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    Home » Recipes » Appetizers

    Flavorful Whole30 Meatballs

    Author: Rachel Rivera | Published: Dec 15, 2020 | Last Modified: Nov 26, 2022

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    These whole30 and paleo fried meatballs are different than regular meatballs. Most are baked or simmered in a sauce, but these are deliciously fried and perfect for a Whole30 appetizer!

    Ingredients for Whole30 Meatballs

    • Coconut or Avocado oil
    • Salt and Pepper
    • Chili Pepper
    • Garlic Powder
    • Onion Powder
    • Ground Chicken
    • Egg
    • Cassava Flour
    • Cooking Spray
    • Sauce

    Thrive Market has their own brand of cassava flour that I've used it in many recipes (baking and cooking) without issues. Thrive Market is a company I feel really good about supporting. If you don't have a Thrive Market subscription, click here to check it out.

    For the sauce in this recipe, I used Cucina Antica Sauce. It has the Whole30 approved stamp of approval, so you know not only does it have no sugar or soybean oil, and the ingredients are all clean and completely real foods.

    Instructions

    Preheat your oven and get your frying pan ready with oil in it.

    Mix the spices with ground meat.

    Form the meat into approximately golf ball sized balls.

    Crack and whisk an egg. In another small bowl, place the cassava flour inside.

    Gently roll the meatball in the egg, then gently roll again in the cassava flour to coat.

    Working in batches, fry the meatballs, gently moving or rolling them as needed to ensure all sides are evenly fried.

    When all the meatballs are fried, place them on a baking sheet. Gently spray them with cooking oil.

    Bake them in the oven for 8-10 minutes.

    Meanwhile, heat the sauce in a saucepan over medium heat, until fully heated.

    Once the meatballs register 165F degrees, they are ready to serve and enjoy alongside the sauce!

    Pairing Suggestions

    To keep this a Whole30 meal, serve these meatballs with veggie noodles. You could do zucchini or sweet potato noodles.

    Variations

    Try these other Whole30 or Gluten Free meatballs!

    • Lemon Chicken Meatballs- I love making these as they have so much flavor! There's some great meal inspiration for these as well!
    • Curry Meatballs- These are insanely delicious, and it makes a lot of sauce to smother the meatballs in and spoon over the veggies or mashed potatoes you serve it with!

    Substitutions

    • Use ground pork or ground turkey instead of beef or chicken.
    • If you're not on a Whole30 round, you can use all purpose gluten free or paleo flour instead of cassava flour.

    Storage and Reheating

    To store leftovers, place them in an airtight container or seal them tightly with saran wrap or the like.

    Place them in the fridge for up to 3 days.

    To reheat leftovers, place them in an oven safe dish. Place a plate or oven safe lid on top. Place them in the oven on 350F degrees until they're heated through.

    Alternatively you can use a microwave.

    Whole30 Meatballs

    Rachel Rivera
    A delicious, restaurant worthy meatball recipe for your Whole30, made with compatible and clean ingredients!
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 20 mins
    Total Time 25 mins
    Course Appetizer, Dinner
    Cuisine American, Italian
    Servings 4 people

    Equipment

    • 1 Baking Tray
    • 1 large frying pan
    • 1 large mixing bowl
    • measuring cups
    • Measuring spoons
    • 2 small mixing bowls

    Ingredients
      

    • Coconut or avocado oil for frying
    • 1 ½ teaspoon salt
    • ¼ teaspoon pepper
    • ¼ teaspoon chili pepper
    • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
    • ½ teaspoon onion powder
    • 1 lb. ground beef or chicken can also use pork or turkey
    • 1 egg
    • ¼ cup cassava flour
    • cooking spray
    • 1 jar Cucina Antica Sauce

    Instructions
     

    • Pre-heat the oven to 400F degrees.
    • Place a skillet on medium heat and heat the oil.
    • Mix together all the spices and ground meat. Form the meat into golf ball sized meatballs.
    • Place the egg in one bowl and the flour in another. One at a time, gently roll the meatballs in the egg, then again in the flour to thoroughly coat.
    • Working in batches, fry the meatballs, gently moving them as needed in order to fry them all around.
    • Place fried meatballs on a sheet pan. Gently spray with cooking oil.
    • Place pan in the oven and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until or until meatballs register 165 degrees F internally. 
    • While the meatballs cook, heat the Cucina Antica sauce in a saucepan over medium.
    • Serve together and enjoy!
    Keyword whole30 meatballs
    Paleo Whole30 Fried Meatballs

    Did you make these Whole30 meatballs? Leave me a comment below to let me know your results! I love to hear your results and how it came out.

    Feel free to take a picture and post it to Instagram! Tag me @thecleanhappylife.

    Please note: some of these links are affiliate links, and earn me a small commission but at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Arica says

      February 09, 2021 at 9:18 pm

      5 stars
      Sounds delicious! Meatballs aren't something I make often, but I'll have to try this recipe out next time. I love that these are a healthier version!

      Reply
      • thecleanhappylife says

        February 10, 2021 at 11:33 am

        Yes, all clean ingredients! Thanks for checking it out!

        Reply
    2. Prolific -Cora says

      January 10, 2021 at 3:25 pm

      I will definitely try this! I used to love meatballs but I haven’t had them since I stopped eating pork years ago! It’s simple enough for the kids to help make too.

      Reply
      • thecleanhappylife says

        January 10, 2021 at 3:39 pm

        You'll love these with chicken then! Great for kiddos too.

        Reply
    3. Melissa says

      January 10, 2021 at 10:07 am

      These look yummy! Thank you so much for sharing this!

      Reply
      • thecleanhappylife says

        January 10, 2021 at 10:48 am

        Hope you enjoy them!

        Reply
    4. Emily | All Star Baking ✨ says

      January 03, 2021 at 10:28 am

      5 stars
      These look amazing! I love that they are made with cassava flour, that’s such a wonderful way to make them both delicious and healthy! I’d love to try some better-for-you meals and this looks like a great place to start! 🙂

      Reply
      • thecleanhappylife says

        January 03, 2021 at 9:47 pm

        Aww thank you Emily! You will love them, they don't disappoint! They're a simple way to get into healthy eating!

        Reply
    5. Kimberlie says

      December 27, 2020 at 8:42 am

      My husband literally made meatballs yesterday, but used pre-made, frozen ones. I have been wanting to make healthier, fresher meatballs and can’t wait to try this recipe. I’m astonished I never heard of cassava flour.

      Reply
      • thecleanhappylife says

        December 27, 2020 at 10:29 am

        Oh you'll love it! Cassava is my favorite. These meatballs are so good too, enjoy!

        Reply
    6. Sarah says

      December 20, 2020 at 6:36 pm

      This looks both delicious and easy to make. I can't wait to try it out!

      Reply
      • thecleanhappylife says

        December 29, 2020 at 2:22 pm

        Thank you! It's nice to have something different, coating before frying goes a long way!

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Rachel! I'm a health food blogger who's currently obtaining a nutrition certification! My health journey started with hormonal issues and gut health, which eventually led to this blog!

    Here you'll find recipes that are practically all gluten free and soy free! Many are paleo and grain free also, but all are healthy and delicious!

    More about me →

    Rachel's Favorites

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