). Set aside.
- In a large bowl mix together the meat, coconut aminos, milk and egg until well combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to meat mixture. Stir until well combined.
- Roll the mixture into 1-2” balls and place evenly spaced on your prepared baking sheet. (This step could be pretty messy and sticky, but don’t worry they will bake very nicely)!
- Bake in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, until tops are slightly browned or internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F.
Making the sauce:
- While meatballs are baking, in a small bowl whisk together the sauce ingredients: sugar, vinegar, ketchup, garlic salt and coconut aminos. Set aside.
Putting it together:
- Transfer the baked meatballs into a pot or pan (I use a 4 quart saucepan) and pour sauce over them. Cook on medium heat until sauce begins to bubble, stirring every 3 minutes.
- Mix 1 TBS tapioca flour into 1½ TBS cold water and add to sauce.
- Continue to cook over medium heat until sauce thickens and the meatballs are evenly coated.
- Serve warm with stir-fried veggies, spaghetti squash, or your favorite Asian sides!
Notes
Ingredient Substitutions
Meatballs
- Ground Turkey. Lean ground beef and ground chicken also work well in this recipe.
- Milk. Any dairy-free, paleo-friendly milk works great in this recipe. Regular milk also works.
- Onion/garlic powder. Real onion and minced garlic can be substituted for the powders. Just be aware it will add texture to the meatballs. I recommend cooking them together until soft and letting them cool before mixing them into the meatballs.
- Coconut flour. It only takes a small amount of coconut flour to bind the meatballs together beautifully! No need to use breadcrumbs or other ingredients that usually make them off-limits for people with dietary restrictions. I don’t recommend substitutions.
Sauce
- Coconut sugar. I usually use coconut sugar as the sweetener. I have also had success with honey and regular organic sugar (not paleo).
- Vinegar. Both apple cider and distilled white vinegar can be used in this recipe.
- Ketchup. To keep these healthy sweet and sour meatballs paleo, be sure to use a paleo-approved ketchup or this low carb ketchup! If paleo isn’t your thing, any ketchup will work (just please choose an organic variety whose main ingredient is not corn syrup)!
- Coconut Aminos. If you do not need to keep this recipe paleo, you can substitute soy sauce for the coconut aminos.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Seriously this recipe is SO good! I am not a huge meat eater, but I could eat these all day long! Even my kids gobble them up! Serve with some stir-fried veggies, rice, egg noodles, or whatever your favorite Asian side dish may be! The possibilities are endless!
Here are a few more delicious ground turkey recipes:
- This Thai Slow Cooker Ground turkey is a staple recipe in our house!
- These Italian Healthy Turkey Meatballs are SO good served over pasta or zoodles!
- Ground Turkey Italian Stuffed Peppers are a great meal-prep recipe or a main dish to feed a crowd!
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I mixed up the meat the night before and put it in the refrigerator. I used a cookie scoop to make the meatballs and only had to shape them a little bit. I had almost no mess on my hands! This recipe is one I will make again!
Thank you Julie! This is one of our favorite too!
Made these tonight. The sauce was delicious, and my husband who is not on any diet but eats whatever I cook enjoyed them. I put them on top of sweet potato noodles, and he gobbled them up. He doesn’t even care for sweet potato. I can definitely see making these when I have a craving for Asian food and just serving myself a bowl. So much better than takeout.
I’m SO glad you both loved them! This is one of my favorite weeknight meals too! Love the idea of serving it over sweet potato noodles!
Hi there!
I was wondering if you have caloric value per serving for your recipes?
I see a lot of them I want to try but am having a hard time figuring out how many calories they are – I am on a strict diet and trying to find foods that fit into my calorie intake and taste good too! LOL
Thank you!
Hey Lexi! I am sorry but I don’t include calorie information for my recipes, as I have intentionally never been a calorie counter myself! However I totally understand the need to do so…and I recommend using a website like this! You can input any recipe you like and it breaks down all the nutrition information for you!
Your Sweet and Sour Meatballs look wonderful! Thanks so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday and have a fantastic day!
Come Back Soon!
Miz Helen