Low Histamine Chicken Meatballs with Low Histamine Gravy (Also Low Oxalate, Low Lectin, Low Salicylate)
We asked our staff, friends, and family: what are some of your favorite comfort foods?
They gave us lots of ideas that we plan on developing into low histamine recipes!
We’re starting with low histamine meatballs with low histamine gravy.
Some of the people we asked said their comfort foods were reminders of childhood. Like spaghetti noodles topped with mom’s best sauce recipe and meatballs.
Others remember family holiday buffets with cocktail meatballs speared with frilly-topped toothpicks.
And for others still, they enjoyed meatballs in gravy served with a starchy side.
The recipe we’ve got for you today can be used many ways. We’ll share all our ideas with you!
This recipe is:
- Low histamine
- Low oxalate
- Low lectin
- Low salicylate
- Gluten free
- Dairy free option
You’ll notice that this recipe is low salicylate. Are you familiar with Salicylate Intolerance?
Keep reading to learn more about:
- Salicylate Intolerance
- Should you be eating low salicylate?
- The key to keeping this recipe low salicylate
- How to make this recipe dairy free (and if you should!)
- The low down on ground meat and Histamine Intolerance
What Is Salicylate Intolerance?
Before you change your diet on your own, make sure you’re working with a healthcare practitioner who can help you with this. Never limit foods unnecessarily and always have a licensed medical provider who is supervising your case.
Salicylates are natural compounds found in plants. They’re part of a plant’s defense system.
Some plants have higher salicylate levels than others.
For some people, salicylates are beneficial!
Studies have shown salicylates and their derivatives can have:
- Anti-inflammatory properties
- Antiviral properties
- Neuroprotective properties
- Antidiabetic effects
- Aid in heart health
Fun Fact: Aspirin comes from salicylate-rich willow bark!
Salicylates are not a problem for everyone. But they can be if you develop Salicylate Intolerance.
Related Article: Salicylates and Salicylate Foods
Salicylate Intolerance is what happens when your body starts having reactions to salicylates in foods, supplements, and even cosmetics and essential oils (both which can have plant derived ingredients.)
What can lead to Salicylate Intolerance?
- Excessive consumption of salicylates
- Mold Toxicity
- Nutritional deficiencies
- Oxalate issues
- Diet lacking in sulfur
- Too many inflammatory mast cell mediators (like histamine)
Symptoms of Salicylate Intolerance can affect your skin, respiratory system, digestive system, and nervous system.
TIP: One tell-tale sign of Salicylate Intolerance is an intolerance to aspirin. Get medical advice from your doctor if this happens to you!
If you have Histamine Intolerance, choosing foods with lower histamine levels can be helpful to recovering your health.
It’s the same with Salicylate Intolerance. Reducing your intake of salicylates from food, supplements, cosmetics, and essential oils may be helpful.
Don’t eliminate foods from your diet unnecessarily, though.
Salicylate Intolerance doesn’t show up for everyone, even with Mold Toxicity or Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS).
But if your provider determines you have Salicylate Intolerance, low salicylate recipes like this chicken meatballs and gravy can be a welcome addition to your meal plan.
Here’s more on this recipe.
Making Low Salicylate Chicken Meatballs
This recipe is largely made of animal-based protein.
Meats aren’t a problem with Salicylate Intolerance since salicylates are found in plants.
But what you cook meat with might be.
We made this recipe using low salicylate plant-based ingredients that are big in flavor.
This recipe uses low salicylate, low histamine ingredients like:
- Garlic
- Onion
- Parsley
- Pecans
- Apples
Here’s what to know about apples and salicylate Intolerance.
If you have Salicylate Intolerance, only use golden or red delicious apples. And be sure to peel and discard the apple skins.
For our cooking fat, we’ve used ghee instead of a plant-based fat like coconut oil or olive oil.
But should you use ghee, a dairy-based product, if you are in Phase 1 of the Low Histamine Diet?
Making Dairy Free Chicken Meatballs
The first check point for our recipes is keeping them low histamine.
And mostly, we like to keep them appropriate for Phase 1 of the low histamine diet.
Generally, in Phase 1, we suggest limiting dairy due to potential lactose and casein issues.
Food intolerances can cause histamine release. A number of our clients have had lactose or casein intolerance but had never put the pieces together.
In Phase 1, we often use oils like:
- Avocado oil
- Olive oil
- Coconut oil
But to keep this recipe low salicylate, we’ve used ghee instead of a plant-based oil.
However, coconut oil may be the better option for you if:
- You don’t have salicylate issues AND
- You’re still figuring out your food triggers / still in Phase 1
Just sub out the ghee for coconut oil in the same amount.
Even if you are in Phase 1 of the Low Histamine Diet, ghee may be ok for you, though.
Ghee is low histamine. And it’s lower in lactose and casein than butter.
Everyone is different. If you aren’t sure, start slowly with a small bite and keep track of any reactions.
Before we share our serving ideas with you, there’s one more thing you should know when it comes to making low histamine meatballs.
Low Histamine Meat
You want to start with a quality, low histamine meat.
Our favorite sources for low histamine meat are:
- Northstar Bison
- Use code MASTCELL360 for 10% off
- White Oak Pastures
- Use code MASTCELL360 for 10% off your first order
Keep in mind that not all of their options are low histamine. When you get beef, for example, you want to search for unaged options.
Related Post: The Best Low Histamine Meat and Seafood Options
Meatball recipes typically call for ground meat. But you’ll see that our recipe calls for chicken breasts.
Here’s why.
Pre-ground meat is higher histamine.
Ground meats grow histamine-releasing bacteria faster due to increased surface area.
So, we usually stay away from pre-ground meat.
That being said, many of our clients and staff have done well with both White Oak Pastures and Northstar Bison’s ground beef and ground chicken.
If you’re further along with your health recovery, you may be ok with these items from these distributors.
But it may be safer for you to buy their chicken breasts and grind the meat yourself if you are super sensitive or just starting to heal.
We know not everyone has a meat grinder. And we know a lot of people don’t want one extra thing in their kitchen.
If you do eat a lot of meat, you might want to make the investment, though. We think this electric meat grinder is a good possible choice.
But we wanted to give you options.
We tested this recipe by making ground chicken using the grater disc of our food processor. It worked just fine for this recipe.
Serving Ideas
We love a recipe that can be used many ways.
We’d love to hear what creative ideas you come up with for low histamine meatballs, too! Leave us a comment!
Our ideas to get you started are:
- As an entree
- With noodles
- As an appetizer
- Meatball tacos (hear us out!)
Swedish Meatball Style
As an entree, think of this recipe like Swedish meatballs.
You can serve it over rutabaga rice, cauliflower rice, or root vegetable mash.
Add a side of your favorite veggie prepared your favorite way to round out the meal.
Meatballs with Noodles
When you think of meatballs, your first thought might be spaghetti and meatballs.
Here’s a low histamine option for you.
Start with a histamine friendly noodle like Miracle Noodles.
Typically, spaghetti is served with a pasta sauce made with red tomatoes. But tomatoes are high in histamine.
Instead, try topping noodles with this chicken meatball and gravy recipe. This will be more like a stroganoff inspired dish.
Or, if you can handle dairy, you can also make a basic butter noodle.
There are lots of recipes online you can find. But all you need is butter, parsley, garlic, and sometimes a little broth to help with consistency.
If you try the butter noodle, top with only the meatballs, not the gravy.
Would you be interested in a low histamine pasta sauce recipe? Let us know in the comments!
Meatball Appetizers
Meatballs are a potluck and party favorite as appetizers.
If there are appetizer plates and forks at the party, you can serve this recipe out of a large serving bowl with a spoon. Guests can help themselves.
You can also serve these meatballs as finger food.
Put the meatballs on a plate with a toothpick inserted into each one. Either lightly drizzle the gravy over each meatball or serve the gravy as a dipping sauce on the side.
Another outside the box idea would be a meatball taco. Hear us out…
Meatball Tacos
When we were brainstorming ways to serve this recipe, we thought meatball sub.
But there are too many components in a meatball sub that don’t work with the low histamine diet.
For example, when we were thinking of bun replacements, we considered the cassava tortilla. But that didn’t give us the feeling of a hoagie. It gave the feeling of a taco.
Then we thought, why not a meatball taco?
This would be great for leftover meatballs or if you make extra batches and freeze them.
If we break up the meatballs, that’s like ground beef. And that’s a common taco ingredient!
Gently break up the meatballs into a low histamine cassava tortilla. Add a little gravy for moisture and the onion flavor. Then add whatever low histamine foods you’d add to any beef or chicken taco.
Lettuce, crunchy cabbage, and fresh herbs are great low histamine options.
Just note that in terms of oxalate and salicylate content, these can change with cassava tortillas and other toppings, depending on what you choose.
What to Serve with Chicken Meatballs with Gravy
- Low Histamine Brussels Sprouts Shaved Salad with Garlic, Pecan, and Apple Dressing – Low Oxalate, Low Lectin, with Low Salicylate option
- Roasted Cauliflower with Cherries and Pecans Recipe – Low Histamine, Low Oxalate to Medium Oxalate, Low Lectin, with Low Salicylate option
- Low Histamine Coleslaw Recipe for People with Mast Cell Activation Syndrome and Histamine Intolerance – Low Oxalate, Low Lectin, Low FODMAP, with Low Salicylate option
Low Histamine Chicken Meatballs with Low Histamine Gravy
Equipment
- Sharp Knife
- Silicone Mat OR
- Garlic Press
Ingredients
Gravy
- 1 Tablespoon Ghee
- 1 Yellow Onion (about 1 cup)
- ¼ teaspoon Redmond Real Salt
- 2 Tablespoons Otto's Cassava Flour
- 1 ½ cups Meat Broth
Meatballs
- 2 teaspoons Whole Flaxseed ground
- 1 cup Pecans ground
- ½ cup Fresh Organic Flat Leaf Parsley chopped
- 2 cloves Fresh Garlic
- 1 Apples (for low salicylate – red or golden delicious, peeled), pureed
- ¼ teaspoon Redmond Real Salt
- 1 pound Low Histamine Chicken Breasts ground
Instructions
- Start by gathering all your ingredients and laying them out.
- Make the gravy first. The first step is to chop the onion.
- Then, melt the ghee in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the onion and cook until soft and just starting to color.
- Stir in the cassava flour until combined.
- Slowly add the broth. Bring to a boil. Stir and lower the heat. Simmer for about 5 minutes or until thick. Turn the heat off and set the gravy aside. You’ll warm it up just before serving.
- Preheat your oven to the broil setting.
- Line a baking sheet using either parchment paper or a Silpat mat.
- For the meatballs — make your “breading” by adding the pecans and flax seed to your food processor or high power blender. Process until pecans are crushed up, but not quite a butter. Move the mixture to a large mixing bowl and set aside. No need to rinse the blender or food processor.
- Peel and core your apple. Rough chop the apple and add to your blender or food processor. You may need to add a teaspoon or so of water to get the apples to a puree consistency. Add the applesauce to the large mixing bowl with the ground pecans and flax.Note: The applesauce adds moisture, flavor, and functions as a binder. The applesauce can be a little chunky and it will still be fine.TIP: If you are using the food processor to grind the chicken, you don’t have to rinse the food processor bowl here, either.
- Chop up your parsley and mince the garlic. Add to large mixing bowl with the other ingredients (applesauce, pecans, and flax). Stir to combine and set aside.
- Grind the chicken either using a meat grinder or using the grater disc of a food processor.
- Add the ground chicken to the large mixing bowl that has the breading mixture. Stir to combine. The consistency should be moist but hold together in a ball form.
- Use a measuring spoon and your hands to form 24 meatballs (1 Tablespoon each).
- Evenly space the meatballs on your lined baking sheet.
- Broil for about 8 minutes or until cooked through. Every oven is different, and your broiler may cook faster or slower. The internal temperature of cooked poultry should be 165 degrees F.TIP: Rotate the baking sheet once during cooking to help with even cooking.
- While the meatballs are cooking, warm up your gravy by just turning the heat back on low until warm.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
What low histamine comfort foods like low histamine chicken meatballs with low histamine gravy would you like to see next?
More Low Salicylate Recipes
- Instant Pot Low Histamine Chicken Recipe – Low Oxalate, Low Lectin, with Low Salicylate Option
- Low Histamine Salmon Recipe – Low Oxalate, Low Lectin, Low Salicylate, with Low FODMAP option
- Low Histamine Spring Roll Stir Fry – Low Oxalate, Low Lectin, Low FODMAP, Low Salicylate
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References
HappyForks. (n.d.). Recipe analyzer. https://happyforks.com/analyzer
How do salicylates work? drug class, uses, side effects & drug names. (2021, September 22). RxList. https://www.rxlist.com/how_do_salicylates_work/drug-class.htm
Suliburska, J., & Cholik, R. S. (2023). Risks and benefits of salicylates in food: a narrative review. Nutrition Reviews, 82(11), 1594–1604. https://doi.org/10.1093/nutrit/nuad136
Yeasmin, F., & Choi, H. W. (2020). Natural salicylates and their roles in human health. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 21(23), 9049. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21239049
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