Lemon Pepper Meatballs (Paleo, Gluten Free)

These healthy lemon pepper meatballs are made with ground turkey and coated in a sticky lemon glaze. They're cooked on the stovetop and ready in under 30 minutes! This easy dinner recipe is paleo, gluten free and dairy free.

I've mentioned it before, but meatballs are one of my favorite dinner options!

The flavor combos are endless, and you can pair them with nearly anything. For instance, cassava flour noodles, sautéed veggies, cauliflower rice, paleo dinner rolls.

They're also a great way to sneak in veggies, like I did with these lemon pepper meatballs.

This paleo meatball recipe is made with ground turkey (but any type of ground meat will work), filled with freshly chopped vegetables, spices and coated in a sticky lemon sauce. They're moist and tender (not dry like some turkey meatballs tend to be) and completely paleo friendly - grain free, gluten free and dairy free.

Ingredients

You can find the full recipe for these lemon pepper meatballs in the recipe card near the end of the post, but here's an overview of the ingredients you'll need:

For the Meatballs:

• ground turkey - or any type of ground meat
• bell pepper - I chose red bell peppers, but you can use any color
• onion - you can use any type of onion, or even shallots, chives or chopped leek
• cassava flour - instead of breadcrumbs, I used cassava flour to help bind and bulk up these meatballs. You can learn more about this paleo baking flour in my cassava guide.
• paprika - for flavor and color
• salt - brings out more flavor
• avocado oil - for cooking. The best swap is olive oil.

For the Sauce:

• coconut aminos - these are a great alternative to soy sauce. However, if you aren't following a paleo diet, then soy sauce will work instead.
• lemon juice - since these are lemon pepper meatballs.
• avocado oil - or olive oil.
• raw honey - just a little for flavor.
• tapioca starch - thickens the sauce. The best swap would be arrowroot starch, however additional cassava flour or even cornstarch will work.
• salt - brings out more flavor.
• granulated garlic - optional for more flavor

How to Make Lemon Pepper Meatballs

These meatballs are cooked on the stove top and ready to eat in less than 30 minutes. Here are the steps:

1. First, pour the avocado oil in a medium-sized saucepan, and heat the pan on medium heat.
2. Next, combine all of the meatball ingredients. Mix until well combined. Roll the meatball mixture into balls, each about one rounded tablespoon in size.

3. Place the meatballs on the preheated saucepan. Cover the pan with a lid and cook on medium heat for 8 minutes, flipping halfway through.
4. While the meatballs are cooking, make the sauce. Combine all sauce ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until smooth.
5. After 8 minutes of cooking, remove the lid from the saucepan. Flip the meatballs again, making sure all sides are browned and the meatballs are cooked through.
6. Pour the sauce over the meatballs. Continue cooking the meatballs on medium heat, stirring every so often so that the meatballs get fully coated. Once the sauce has thickened, turn off the heat to the stovetop and serve the meatballs with your favorite side dish.

Storage

Place the meatballs in a sealed, air-tight container and keep in the fridge for up to one week.

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