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Paleo Crockpot Zucchini Spaghetti Meatballs Recipe

This paleo crockpot zucchini spaghetti meatballs recipe calls for avocado oil. This delicious oil is a great, nutritious staple for your paleo diet.

Choosing the Right Paleo Oil

When you first venture into the world of paleo, cooking oils are often a point of confusion. Aren’t they all processed? Why are some OK, while others are frowned upon?

I won’t bore you by running down every single cooking oil, but let’s briefly talk about a few of the most common oils – vegetable oil and canola oil – as well as avocado oil.

Vegetable Oil

This one is easy – it’s a hard no. It is a huge source of toxins in the American diet, and may even increase your risk of heart disease.

I know there may be a temptation to just “use up” what you have in your pantry. But is your health really worth it?

Canola Oil

If you read the last bit and are thinking, I’m good, I use canola oil, you’re in for some bad news. Most experts agree it’s not paleo.

It’s highly processed, and that process includes hydrogenation. If that term sounds familiar, it’s because it relates to trans fats. These fats are foreign to the body and incredibly harmful.

With so many alternatives, however, you shouldn’t ever need to resort to vegetable or canola oil.

Avocado Oil

A much better option and the oil of choice in this paleo recipe is avocado oil. Lauded for its high smoke point, avocado oil has a nutty flavor that works just as well for cooking as it does drizzled over salad.

While there is some processing involved in making avocado oil, it is less highly processed than its oily relatives. Look for brands that cold-press their avocado oil.

Paleo Crockpot Zucchini Spaghetti Meatballs Recipe

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• Author: Louise Hendon
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 4 hours
• Total Time: 4 hours 15 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Category: Entree, Dinner
• Cuisine: Italian

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Ingredients

• 1 lb (450 g) ground beef
• 3 Tablespoons (45 ml) Paleo Pesto (see recipe here)
• 3 Tablespoon (45 ml) avocado oil, to brown meatballs with
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1 sprig of thyme
• 2 cups (480 ml) beef broth
• 2 zucchinis, spiralized to form noodles
• 1 Tablespoon (15 ml) avocado oil, to cook zucchini noodles with
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
• 2 Tablespoons basil leaves, chopped (for garnish)

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Instructions

1. Mix the ground beef with the pesto and some salt, and form the mixture into small balls 1oz / 30g in size.
2. Heat the avocado oil and fry the meatballs (in batches) until browned all over.
3. Place into a crockpot along with the onion, thyme, and beef broth (and any delicious meaty bits that may have stuck to the pan). Cover and cook for 4 hours, turning the meatballs several times.
4. Just before the meatballs are ready, sauté the zucchini noodles with the other tablespoon of avocado oil and the minced garlic.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
5. Serve the zucchini noodles and meatballs together and garnish with basil leaves.

Notes

All nutritional data are estimated and based on per serving amounts.

Nutrition

• Calories: 533
• Sugar: 2 g
• Fat: 49 g
• Carbohydrates: 4 g
• Fiber: 1 g
• Protein: 20 g