Description
These Thai-Inspired Red Curry Turkey Meatballs offer a flavorful, healthy twist on classic meatballs with ground turkey blended with aromatic Thai curry paste and almond flour. Cooked in a rich, creamy red curry sauce made from coconut milk, cashew butter, and fresh ginger, these meatballs deliver a perfect balance of spicy, tangy, and slightly sweet notes. Ideal for a paleo or Whole30 compliant meal, serve them over zoodles, sweet potato noodles, or cauliflower rice for a wholesome and satisfying dinner.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
For the Meatballs:
- 2 lbs 94% lean ground turkey
- 1 large egg
- 2/3 cup almond flour (meal should also work)
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 1 tablespoon red Thai curry paste
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
For the Sauce:
- 14 oz can lite coconut milk (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cashew milk (or non-dairy milk of choice)
- 2/3 cup cashew butter
- 1/4 cup coconut aminos (or tamari, soy sauce if not paleo)
- 3 tablespoons red Thai curry paste
- 3 large Medjool dates, pitted (or 3 tablespoons honey or molasses)
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger (or 1 tablespoon ginger paste)
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- Juice of 2 limes
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce (optional but adds flavor)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, to taste
Instructions
- Make the meatballs: In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey, egg, almond flour, diced onion, red Thai curry paste, minced garlic, and salt. Use a large spoon to mix, then use your hands as needed until evenly combined. Scoop the mixture using a medium cookie scoop or shape into golf ball-sized meatballs and place them on a baking sheet.
- Brown the meatballs: Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Brown the meatballs in batches, cooking about 2-3 minutes on each side until nicely seared but not cooked through completely.
- Transfer meatballs to crockpot: After browning, transfer the meatballs to your crockpot to prepare for slow cooking.
- Make the sauce: In a small food processor or blender, combine the lite coconut milk (make sure it’s liquid by warming if needed), cashew milk, cashew butter, coconut aminos, red Thai curry paste, pitted dates, fresh ginger, minced garlic, lime juice, fish sauce (if using), and salt. Blend until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust salt or sweetness if desired.
- Cook meatballs in sauce: Pour the blended sauce over the meatballs in the crockpot. Cook on high for 2 hours or on low for about 4 hours until meatballs are cooked through (internal temperature should reach 165ºF).
- Serve: Serve the Thai Red Curry Turkey Meatballs over zucchini noodles, sweet potato noodles, spaghetti squash, cauliflower rice, or greens for a paleo or Whole30 compliant meal. Alternatively, serve with rice, quinoa, or your preferred grain.
Notes
- Ensure the canned coconut milk is in liquid form before blending by warming under hot water if necessary.
- Browning the meatballs before crockpot cooking adds flavor and texture but can be skipped if short on time.
- Adjust the sweetness of the sauce by adding more dates or honey as preferred.
- Use a meat thermometer to confirm the meatballs reach an internal temperature of 165ºF for safe consumption.
- This recipe can be adapted for paleo and Whole30 by choosing compliant ingredients.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approx. 1/6 of recipe)
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 420mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 15g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 32g
- Cholesterol: 85mg
