Paleo Chipotle Meatballs

 

Ingredients

• 2 Tb coconut oil, divided
• 1 whole onion, diced
• 1 can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• 1 1/2 lb ground beef
• 2 teaspoon roasted coriander, divided
• 2 teaspoon cumin, divided
• 1 1/2 teaspoon paprika, divided
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, divided
• 1 teaspoon basil
• 15 oz tomato sauce, 1 can
• 1 c beef broth

For Serving

• Cooked Rice or Riced Cauliflower

Instructions

 

• To begin, sauté the onion in a large skillet with a tablespoon of coconut oil. Cook until the onions are tender. 
• Scoop the onions out into a dish and set aside for now.
• Remove 4 chipotle peppers from the can, but do not discard the remainder of it yet. Cut the peppers open and remove the seeds.
• With a sharp knife, mince the peppers as finely as you possibly can. I find that my double bladed mezzaluna comes in very handy for this! Mince until the peppers look almost like a mash. Set this aside for a moment.
• In a mixing bowl, combine the ground beef with half of the onions, 1 teaspoon each of roasted coriander, cumin, and paprika, and 1/2 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper. Add in half of your minced chipotle pepper, along with a tablespoon of the adobo sauce in the can. Be mindful to not scoop seeds from the can. The seeds are what give the peppers the heat. Of course, if you like really spicy food, you can leave the seeds in, but be warned. 
• Work all of the meatball ingredients together with your hands, until just combined. If you over-work the meat mixture, your meatballs will become tough. This is the same principle when making meatloaf or burgers.
• Form the meat mixture into meatballs, about the size of a ping pong ball.
• In the skillet, add the remaining coconut oil and brown the meatballs over medium high heat. Using a pair of tongs, turn the meatballs a couple times as they cook to brown on all sides as much as possible. No need to cook them all the way through at this time, you only need to brown them. Add additional oil as needed to keep them from sticking in your skillet.
• When the meatballs are all browned, removed them to a platter lined with paper towel. Drain the grease from your skillet and wipe it out with a paper towel.
• Combine all of the remaining ingredients in the skillet: The remaining onion and minced chipotle peppers, 1 teaspoon each of roasted coriander and cumin, 1/2 tsp each salt, black pepper, and paprika, the basil, tomato sauce, and beef broth. Stir them together. Nestle the meatballs down in the sauce. Bring it to a gentle boil then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through and tender.
• Serve the meatballs on a bed of cooked rice of choice – cauliflower or traditional. Spoon some of the sauce over the top.
• Enjoy!