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    Home » Recipes » Dinner Recipes

    Bison Meatballs

    Last Updated: Sep 2, 2023 · Published: Jan 18, 2023 · by Seanna Borrows · This post may contain affiliate links. · As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. · 4 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Pin This!
    Bison Meatballs over brown rice on a white plate with blue stripped kitchen towel in background.

    Craving comfort food? Try these bison meatballs! They’re super tasty and a leaner alternative to regular beef. You’ll love the rich gravy that goes with them. Ready in 30 minutes!

    Bison Meatballs over brown rice on a white plate with blue stripped kitchen towel in background.

    This was inspired by our Swedish Meatballs recipe, and pairs well with brown rice or these creamy mashed potatoes.

    Jump to:
    • Here's What You Need
    • Variations
    • How to Make Ground Bison Meatballs
    • Want To Bake Or Air Fry Them?
    • Recipe Tip
    • Bison FAQS
    • More Ground Bison Recipes
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Community

    Here's What You Need

    Individual ingredients for bison meatball recipe.

    You only need a few simple ingredients to make these amazing bison meatballs.

    • ground bison - may substitute any ground meat like ground beef, ground turkey, or ground pork.
    • parmesan cheese - flavors and helps the meatball hold its shape. May substitute breadcrumbs, crackers, or almond flour.
    • onion - minced so that it softens entirely as it cooks.
    • garlic - or garlic powder
    • egg - acts as a binder and helps the meatball hold its shape.
    • tabasco sauce or sriracha - flavor booster.

    See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

    Variations

    There are so many ways to enjoy these delicious bison meatballs. Try some of these variations:

    • Italian Meatballs - They're great with pasta sauces. Make a quick tomato sauce with fresh basil, red pepper flakes or Italian seasoning. Add cooked meatballs to the sauce and serve over pasta or zucchini noodles (zoodles) with some fresh parmesan cheese.
    • BBQ Meatballs - Brush on some BBQ sauce that has been mixed with a little brown sugar.
    • Teriyaki Meatballs - Make a simple teriyaki sauce by mixing soy sauce, with a little sake, sugar, and some fresh herbs. Add the sauce to the pan, and simmer slowly until the sauce has thickened and the meat is cooked through.
    • Bison Meatloaf - Form one loaf instead, place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and bake it in a 400°F oven for 45 minutes.

    See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

    Related Recipe: One Pot Swedish Meatballs

    How to Make Ground Bison Meatballs

    You can make this easy meatball recipe by following these simple steps:

    Combined ingredients for Bison meatballs in a mixing bowl.

    Meatball Mixture

    1. Combine Meatball Ingredients. Put all meatball ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Gently mix together with your hands to combine.
    A platter of 18 uncooked bison meatballs.

    Form Meatballs

    1. Form Meatballs. The best way to make uniform meatballs is to use a cookie scoop. Scoop out a small amount of meatball mixture. Form 1 inch balls.

      One pound of meat will make approximately 18 1-inch balls.
    Bison meatballs simmering in a pan with one meatball being raised with kitchen tongs.

    Cook Meatballs

    1. Sauté The Meatballs. Add a little cooking oil to a sauté pan that has been placed over medium-high heat. Once the oil gets hot and you can see the surface begin to ripple, it's time to add the meatballs.

      Using kitchen tongs, place the meatballs into the hot oil. Turn down the heat and continue to cook them over medium heat. Brown them on all sides.
    A slurry of water and corn starch in a glass pyrex measuring cup with a small whisk.

    Make The Gravy

    1. Mix Slurry. Whisk together cold water and corn starch in a liquid measuring cup until corn starch has dissolved. The corn starch slurry will act as a thickening agent for the gravy.
    Bison Meatballs simmering in gravy.
    1. Add Slurry. Pour the slurry into the pan with the meatballs and stir it into a gravy. Deglaze the pan by gently lifting any stuck bits of meatball with a spoon. Those bits will give amazing flavor to the gravy.

      Let the gravy come up to a gentle boil while you stir it into a smooth sauce. This is an important step, as the corn starch will reach its full thickening potential once it has reached the boiling point.
    Bison Meatballs simmering in gravy.

    Simmer In Sauce

    1. Simmer. Simmer over medium-low heat for 15 minutes until they’re cooked through and the gravy is thick and delicious. Adjust seasonings as necessary.

    More About Gravy: Simple Gravy Recipe, Can You Freeze Gravy?

    Bison Meatballs over brown rice on a white plate with blue stripped kitchen towel in background.

    Serve

    1. Serve. We like to serve them over creamy mashed potatoes, brown rice, or a vegetable side dish.

    Want To Bake Or Air Fry Them?

    • Baked Bison Meatballs - Preheat the oven to 400°F. Set the uncooked meatballs on baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Bake for 15 minutes.
    • Air Fryer Meatballs - Preheat the air fryer to 400°F. Place uncooked meat in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Air Fry them for 8 minutes.

    Recipe Tip

    Flavor Boosters - Bison is pretty mild, so let’s spice it up! Try adding things like salt, spicy crackers, fresh herbs, more garlic, or hot sauce to give it a flavor kick.

    Check our go-to dry rub, and Italian seasoning recipes that are so good on everything.

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    We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!

    Bison FAQS

    What Is Bison Meat?

    Bison meat is a healthy alternative to ground beef. It has less fat, and fewer calories and is a great option for those on the keto diet, and for athletes and those looking for a healthy protein option.
    Bison once roamed wild and free in the United States. Today, ranchers raise and process American Bison as close to nature and humanely as possible.

    What Does Bison Taste Like?

    Bison meat is similar in texture and taste to beef but its flavor is a little sweeter. So, ground bison is a great substitute for ground beef in recipes.

    Where To Get Ground Bison?

    You can get bison meat at your local grocery store, Costco, or online purveyor.

    More Ground Bison Recipes

    • Easy weeknight dinner of Ground Bison Pasta made with rotini pictured in a white bowl, topped with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.
      Ground Bison Pasta Recipe
    • Bowl of Ground Bison Chili Recipe with a navy colored napkin in upper right corner.
      Ground Bison Chili Recipe

    Did you love this recipe? If you make this recipe and love it, stop back, give it a 5-star rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a comment. THANK YOU!! Follow Seanna's Kitchen and share this recipe with your friends on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest, and subscribe to my Newsletter for ALL the latest recipes! We'd love to hear from you!

    📖 Recipe

    Bison Meatballs over brown rice on a white plate with blue stripped kitchen towel in background.

    Bison Meatballs Recipe

    Bison Meatballs Recipe - Craving Comfort food? Try these bison meatballs! They’re super tasty and a leaner alternative to regular beef. You’ll love the rich gravy that goes with them. Ready in 30 minutes!
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Save Recipe!Saved!
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Servings: 6 Servings
    Calories: 245kcal
    Author: Seanna Borrows

    Equipment

    • Le Creuset pan with glass lid Or Sauté Pan
    • kitchen tongs
    • cookie scoop

    Ingredients 

    Meatball Ingredients

    • 1 lb ground bison
    • ½ cup parmesan cheese freshly grated
    • ¼ cup yellow onion minced
    • 1 teaspoon garlic minced
    • 1 large egg
    • 1 teaspoon tabasco sauce or sriracha
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper ground
    • 1 tablespoon canola oil for frying

    Gravy Ingredients

    • 1 cup water
    • 1 tablespoon corn starch
    Get Recipe Ingredients
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    Instructions

    Meatball Mixture

    • Combine Ingredients. Put all meatball ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Gently mix together with your hands to combine.
      1 lb ground bison, ½ cup parmesan cheese, ¼ cup yellow onion, 1 teaspoon garlic, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon tabasco sauce, 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper

    Form Meatballs

    • Form Meatballs. Using a cookie scoop, scoop out a small amount of meatball mixture and form 1 inch balls by rolling it around between the palms of your hands. One pound of meat will make approximately 18 1-inch balls.

    Cook Meatballs

    • Brown The Meatballs. Add a little cooking oil to a sauté pan that has been placed over medium-high heat. Once the oil gets hot and you can see the surface begin to ripple, it's time to add the meat.
      Using kitchen tongs, place meatballs into the hot oil, one at a time. Turn down the heat and continue to cook them over medium heat. Turn them over so that they brown on all sides.
      1 tablespoon canola oil

    Make Gravy

    • Mix Slurry. Whisk together cold water and corn starch in a liquid measuring cup until corn starch has dissolved. The corn starch slurry will act as a thickening agent for the gravy.
      1 cup water, 1 tablespoon corn starch
    • Add Slurry. Pour the slurry into the pan with the meatballs and use a spoon to gently lift the bits of meat that are stuck to the bottom of the pan as you stir the liquid into a gravy. This is called deglazing the pan. And those bits will give amazing flavor to the gravy.
      Let the gravy come up to a gentle boil while you stir it into a smooth sauce. This is an important step, as the corn starch will reach its full thickening potential once it has reached the boiling point.
    • Simmer. Simmer over medium-low heat for 15 minutes until the meat is cooked through and the gravy is thick and delicious. Adjust seasonings as necessary.
    • Serve. We like to serve them over creamy mashed potatoes, brown rice, or a vegetable side dish.

    Notes

    Flavor Boosters

    Bison meat has a mild, sweet flavor. Boost that mild flavor by adding flavor boosters like: salt, Italian seasoning, spicy crackers, fresh herbs, garlic, hot sauce, or your favorite dry rub.

    Alternative Cooking Methods

    • Baked Meatballs - Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lay the uncooked meatballs on baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Bake for 15 minutes.
    • Air Fryer Meatballs - Preheat the air fryer to 400°F. Place uncooked meatballs in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Air Fry them for 8 minutes.
     

    Nutrition

    Calories: 245kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 91mg | Sodium: 615mg | Potassium: 273mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 0.3g | Vitamin A: 119IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 91mg | Iron: 2mg
    DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?Mention @SeannasKitchen and tag #seannaskitchen!

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    Comments

      5 from 2 votes

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Megan says

      January 18, 2023 at 7:33 pm

      5 stars
      Everything about this recipe is just perfect! I love the dough scoop tip for getting even sized meatballs!

      Reply
      • Seanna Borrows says

        January 19, 2023 at 7:12 am

        Thanks so much Megan!

        Reply
    2. Russ B says

      January 18, 2023 at 7:27 pm

      5 stars
      Awesome hearty meal! Great alternative to beef.

      Reply
      • Seanna Borrows says

        January 18, 2023 at 7:28 pm

        Thanks Russ. High protein, too!

        Reply
    Photo of Seanna Borrows of Seanna's Kitchen.

    Hi, I'm Seanna!

    Welcome to my kitchen! I'm a Midwestern home cook and food blogger, sharing simple, tasty, family-friendly recipes.
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