Flavorful Whole30 + Paleo Fried Meatballs

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 just perfect for appetizers and dipping!

Ingredients

This is a very clean recipe, as it’s whole30 and paleo! If at all possible, use free range ground chicken and organic ingredients so it’s as clean as possible. You could also swap ground pork or ground turkey if you don’t prefer the ground chicken.

I probably sound like a broken record, but cassava flour is my go to, for many reasons. In baking, it’s the closest thing to all purpose flour, therefore being the easiest to work with in my opinion. For frying and cooking, it’s also a dream to work with! It fries up deliciously, and doesn’t burn as quick as almond flour does. It gets nice and crispy, and it also stays attached to the meat during frying and doesn’t fall off. Fantastic!

If you need cassava flour, I’ve tried out a few brands. Thrive Market has their own brand of cassava flour that I really like, I’ve used it in many recipes (baking and cooking) without issues. Thrive Market is also a company I feel really good about supporting. They are a B corp business, and treat their employees tremendously. 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, Nonna’s Recipe. It has the Whole30 approved stamp of approval, so you know not only does it have no sugar, soybean oil, or anything of the like, the ingredients are all clean and non toxic, and completely real foods.

You can not only order them online, but they are also sold at Whole Foods.

Cooking spray in this case is easiest to use so as to avoid over drizzling or brushing the meatballs with oil. A great brand of cooking spray that is Whole30 approved is the one from Primal Kitchen.

Serving and pairing suggestions

My favorite way to eat these Paleo Fried Meatballs is to serve them as an appetizer, or as a stand alone part of a full meal. Serve it alongside the Cucina Antica sauce as a dip, because dipping foods always make them more fun! You can of course serve them as spaghetti and meatballs, but dipping them is so delicious and lets them stand alone.

How to Make Paleo Fried Meatballs

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

Mix all the spices together, then add them to the ground meat. The easiest way is to mix them with your hands!

Form the meat into approximately golf ball sized balls.

In a small, 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 if they don’t all fit in the pan with a bit of space, 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, stirring until fully heated.

Check with a thermometer to see what the meatballs are registering. Once they register 165F degrees, they are ready to serve and enjoy alongside the sauce!

Meatballs are so easy to make, convenient to reheat as leftovers, and come in so many flavors! If you’re looking for more Whole30 and paleo meatball recipes, try out my Whole30 Curry Meatballs. They 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!

Did you make these Whole30 + Paleo Fried 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. I’d love to see your creation, and also how you served it!

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