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These Thai Coconut Curry Turkey Meatballs are such a fabulous dinner that is decadent, yet healthy. Curry spiced ground turkey meatballs smothered in a delicious creamy red curry coconut sauce that is sure to be your new favorite meal! Grain-Free, Gluten-Free, and Paleo too!
Meatballs: a family favorite!
I’m back with MORE meatballs! We really can’t get enough. I have a knack for finding our favorite flavors, and making a meatball out of it! Whether it be my Pizza Meatballs, Chicken Satay Meatballs, Enchilada Meatballs, or Moroccan Meatballs.
BUT……These meatballs you guys. I’ve been thinking about them non-stop. The creamy coconut red curry sauce is sooooo dang good, I was licking my bowl clean. I also loved the fresh ginger and bell pepper to really add a more depth of flavor. Another reason I can’t stop thinking about them is that EVERY PERSON in my family keeps asking me if we’re having these for dinner again.
Mr. Wholesomelicious has now claimed these as his new favorite dinner. And just to give you some perspective, he’s had the same favorite dinner for over 5 years. For him to de-throne that meal, and place this one at the very top, really says something about how tasty these are.
How to make Thai Coconut Curry Turkey Meatballs:
- To start, you will mix together a quick blend a few spices, some almond meal, and fresh basil to your ground turkey and sausage.
- Roll them into small balls, and place them in the oven. This will make A LOT; I think it made about 45 meatballs for us. Which was a good thing because we absolutely needed those leftovers.
- Place them on a large baking sheet and cook for 20 minutes.
- While the meatballs are baking, whip up the sauce in a large skillet. This is a nice blend of ginger, bell pepper, onion, Thai curry paste, and coconut milk. You’ll saute the veggies first, then add in the paste and coconut milk.
- Once the meatballs are done baking, add to the sauce:
Recipe Notes and Tips!
- Just a few notes about the meat. I use a blend of ground turkey and ground turkey sausage. The sausage can be difficult to find, and even more difficult to find without sugar or other additives. So keep that in mind when shopping, or use plain grass-fed ground beef and pork.
- I had planned on making these all in one skillet, but decided it would be easier to bake in the oven with the amount of meat that I had.
- I topped the sauce and finished dish with fresh cilantro and lime. So much yummy, comforting, and tangy flavor in these meatballs! I know you will absolutely love, and if you’re obsessed with this recipe like we are, you will also love my Thai Curry Chicken Zoodle Soup!
Serving and Storing:
I normally serve this over spaghetti squash, but you can also serve over rice or cauliflower rice. (Short on time? Try my quick & easy 10-minute rice hack!) My Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice would be perfect! My kids wanted this over regular pasta, which they absolutely loved.
The sauce will taste even better the next day! You can store in the fridge for up to 1 week. You can also freeze the meatballs and reheat on the stovetop when ready to serve.
Grain-Free Thai Coconut Curry Turkey Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1 lb ground turkey sausage*
- 1 tsp curry powder
- 2 tsp ground basil
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 3/4 cup almond flour
- 1 egg, beaten
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh ginger
- 3 tbsp Thai red curry paste
- 1 14 oz can + 3/4 cup full fat coconut milk
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil or cilantro
- 1 tsp salt + more to taste
- 2 limes , Juiced
Instructions
- Begin by preheating your oven to 375.
- MIx together the ground turkey and sausage in a medium sized bowl. In a smaller bowl, mix together curry powder, basil, ginger, garlic powder, and almond flour. Add to the turkey mixture and incorporate well. Finally, add the egg. Form the meatballs into 1 -1.5 inch diameter balls, and place on a large baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes.
- While meatballs are cooking, make the sauce. Heat a large skillet to medium high heat, add coconut oil. Add the chopped veggies: onion, bell pepper, garlic, and ginger. Cook for 5-7 minutes until onion is translucent. Add curry paste, than all of the coconut milk. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes until the curry paste is completely mixed into the sauce. Add salt, and more to taste if needed.
- Add meatballs to the sauce, and cook for another 5 minutes. Finish off with lime juice, then top with fresh basil or cilantro.
- Serve hot over Spaghetti squash, noodles, zoodles, rice, or cauliflower rice.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can regular (all-purpose) flour be used instead of almond flour?
Sure! You can also use bread crumbs.
I made this recipe exactly as outlined other than using all ground turkey because I had no turkey sausage. A note to the recipe said that substitution would work. I was very excited to try it with so many incredibly positive comments. The sauce was delicious, although I would make it spicier-but that’s just personal preference. However, my entire family was VERY disappointed in the meatballs. They were flavorless. Sadly I made the full recipe so have all these boring meatballs – Inwould ether not throw them out so I’m hoping to come up with a way to fix them. Really disappointed!!
Hi Betty,
Sorry the taste was off on those meatballs. I do think the sausage adds another element of bold flavor, and it isn’t quite the same without. Could you perhaps add some sausage seasoning? Use 1/2 tsp fennel, oregano, garlic and onion powder, dried basil, plus some salt? That will give the taste of sausage. Hope that helps!
Hi Amy and Betty – If you use all ground turkey without the turkey sausage, you will need to add some SALT, because that’s what the sausage adds to the meatballs. With no salt in the meatballs they will be bland.
I’m sorry, this sounded so delicious that I couldn’t wait to make this today. I found the turkey sausage for $8 a lb. by the time I had all the ingredients together I thought man this better be really good. I made the meatballs & they were ok. I have an amazing chicken meatball recipe from a Thai entertaining book that’s amazing but this one didn’t hold a candle to it. Then while they were baking I made the sauce. I followed it verbatim & then I added the meatballs & served it over coconut rice. I thought I was going to die from the spiceiness. My stomach was on fire & I thought what the heck did I make? It really needed some sweetness like pineapple to balance the spiciness… like honey does to hot Mexican food. This had no balance. I could also see adding sweet potatoes to it as well. If you like fire in your tummy then this is for you.
Hi Karen, sorry it didn’t work out for you. These shouldn’t be spicy at all, I make them all the time for my kids. I am wondering if the Thai paste was a spicy one? I use the Thai kitchen brand and it doesn’t contain anything spicy.
I am excited to make this recipe. I noticed that your instructions mentioned adding “the egg”, but there is no egg listed in the ingredients. Just an FYI. Am I supposed to add egg or no? 🙂
Hi Sarah, Yes there is an egg listed in the ingredients! It’s under almond flour as 1 egg, beaten.
Could I substitute the amine flour for coconut flour and would it be the same amount?
Thank you
Yes, the same amount will work.
This is so yum! I made this today, and I threw in a handful of spinach, because spinach is tasty in everything. As soon as I tasted it, I knew this recipe was a keeper!
Fantastic recipe! Second week in a row I have made for my family. I doubled the recipe last night and brought dinner to an ill friend who is about ready to undergo cancer treatment. I just randomly found it searching for grain free meatballs.
Thank you for posting.
Wonderful!! So glad you enjoy it and so nice of you to make this for your friend!
I just made this and it is one of the best recipes I’ve ever made! Thank you!! Will definitely be making some of your other Whole30 recipes. This was easy to make and very nutritious and makes a ton!
Thank you, Liz!! I hope you find lots of good Whole30 recipes. I am biased, but after doing a few rounds myself, I make sure the recipes are super yummy!
Hi! I made this last night: yum! I’m trying to figure out where nine carbs would come from. The veggies?
Yes, the veggies and maybe a small fraction from the almond flour. So glad you enjoyed them!
Sooo good. I served it over cabbage I sautéed in coconut oil just to see if that would work, and it was DELICIOUS. Thanks for the recipe!