An Easy Autoimmune Paleo Meatball Recipe

I earn a small commission via affilate links at no extra cost to you.

A few years ago I looked in Julia Child’s, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, to see what she would do in a recipe with ground beef. So I tried her Bifteck Hachè à la Lyonnaise hamburger recipe and I fell in love. I grew up eating overcooked meat at every meal. I never knew that ground beef could taste so good. Julia’s hamburger recipe tastes like a savory beef stew that’s cooked for hours, except that you can make it in minutes. Ever since I discovered Julia’s ground beef recipe I have always gravitated towards this flavor profile because not only is it delicious it’s also simple. In the original recipe, she sautès onions. I wanted to make this autoimmune paleo meatball recipe quick and easy so I opted for onion powder instead. The math is also pretty for this meatball recipe: I used 3 lbs of ground beef so that measurements can be easily converted to any number of pounds you use. Simply remember that 3 teaspoons equals 1 tablespoon and the math always works out.

I have made this easy meatball recipe more than once and I absolutely love it because it’s delicious and it pairs nicely with nearly any cuisine. You can cover them with barbecue sauce for a party, put them into a sandwich, use them with zoodles, spaghetti squash, or your favorite pasta, or you can eat these meatballs just as they are with a side of your favorite vegetables. If you’re going to freeze the meatballs I’d freeze them on a baking sheet and then put them into an airtight storage container. A vacuum sealer is perfect if you plan on keeping them for a long time. They disappear quickly in my house so they never make it to the freezer.

Update: It’s 2021 and I still use this hamburger recipe nearly every time I cook ground beef. Like I said before, it’s an easy recipe whether you’re making meatballs or hamburgers, and it’s incredibly delicious.

How To Buy Ground Beef

Ground beef is one of the cheapest cuts of beef you can buy. When it comes to buying beef pasture-raised, grass-fed, organic is significantly healthier than grain-fed. I know that’s a mouth full to simply say: buy cows that have been raised in their natural habitat. Food labeling is less than transparent in the US. Organic typically means the animal was fed organic grain. Grass-fed on the label isn’t enough because it doesn’t clarify how much grass the cow actually ate. If you’re making autoimmune paleo recipes food quality matters because you’re trying to heal yourself.

jennifermichelle.co holistic wellness journals

Why does it matter? I’m assuming you’re reading my blog because you want to improve your health in some way. Grass-fed beef has more anti-inflammatory Omega 3’s and nutrients whereas grain fed is low in Omega 3’s. Grain-fed beef is also high in inflammatory Omega 6’s and is more likely to come with a hefty dose of antibiotics, pesticides, and herbicides. Grain-fed beef can also contain plant lectins.

If you’ve never shopped for grass-fed beef you’re most likely going to have sticker shock. Grain-fed is significantly cheaper because our government subsidizes grain crops but not grass. Your cheapest bet is a local source by cutting out the middle man. For me, I’d rather eat cheaper cuts of meat of a higher quality than pricey cuts that create inflammation. I found a local butcher that carries grass-finished beef, without hormones or antibiotics and no GMO feed. As it turns out meat cannot receive a grade from the USDA unless it is grain-fed so I typically steer clear of any meat boasting the USDA label. Grains are necessary for an animal to create marbling, ie fat, in the meat.

What if you can’t afford grass-fed beef? That’s ok. Look for the leanest ground beef you can find and then add your own healthy fat to your meatballs. I like adding bacon fat but you could add lard, avocado oil, tallow, or even butter to the meat before you cook it. Tallow is the best fat to add if you have weight loss goals. Seriously though, who knew that buying ground beef for a meatball or hamburger recipe could be so complex?

Pro Tip for Paleo Success

One of the things I have loved about paleo cooking is learning to make things in batches. Since there aren’t many choices when it comes to finding something quick to eat that is also paleo, batch cooking is our lifeline. When I first learned of the concept I wondered why everyone doesn’t use this strategy. Would you rather spend an hour in the kitchen every night or a few hours on the weekend? The few hours on the weekend are used to cook things that require the largest time investment: Squash, sweet potatoes, beets, and of course meats. Then during the week all you have to do is heat up the time intensive foods and cook up a few quick vegetables.

30 Day Wellness Journal

Based on my friends and the comments I read online people:

  • don’t have much time to cook
  • want something quick and easy
  • are working with a budget

So my goal has been to create recipes that are as close to meeting those criteria as I can. As you’ll see below this is an incredibly easy paleo ground beef recipe. All you really need is onion, thyme, and salt along with your ground beef. Whether you use this recipe to make paleo meatballs or hamburgers I know you’ll love it.

Leftover Ideas For Your Meatballs

This autoimmune paleo meatball recipe is perfect because the meatballs are seasoned enough that you’ll enjoy them on their own but you can also use them in other dishes. I have used this paleo ground beef recipe in all of the following ways:

  • Pair them with zucchini noodles and marinara
  • Add them to an omelet or frittata
  • Dice them to make a quick chili
  • Dice them and make a stir fry with vegetables
  • Add them to soups or stews
  • Use them to make a quick version of my shepherd’s pie (you’ll have to adjust quantities of course)
  • Dice them and combine with your favorite pizza toppings, marinara, and bake
  • Eat them plain
  • Pair them with your favorite Primal Kitchen Sauce
  • Make either cauliflower mash or mashed potatoes and a quick gravy with beef broth for simple comfort food
Bifteck Hache a La Lyonnaise Meatballs (cheater version)
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
25 mins
 
Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Dish, Side Dish
Cuisine: American, European
: Jennifer Essary
Ingredients
  • 3 lb ground beef
  • 3 t salt
  • 1.5 t dry thyme
  • 2 T onion powder
  • 2 T bacon fat
Instructions
  1. Combine the above ingredients in a bowl with your hands. Then roll it into balls about the size of a golf ball. For this step I used a 3T sized scoop with a trigger and I placed the balls onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Parchment paper isn’t necessary but it does make cleanup easier.
  2. Bake the meatballs at 400F for 20 minutes.

In all my years of cooking, I think the most important thing you have to remember to make this recipe is to pull the meat out of the freezer. On several occasions, I’ve found myself mixing semi-frozen ground beef for this recipe. Whatever shade of the primal lifestyle you follow this meatball recipe works for paleo, autoimmune paleo, keto, carnivore, carniflex, and ketovore.

Originally posted on December 28, 2016 @ 22:30

Know someone who needs to read this? Share it!

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website Close