Paleo, Gluten-free, Sweet & Tangy BBQ Meatballs

Paleo, gluten-free, sweet & tangy BBQ meatballs

Most conventional BBQ sauces contain ingredients such as high fructose corn syrup, sugar and gluten - all of which are on the DO NOT EAT list, but we used to love BBQ chicken. Homemade BBQ sauce was easy to make from scratch by using ingredients such as brown sugar, sugar and corn syrup, but making BBQ sauce without all those ingredients was a feat I wanted to accomplish from scratch. Below is a sweet, tangy and saucy BBQ sauce recipe that is perfect for homemade meatballs or BBQ chicken and will have your guests wondering where they can buy a bottle!

Paleo BBQ Sauce
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 medium-large sweet onion, minced
2 TBS coconut oil
24 ounces organic (no sugar added) spaghetti sauce (tomato puree, diced tomatoes, spices & veggies)
2 TBS maple syrup
2 TBS honey
1.5 TBS Braggs or Coconut Aminos
1 TBS paprika
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Saute garlic and onion in grapeseed oil in a sauce pan until softened. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to boil, stir often, lower heat and simmer at low heat for 20-30 minutes.

Paleo/Gluten-free Meatballs
1 lb grass-fed ground beef
2-3 TBS flax meal (or coconut flour)
1 large free-ranged egg
Italian seasonings, salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder (season to your liking, I use around anything from a dash to 1/2 tsp for each spice)

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Roll into golf ball size meatballs. Place on parchment paper and bake at 350 degrees F until cooked through. Add meatballs to BBQ sauce in saute pan and simmer at low heat for an additional 15 minutes. Serve with sauce. Yields about 26-30 meatballs.