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Bison Meatballs in Smoky Bell Pepper Bean Sauce Recipe (Badlands National Park)

By: Author Bram Reusen

Posted on Last updated:

Bison meatballs in smoky bell pepper bean sauce recipe inspired by: Badlands National Park, South Dakota (alternatively: Wind Cave National Park or Theodore Roosevelt National Park).

If you’re looking for a hearty dish inspired by America’s national parks, a delicious dinner for a chilly fall evening, look no further than this Badlands bison meatballs recipe with smoky bell pepper bean sauce and Native American fry bread.

Tender ground bison meatballs that burst with flavor. A spicy, smoky sauce of roasted bell peppers, tomatoes and kidney beans. Freshly made fry bread for dipping. National parks-inspired recipes don’t get much better than this!

This particular recipe was inspired by Badlands National Park, South Dakota, a place that used to be, and still is, the home of the Oglala Lakota.

Badlands Bison Meatballs in Smoky Bell Pepper Bean Sauce Recipe

Bison meatballs with smoky pepper tomato beans sauce and fry bread

Badlands National Park preserves one of the largest pristine expanses of mixed-grass prairie in the United States, a landscape where prairie dogs built towns and American bison roam.

It’s also home to its namesake badlands—called mako sica by the Lakota, which literally means “bad lands”—a vast and imposing collection of rugged buttes.

My bison meatballs recipe with smoky bell pepper bean sauce and fry bread combines several ingredients originally available and used by the Oglala Lakota of the Badlands region.

This includes onions, beans, eggs and, of course, bison meat, which they either hunted, traded or grew themselves. Some other ingredients, such as flour used to make fry bread, were given to them on reservations by the U.S. Government, but more on that later.

This Badlands bison meatballs recipe featuring a spicy, smoky bell pepper bean sauce contains affiliate links. You can read more about our Terms of Use / Disclosure here.

Necessary Kitchen Tools

Bison meatballs in smoky pepper beans sauce ingredients

Badlands Bison Meatballs in Smoky Bell Pepper Bean Sauce Ingredients

Bison Meatballs

  • 1 pound ground bison
  • 1 egg
  • 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon coriander
  • Salt and pepper

Smoky Bell Pepper, Tomato and Bean Sauce

  • Avocado oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 oven-roasted bell peppers, chopped (roast at 400 degrees for 20 minutes)
  • 1 can red kidney beans, with liquid
  • 1 1/2 cups fire-roasted crushed tomatoes (1 can)
  • 1/2 cup low-salt beef broth
  • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • Salt and pepper
  • Basil, sliced for garnish

Instructions

Bison meatballs with parsley cooked on a plate

Bison Meatballs

  1. Combine all bison meatball ingredients in the large bowl. Use your hands to mix everything thoroughly.
  2. Wet your hands with water and roll meat mixture into balls of about 1 inch in diameter, makes about 12 meatballs.
  3. Heat the butter and oil in the large sauce pan over medium-high heat.
  4. Add meatballs and cook until all sides are nicely browned and a bit crispy, turning the meatballs often, about 10 minutes.
  5. Remove meatballs from pan and set aside. (They won’t be cooked through yet.) Leave oil and other liquids in the pan.
Smoky pepper sauce with bison meatballs

Smoky Bell Pepper, Tomato and Bean Sauce

  1. In the same pan used to cook the meatballs, add onion and garlic, sautéing for about 3 minutes.
  2. Add beef broth to the pan and deglaze. Scrape up browned bit with the wooden spoon.
  3. Simmer on medium heat for about 3 minutes.
  4. Add oven-roasted bell peppers and all spices, simmer for 2 minutes, stirring often.
  5. Add the fire-roasted crushed tomatoes, the kidney beans and their liquid. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil.
  6. Put the meatballs back into the pan. Turn gently to cover with sauce.
  7. Simmer over medium-low heat until meatballs are cooked through and sauce is thickened, about 20 minutes. Stir and turn meatballs occasionally. (If serving fry bread, make the bread while the sauce thickens.)
  8. Garnish with basil and serve.
  9. Enjoy!
Bison meatballs in smoky pepper tomato beans sauce with fry bread on cutting board

The Origins of Fry Bread

The roots of fry bread are in Arizona, where the U.S. Government forced the Navajo people to march 300 miles to a reservation, a journey known as “The Long Walk.” That reservation was in New Mexico, an area of poor land that couldn’t support their traditional farming practices of growing squash, beans, corn and other crops.

So, the government gave these Native Americans basic ingredients like canned food, sugar, lard and flour to prevent them from starving. Using this very limited supply of provisions, the Navajo invented what’s called “fry bread”, also spelled “frybread.”

This is a simple type of bread made with nothing more than flour, baking powder, salt and water. The dough is fried in lard or oil to create a savory bread with a crunchy crust and soft interior.

Nowadays, fry bread is still a pretty controversial food. On one hand, it’s a clear reminder of how the U.S. Government treated indigenous people and is considered a symbol of oppression by someone.

On the other hand, fry bread is now also a staple in Native American cuisine, a food that’s often served at home, at gatherings, state fairs and powwows. In South Dakota, fry bread is now the official state bread, which is a main reason why I decided to make it with my Badlands bison meatballs recipe.

For more information about Native American history, especially on the Great Plains and in the Midest, I strongly recommend reading the following books:

Native American fry bread on cutting board

How to Make Fry Bread

Many regions across the United States have their own version of fry bread. What they all have in common, however, is a very limited number of ingredients and how easy it is to make it. This is how I made fry bread to go with my Badlands bison meatballs.

Necessary Kitchen Tools

Fry Bread Ingredients

  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 cup hot water
  • Salt
  • Avocado oil
Fry bread dough
Fry bread dough on wooden cutting board
Fry bread frying in pan with tongs

Fry Bread Instructions

  1. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
  2. Add the hot water and mix everything with your hands to make a dough.
  3. Cover and set aside for about 30 minutes.
  4. On a lightly floured surface, divide dough into two portions, flattening both as thinly as possible.
  5. Heat 1 inch of avocado oil in a pan or pot.
  6. Fry dough one at a time, 2-3 minutes per side until well browned.
  7. Let drain on paper towel-lined plate.
  8. Serve warm with bowl of Badlands bison meatballs and smoky sauce.
If You Decide to Make These Amazing Bison Meatballs in a Smoky Bell Pepper Bean Sauce With Fry Bread at Home, Feel Free to Tell Everyone About It Below! Happy Cooking!

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