Asian Meatballs Sheet Pan Dinner

There is something straightforward and satisfying about a sheet pan meal. Everything goes in together, the oven does the work, and you end up with protein and vegetables on one pan. On AIP, when the mental load of cooking can already feel high, that matters.

Lamb is worth considering here if you have not used it recently. It delivers zinc and iron in meaningful amounts, and its fat profile is slightly different from beef - higher in conjugated linoleic acid, which some research links to supporting immune balance. Beef works equally well if lamb is not accessible or preferred. Both are whole foods doing what whole foods do.

Cabbage is one of those quiet vegetables that earns its place. It is inexpensive, holds up in the oven without going limp, and contains glucosinolates - sulfur-containing compounds involved in the body's antioxidant pathways. Daikon roasts into something mild and slightly sweet that pairs well with the ginger and coconut aminos in the meatballs.

A sheet pan dinner is also just a beautiful thing to set on the table. The cabbage edges brown and caramelize. The meatballs take on color. Serve it family-style and let people take what they want.

Ingredients

For the vegetables:

• 2 tablespoons avocado oil or melted bacon fat
• 1 1/2 heads cabbage, thinly sliced (or a mix of cabbage and bok choy)
• 1/2 lb daikon radish, peeled, halved, and sliced lengthwise

For the meatballs:

• 1 1/2 lbs ground beef or lamb
• 1/4 cup coconut aminos
• 3 tablespoons coconut flour
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons maple syrup or honey
• 1 teaspoon molasses (optional - see verify_flags for AIP status note)
• 1 teaspoon ginger powder
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, sifted
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Method

Preheat the oven to 400F. Line a large sheet pan with parchment.

Toss the sliced cabbage and daikon with the avocado oil or bacon fat and a pinch of sea salt. Spread across the sheet pan - they will shrink considerably as they roast, so a generous pile is fine.

In a large bowl, combine the ground beef or lamb with the coconut aminos, coconut flour, lemon juice, maple syrup or honey, molasses if using, ginger powder, garlic, sifted baking soda, and sea salt. Mix until just combined - enough to distribute the seasonings without packing the meat too tight. Form into meatballs roughly 1 1/2 inches across. You should get approximately 16 to 18 meatballs.

Nestle the meatballs among the vegetables on the sheet pan, spacing them so they are not touching.

Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through and the cabbage has softened and taken on some color at the edges. The meatballs are done when they are firm to the touch and show no pink inside, or register 160F on a meat thermometer.

Air fryer variation

The meatballs finish well in an air fryer if you are cooking for one or two. Set the air fryer to 380F. Place meatballs in a single layer without touching and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, turning once at the halfway point. Roast the cabbage and daikon in the oven on a sheet pan at 400F for 20 to 25 minutes while the meatballs go in the air fryer.

*Note: Air fryer time is estimated and untested in our kitchen. See verify_flags.*

*Adapted from eatbeautiful.net*

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*Provenance: method rebuilt in ARM's own words from source file aip-source-archives/eat-beautiful/asian-meatballs-sheet-pan-dinner.md. Ingredient list used as factual reference. No third-party text reproduced.*