Thai Turkey Meatballs with Coconut Curry Sauce (Paleo)
These gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free thai turkey meatballs with a simple coconut curry sauce are great for weeknights, meal prep, or a special occasion. They will also make a great appetizer served on their own. The flavors and spice level are perfection!
Servings: 4
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Ingredients
For The Thai Turkey Meatballs
- 1 Pound Ground Turkey
- 1 Egg
- ½ Cup The Real Coconut Original Tortilla Chips (crushed) - Crush, Then Measure
- ¼ Cup Shredded Carrots
- 3 Tablespoons Fresh Yellow or White Onion - Chopped
- 2 Tablespoons Fresh Thai Basil - Chopped
- 2 Cloves Garlic - Chopped
- 1 Teaspoon Freshly Grated Ginger
- ½ Teaspoon Pepper
- ½ Teaspoon Fish Sauce - (optional)
- 2 Tablespoons Gluten-Free Soy Sauce (or Tamari or Coconut Aminos)
- ¼ Teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper - Optional
For The Coconut Curry Sauce
- 1 14 Ounce Can Unsweetened Coconut Milk
- ½ White Onion - Finely Diced
- 2 Cloves Garlic - Finely Chopped
- 1 Teaspoon Freshly Grated Ginger
- 2 Tablespoons Red Curry Paste
- 1 Teaspoon Fish Sauce - (Optional)
- ¼ Cup Thai Basil Leaves
- ½ Teaspoon Salt
- ¼ Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes - (Optional)
- 2 Tablespoons Avocado (or Coconut) Oil
Extras
- 4 Cups Cauliflower Rice - Or Regular White Rice (Cooked)
- 1/4 Cup Green Onion, Sliced - For Garnish
- Cilantro - For Garnish
- Lime, Sliced into Wedges - For Garnish
Instructions
For the Thai Turkey Meatballs
- Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit.
- Mix all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.
- Scoop out about 1 ½ Teaspoons of mixture and roll into a ball with your hands. A medium-sized cookie scoops works great to make even sized meatballs.
- Place meatballs either into a mini muffin tin or onto aa parchment paper lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 15 minutes. Then flip meatballs over and bake for another 15 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165° Fahrenheit.
For The Coconut Curry Sauce
- While the meatballs are cooking, start making the coconut curry sauce.
- Add 2 Tablespoons avocado (or coconut oil) to a pan on the stovetop. Add in onions and garlic and season with salt. Cook over medium heat about 5 minutes until they start to soften and the onions are translucent.
- In the same pan, add the coconut milk and red curry paste, ginger, fish sauce (optional) and salt and stir together well. Turn the heat down to low and simmer for 15 minutes.
- When the meatballs are done cooking, add in the meatballs and thai basil and continue to simmer for 5 minutes.
- Serve over hot cauliflower or white rice and garnish with green onions, fresh cilantro, and lime wedges.
Notes
- To crush the tortilla chips, place about 2 handfuls of chips into a plastic baggie. Pound with something hard until they break apart into fine pieces. A meat tenderizer or the bottom of a glass work well.
- Fish sauce can be found near the red curry paste in the ethnic food aisle at the grocery store. It does not make the food taste fishy (unless you add too much), it just adds a rich umami flavor.
- Thai basil is different than the regular sweet basil that is more readily available at the grocery store. It has a very subtle black licorice flavor and is commonly used in thai cuisine. You can substitute regular basil if you can’t find thai basil.
- Using a medium-sized cookie scoop (about 1 ½ Tablespoons), this recipe will make 24 small meatballs.