Name: Thai Turkey Meatballs with with Red Curry Sauce
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 1 ½ pounds ground turkey; 1 ½ cups fresh or dried unseasoned breadcrumbs; 5 minced garlic cloves (about 3 tablespoons, divided); 2 tablespoons minced ginger root (divided); 2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce; 2 scallions (thinly sliced, divided); 2 large eggs (beaten); 1 teaspoon kosher salt; ½ teaspoon pepper; 1 tablespoon coconut oil; 2 ½ tablespoons red curry paste; 1 can (15-ounces coconut milk); 2 cups of cooked hot basmati rice; ¼ cup chopped cilantro; 1 lime cut in wedges

Thai Turkey Meatballs with with Red Curry Sauce

Thai Turkey Meatballs are a slightly spicy and comforting meatball curry dish that your family will love! The tiny turkey meatballs with fresh ginger root and scallions bake in the oven while the coconut milk and curry sauce simmers. As…

Prep15 minutes

Cook15 minutes

Total30 minutes

Serves6

Calories477 kcal

Jump to recipe

Thai Turkey Meatballs are a slightly spicy and comforting meatball curry dish that your family will love! The tiny turkey meatballs with fresh ginger root and scallions bake in the oven while the coconut milk and curry sauce simmers. As a bonus, this dish freezes beautifully.

Thai Turkey Meatballs ~~~>> a slightly spicy, garlicky coconut sauced meatball curry recipe with a pop of freshness from cilantro and lime.

"What are easy and super tasty recipes can I make ahead of time and still taste fabulous when I reheat them?"

As a personal chef, I get this this question all the time. The cooking I do for my clients centers around preparing dishes that taste wonderful and fresh whenever they are reheated and served.

Meatball curry recipes are dishes that fit this request. Thai Turkey Meatball Curry with Red Curry Sauce is a dish that reheats beautifully after a couple days in the refrigerator or a couple months in the freezer.

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pan of Thai meatball curry with fresh cilantro

what does curry taste like?

Curry powder or curry paste are frequently used in Thai cooking. Both are savory, sweet and spicy. The ingredients are typically a combination of turmeric, cumin, cinnamon, and ground chili peppers. Curries can range from mild to very spicy. It all depends on how much chili pepper is added to the powder or paste.

Ingredients

Thai Turkey Meatball Curry with Red Curry Sauce is a make ahead dinner with an international flair. Ground turkey lightens up the meatballs. Garlic, fresh ginger root, and scallions flavor both the meatballs and the sauce.

Ground turkey
Plain breadcrumbs
Garlic
Fresh ginger root
Reduced sodium soy sauce
Scallions
Large eggs
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Coconut oil
Red curry paste
Coconut milk
Cooked basmati rice <<<~~ this is my easy perfectly fluffy rice recipe
Cilantro
Lime

Shopping tip: Red curry paste flavors the creamy coconut milk based sauce. It is available in Thai/Asian section of grocery stores. With a slightly spicy kick and exotic flavors that include lemongrass, kaffir lime, and Thai ginger, it's a flavor packed dynamo!

Expert tips

Make sure the ingredients for the meatballs are cold. This makes it easier to form the meatballs.
Ground turkey is the base for the meatballs. They are a little lighter tasting than other ground meats. But ground beef, chicken, veal or pork are good substitutes.
As these meatballs get lots of flavor from garlic, fresh ginger root, scallions and soy sauce, be sure to use plain bread crumbs.
Gently mix the meatball ingredients. Use your hands or a spoon to just evenly distribute the ingredients.
If the meatball mixture is too sticky to roll chill it for 30 minutes. Alternately, either wet your hands with cold water or oil to streamline meatball rolling.
I am not a fan of standing over the stove and browning the meatballs in a sauté pan so baking them in the oven is an easy alternative.
Curry pastes vary in flavor and spiciness. Start adding the paste 1 tablespoon at a time and taste as you go. Adjust the amount added to suit your tastes.

Make ahead recipe tips

To make the recipe ahead of time, just be sure to completely cool the meatballs and sauce before storing them together in an air tight container. The dish can be refrigerated up to 3 or 4 days or stashed in the freezer for up to 3 to 4 months.

Remember to label the container so you will know what it is when you pull it out of the freezer at a future date. The refrigerated meatballs can be reheated in the microwave on 70 percent power at one minute intervals. Alternately, warm the meatballs over low heat in a saucepan. Thaw the frozen meatballs overnight in the refrigerator and reheat as you would the refrigerated meatballs.

This recipe was originally posted in July 2015. Updates in August 2020 include photos, ingredient and cooking details and video.

Make sure the ingredients for the meatballs are cold. This makes it easier to form the meatballs.
Ground turkey is the base for the meatballs. They are a little lighter tasting than other ground meats. But ground beef, chicken, veal or pork are good substitutes.
As these meatballs get lots of flavor from garlic, fresh ginger root, scallions and soy sauce, be sure to use plain bread crumbs.
Gently mix the meatball ingredients. Use your hands or a wooden spoon just until the ingredients are evenly distributed.
If the meatball mixture is too sticky to roll, chill it for 30 minutes. Alternately, either wet your hands with cold water or oil to streamline meatball rolling.
I am not a fan of standing over the stove and browning the meatballs in a sauté pan. Baking them in the oven is an easy alternative.
Curry pastes vary in flavor and spiciness. Start adding the paste 1 tablespoon at a time and taste as you go. Adjust the amount added to suit your tastes.