Name: Whole30 Sticky Aisan Meatballs
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 10
Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients: 1 lb ground pork; 1 lb ground chicken; 1 egg; 1 tbsp arrowroot flour (make it extra moist); 1/4 cup green Onion (chopped); 1/4 cup poblano pepper (optional for spicier taste); 2-3 cloves Garlic (minced); 1 inch Fresh Ginger (minced); 2 tbsp coconut aminos; Salt to taste *; 2/3 cup coconut amino; 1/3 cup rice vinegar; 1 tbsp arrowroot flour; 1/2 tsp fresh or ground ginger; 1 tbsp coconut sugar (optional)

Juicy and flavorful meatballs topped with homemade sticky Asian sauce. These delicious Whole30 Sticky Asian Meatballs are not your average Chinese takeout food. It is not only so easy to make, but also paleo, gluten-free, dairy-free, and keto-friendly.

Growing up in China, my dad always made a “sticky” sauce with most dishes.

Sticky tofu, sticky short ribs, sticky eggplants. You name it.

It is always his magic sauce in the kitchen.

So I have made his magic happen in my kitchen, with this super flavorful Asian meatballs with sticky sauce.

You won’t believe these are Whole30 and Paleo compliant.

Why do I love Sticky Asian Meatballs

1. Packed with flavors

To begin with, this meatball recipe itself is packed with all the aromatics – ginger, garlic, green onion. Additionally, we are going to top off these Asian Meatballs with a flavorful sticky sauce simmered to perfection.

2. Easy to Make Whole30 Meatballs

This oven-baked Asian Meatball recipe is so easy to make. Only a few accessible ingredients, you have the best Whole 30 Meatball recipe.

3. So “Fancy” to bring on the dinner table or party

Not your average Chinese Takeout Food. It is healthy, fancy and so creative. These Sticky Meatballs will definitely please a crowd.

4. Reminds me of Home

I don’t make Chinese food often because I never think I get even close to my dad’s cooking level. But these meatballs though, my dad would be proud!

A few Asian Meatball Recipe Staples

If I learned a thing or two from watching my parents cooking Asian cuisine growing up, to begin with:

Green Onion 葱
Ginger 姜
Garlic 蒜

are the three ingredients you will find in most of Chinese food.

Additionally, Asian cuisine also uses a lot of sesame seed oil, soy sauce and white sugar.

An Asian Inspired Whole 30 Meatballs

To make this meatball recipe whole30 and paleo compliant. I have made a few substitutions

Coconut Aminos:

Instead of soy sauce, I used coconut amino, which is gluten free, paleo and Whole 30 compliant. Additionally, it is packed with 17 amino acids.

Arrowroot Flour:

Similar to corn starch that acts as a thickener, arrowroot flour is a great gluten-free, paleo, andWhole30 alternative to use in this sticky Asian sauce recipe.

Coconut Sugar:

Unlike white sugar, coconut sugar is paleo-friendly. Although it is not Whole30 compliant. However, you can omit coconut sugar to make this meatball recipe Whole30.

What Makes the “Sticky” Asian meatball Sauce Sticky?

So my dad uses this flour called Sheng Fen 生粉, which is a kind of starch.

Besides the fact that I cannot find Sheng Fen in normal grocery stores, it is also not gluten-free or whole30 friendly.

Therefore, I have tried a whole 30 approved paleo starch – arrowroot flour.

What is Arrowroot Flour

Arrowroot flour is a starchy substance extracted from the root of Maranta arundinacea (read more here).

You may be familiar with corn starch, a traditional thickener in many recipes. Similarly, arrowroot flour also thickens food, but has no taste, leaves food glossy and clear.

Even better? It is a healthy starch. It is gluten free, paleo and Whole 30 friendly.

How to Serve Whole30 Asian Meatballs

Perfect Party Appetizers

These Whole 30 Asian Meatballs are the perfect bite-size. Put some toothpicks on them. Then you have a fancy and healthy Chinese food “takeout” appetizer.

Healthy Dinner for the Whole family

Chinese food isn’t complete without rice. Serve these Sticky Asian Meatballs with some Jasmine rice and some stir fried vegetables on the size.

Or top them off with noodles.

Again, NOT your average Chinese Food takeout.

These Whole 30 Sticky Asian Meatballs are great to serve as a healthy dinner, appetizers for parties and social gatherings. They look so fancy, but no one needs to know that you are that easy to make.

(Last Updated July 11th, 2019 – tweaked the recipe a bit to make it extra moist and soft)

OOO ALSO I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOUR CREATIONS! YOU CAN USE “TRIED IT” ON PINTEREST OR SHARE ON INSTAGRAM BY TAGGING #SHUANGYSEATS

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Yield: 10 Servings

Whole30 Sticky Aisan Meatballs

These delicious Whole30 Sticky Asian Meatballs are not your
average Chinese takeout food. It is paleo, gluten free, dairy free and easy to
make.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

Asian Meatballs

1 lb ground pork
1 lb ground chicken
1 egg
1 tbsp arrowroot flour (make it extra moist)
1/4 cup green Onion (chopped)
1/4 cup poblano pepper (optional for spicier taste)
2-3 cloves Garlic (minced)
1 inch Fresh Ginger (minced)
2 tbsp coconut aminos
Salt to taste *

Asian Sticky Sauce

2/3 cup coconut amino
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1 tbsp arrowroot flour
1/2 tsp fresh or ground ginger
1 tbsp coconut sugar (optional)

Instructions

Asian Meatballs

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Grease a baking sheet with avocado oil.
Finely chop green onion, garlic, poblano pepper, set aside
Combine all meatball ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix until combined well, using your hands. Roll into balls (approx. 24 - 26 meatballs for 2 lb of meat). Place the formed meatballs on the greased baking pan.
Bake for 15 - 18 minutes. Broil for 2 minutes at the end.

Sticky Asian Sauce

Add all the sauce ingredients except for arrowroot flour to a skillet. Bring to boil then urn the heat to medium to low.
Stir in arrowroot flour slowly. Stir frequently until the sauce thickens. This will take about 5 minutes.
Once the meatballs are done, combine them to the pan and cover with sticky sauce. Sprinkle some extra green onion and sesame seeds for garnishing. Enjoy!

Notes

Instead of pork and chicken, you can use turkey or beef. I prefer having ground pork in the mix because the fattier meat brings out the flavor.
If the sauce doesn't thicken, keep stirring and turn the heat up by just a notch.
* Coconut aminos is salty itself, take into consideration when you add additional salt.

Whole 30 Sticky Asian Meatballs

Juicy and flavorful meatballs topped with homemade sticky Asian sauce. These delicious Whole30 Sticky Asian Meatballs are not your average Chinese takeout food. It is not only so easy to make, but also paleo, gluten-free, dairy-free, and keto-friendly.