Thai Coconut Curry Turkey Meatballs are the ultimate weeknight dinner. This recipe comes together in about 30 minutes from start to finish. The meatballs are juicy and full of flavor while the coconut curry sauce is thick and creamy making for a comforting winter meal.
How to make Thai Coconut Curry Turkey Meatballs:
- The first step in making these meatballs is to mix together the chopped onions, scallions, garlic and ground turkey meat. Little balls are formed with the mixture and then baked in the oven for 15 minutes or until an internal temperature of 165 is reached,
- The second step and while the meatballs are baking is to make the coconut curry sauce. Chopped yellow onion, yellow bell pepper, garlic, and grated ginger are sautéed together. Once slightly soft, the green curry paste (this is my favorite curry paste brand) is added to the pan to really bring out the flavors. After the curry paste has sautéed for a minute or two, coconut milk is added and simmered for about 15 minutes.
- Once the sauce has thicken and the meatballs are baked, the turkey meatballs are coated in the sauce and served with your favorite sides.
What to serve with Thai Coconut Turkey Meatballs:
Here are some of my recommendations to serve along side this recipe:
- Cauliflower or sweet potato rice
- Roasted or steamed broccoli or romanesco
- Chopped scallions, fresh basil and microgreens
- Sautéed zucchini, summer squash and shiitake mushrooms
- And as always, I recommend eating a big green salad with dinner. This Asian Salad with Almond Butter Dressing is a great recipe to serve on the side.
A couple notes about Thai Coconut Curry Turkey Meatballs:
Can I use another meat besides turkey?
Yes, you can. I love using turkey in this recipe since they make the meatballs really juicy. But you can use ground chicken and ground pork in this recipe. This recipe does not use a binder for the meatballs and if you use ground chicken, you won't need one either. If you decide to use ground pork, I recommend adding one egg to the mixture. This will help keep the fatty pork together while they bake in the oven.
How to freeze the meatballs and sauce:
This recipe makes for a perfect freezer meal since the meatballs and the curry sauce can both be frozen. I recommend combining both and meatballs and the sauce into a glass, freezer friendly dish and then store in the freezer. This meal can be stored in the freezer for up to three months.
How to reheat Thai Coconut Curry Turkey Meatballs:
There are two ways you can go about this. One, combine the sauce and the meatballs into a large saucepan and slowly heat on the stove top. The second, which is my preferred method is placing the meatballs and the sauce into a baking dish, cover with aluminum foil, and place in a 350 degree oven. Allow the meatballs to slowly warm up in the oven. Take out when you see the edges starting to bubble.
Looking for more easy weeknight meals? Check out this Chicken Piccata, Beef Bulgogi, or Chicken Lettuce Wraps.
Thai Coconut Curry Turkey Meatballs
Ingredients
For the turkey meatballs:
- 1 # ground turkey
- ¼ cup yellow onion, small diced
- 1 scallion or green onion, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp coconut aminos
- 2 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tbsp)
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
For the ccoconut curry:
- 2 tbsp avocado or olive oil
- 1 yellow bell pepper, julienned
- ½ yellow onion, julienned
- 4-5 tbsp green curry paste
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- 1 clove of garlic, minced (about 1 tsp)
- 1 tsp fish sauce
- 1 can full-fat coconut milk
- zest of one lime
Instructions
For the turkey meatballs:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. While the oven is preheating, combine all the meatballs ingredients and mix well. Scoop about two tablespoons of the meatball mixture and roll into a ball. Place on a baking tray. Continue with the remaining mixture. Place the baking tray into the oven and bake for about 15 minutes or until the meatballs reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees
For the coconut curry:
- While the meatballs are cooking, add the two tablespoons of oil to a large saute pan along with the julienned bell pepper and yellow onion. Saute until slightly soft, about two minutes. Add the grated ginger, minced garlic and the curry paste. Saute again for two minutes
- Once the curry paste has been in the pan for about two minutes, add the canned coconut milk and fish sauce and bring to a slow boil. Allow to simmer for about ten minutes. Once the curry has thickened slightly, add the lime zest and the turkey meatballs. Serve with your favorite sides and enjoy!
[…] “I started Love Chef Laura to share my love of cooking and baking with real wholesome ingredients,” she wrote in April 2020, noting that the right diet helps her manage inflammation and flare-ups. The blog is chock-full of grain-free, dairy-free, and gluten-free recipes, like vegan salted carmel blondies and Thai coconut curry turkey meatballs. […]