This is another nostalgic recipe from my wonderful mom. She used to make a large pan of these mushroom meatballs to fill our tummies with a hearty, satisfying meal. We laugh a little now at the polar-opposite ingredients she used, such as elk burger for the meatballs and canned cream of mushroom soup for the sauce! While the elk was an excellent protein option, the canned, processed, ingredients-that-can’t-be-pronounced soup was…not so much. I was so excited to try to upgrade this recipe from canned to fresh, whole ingredients, and the results are pure mushroom perfection!
MEATBALL INGREDIENTS
½ pound ground beef
½ pound ground pork
½ cup diced yellow onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 egg (or 1 TBSP (15 ml) ground flax seeds mixed with 3 TBSP (45 ml) hot water; let it sit for a few minutes until it gels)
2 TBSP (30 ml) arrowroot starch
¾ tsp sea salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
¼ tsp allspice
2 TBSP (30 ml) coconut oil
SAUCE INGREDIENTS
2 cups (480 ml) chicken or beef broth
2 cups (480 ml) sliced white button mushrooms
1 TBSP (15 ml) Worcestershire sauce
1 bay leaf
2 cups (480 ml) coconut milk
1 TBSP (15 ml) arrowroot starch
GARNISH
½ cup chopped fresh parsley
Makes 22 meatballs
In a medium-sized bowl, combine the beef, pork, onion, garlic, egg, arrowroot starch, sea salt, pepper, and allspice with your hands. Scoop and shape the mixture into 22, 1½-inch meatballs.
In a large skillet, heat the coconut oil over medium heat.
Add the meatballs to the skillet, leaving space between them so that they brown on all sides.
When the meatballs have browned, transfer them to a slow cooker.
Add the chicken broth to the skillet and whisk to stir up the yummy browned bits from the bottom.
Transfer the broth to the slow cooker.
Add the mushrooms, Worcestershire sauce, and bay leaf to the slow cooker and stir gently.
Cook the meatballs on low for 4-5 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.
In a small bowl, mix the coconut milk and arrowroot starch. Add to the slow cooker during the last 45 minutes of cooking.
Serve the meatballs with chopped fresh parsley sprinkled on top.
More Recipes You'll Love
Mushroom Meatballs are comfort food in a creamy, savoury broth you'll want on repeat. Beef and pork meatballs studded with onion and allspice brown first, then slow-cook with sliced mushrooms and broth before finishing in a silky coconut milk sauce thickened with arrowroot.
Pro Tips
- The beef-and-pork mix gives you the best texture — pork keeps the meatballs tender while beef brings the deep, savoury flavour.
- Brown the meatballs in batches with space between them; crowding the pan steams them pale instead of building a proper crust.
- Deglaze the skillet with the chicken broth and scrape up the browned bits before it all goes to the slow cooker — that liquid is free flavour for the sauce.
- The arrowroot and coconut milk are added at the very end and cooked uncovered for 15 minutes to thicken the sauce into a proper creamy gravy.
- A pinch of allspice in the meatballs is the Nordic-inspired touch that makes them taste like a proper Swedish supper — don't skip it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make these meatballs ahead?
Yes — shape and brown the meatballs, then freeze them. The slow cooker sauce comes together quickly on the night, and the meatballs finish cooking in it.
Are mushroom meatballs paleo?
They are: beef, pork, egg (or a flax egg), arrowroot starch, mushrooms, broth, and coconut milk. No breadcrumbs or dairy anywhere.
Can I use ground turkey?
Ground turkey works but gives a lighter, milder meatball. Keep the pork in the mix if you can so the texture stays juicy through the long cook.
What should I serve with them?
Mashed cauliflower is the classic pairing for the creamy mushroom sauce, with a bright green vegetable on the side to cut the richness.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Method
- GARNISH
- ½ cup chopped fresh parsley Makes 22 meatballs In a medium-sized bowl, combine the beef, pork, onion, garlic, egg, arrowroot starch, sea salt, pepper, and allspice with your hands. Scoop and shape the mixture into 22, 1½-inch meatballs.
- In a large skillet, heat the coconut oil over medium heat.
- Add the meatballs to the skillet, leaving space between them so that they brown on all sides.
- When the meatballs have browned, transfer them to a slow cooker.
- Add the chicken broth to the skillet and whisk to stir up the yummy browned bits from the bottom.
- Transfer the broth to the slow cooker.
- Add the mushrooms, Worcestershire sauce, and bay leaf to the slow cooker and stir gently.
- Cook the meatballs on low for 4-5 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.
- In a small bowl, mix the coconut milk and arrowroot starch.
- Add to the slow cooker during the last 45 minutes of cooking.
- Serve the meatballs with chopped fresh parsley sprinkled on top.
