Curry Turkey Meatballs are incredibly easy to prepare, and the slight spicy, savory coconut cream sauce is just bursting with flavor. Using ground turkey over beef helps to lighten up the bowl. It's such a quick weeknight meal!
These protein-packed meatballs, made without any eggs, are inspired by Indian curry flavors, and taste absolutely amazing when simmered in the curry sauce. Serve this with roasted vegetables, white rice, and homemade garlic naan for a delicious dinner.
The Coined Breakdown
- Total Cost per serving (6 meatballs): $2.14
- Total Cost (about 36 meatballs): $12.85
- Those Other Guys: $16.99 per serving
Ingredients
- Ground Turkey - To lighten up the recipe a bit, we're going to use ground turkey. It's a great substitute for beef or pork. Plus, it makes a great neutral base for our Indian-inspired flavors!
- Red Curry Paste - You can't have curry meatballs without curry paste! I'm partial to the red kind, but green will work as well.
- Coconut Milk - Curry is traditionally made with coconut milk, so we won't stray from that in our recipe. Because of all of the savory seasonings, you really won't even notice a strong coconut flavor.
- Grated Onion - Adding grated onion to meatballs gives them moisture and flavor. You don't really want to be biting into chunks of onion every time you have a meatball (at least I don't), so grating really helps with that texture.
- Panko Breadcrumbs - Breadcrumbs are used to help form and shape homemade meatballs. I've actually made this recipe without them once when I ran out. I do prefer meatballs with breadcrumbs, but if you would like to leave them out, feel free.
Variations and Substitutions
Baked Chicken Meatballs: These work so well in tons of different recipes, or you can let them shine on their own for a meal!
Other Proteins: You can use beef, chicken, or pork for these meatballs as well. Be sure to use an instant-read thermometer to ensure they are fully cooked.
Curry Meatball Soup: Use these flavors in a cozy, comforting soup and serve with some flatbread on the side. The coconut milk will be used to make a subtly sweet broth.
How to Make Curry Turkey Meatballs from Scratch
Step 1: Once you've mixed together all of the meatball ingredients, chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes before rolling each spoonful into ball shapes.
Sear the meatballs in a large skillet before setting aside - they will cook the rest of the way in our sauce.
Step 2: In the same skillet, create your curry sauce with onion, garlic, curry paste, coconut milk, and seasonings.
Place the meatballs back into the sauce, cover the skillet, and cook for another 12 minutes. Base the meatballs and serve over your favorite rice or noodle.
Recipe Pro Tips
- Mince the onion well. Finely dicing the onion makes a better, more cohesive meatball and gives more moisture to the dish.
- Hand roll the meatballs gently. Don't handle your mix roughly like play-dough; Gently roll the scooped portions just until smooth. Packing the mixture too tight can make these meatballs tough.
Recipe FAQs
Grating the onion adds a really amazing flavor and moisture to your meatballs. Because it is grated, and not chopped, you aren't suffering through chunks of onion in every bite. It's a great trick for homemade meatballs!
Curry paste is normally in the Ethnic/Asian section of your local grocery store. I really like the flavor of the red jars, but there's also yellow and green.
Feel free to test each of them out and find your favorites!
You can use an instant-read oven thermometer to be sure. You want the meatballs to read an internal temperature of 165°F, or 74°C.
Yes - I put the instructions in the recipe notes below, but can briefly explain here as well.
Portion the mixture out into balls and add them to a parchment-lined pan. Add the tray to the freezer, and freeze for 1 - 2 hours until the raw meatballs are solid. Then, add them to a freezer bag or freezer safe container.
You can bake these at 400°F for 20-23 minutes, until the internal temperature of the meatballs reaches 165°F.
These can also cook from frozen right in the curry sauce - simply add another 5-10 minutes to your cooking time.
Other Quick Dinner Recipes You'll Love!
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Curry Turkey Meatballs
Equipment
- Chef's Knife
- Mixing Bowl with lid
- Mixing Spoon
- Mini Cookie Scoop optional, or just use a spoon
- Sheet Pan
- Parchment Paper
- Large Skillet with lid
- Wooden Spoon
Ingredients
Curry Turkey Meatballs
- 2 pounds ground turkey
- 2 teaspoons red curry paste
- ¼ cup yellow onion (finely minced)
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons chopped basil
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
Curry Coconut Sauce
- 3 tablespoons yellow onion (finely minced)
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon red curry paste
- 1 can full-fat coconut milk (13.5 fluid ounces)
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
Instructions
- Add all meatball ingredients to a large bowl. Stir with a spoon until completely combined.2 pounds ground turkey, 2 teaspoons red curry paste, ¼ cup yellow onion, 2 teaspoons minced garlic, 2 teaspoons chopped basil, 2 teaspoons salt, ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- Cover the bowl with a lid and chill in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes.This helps the meatballs retain their shape.
- Using a mini ice cream scoop or a small spoon, scoop out portions of the ground turkey mixture.
- Roll each scoop into meatballs. 30-gram scoops make 36 meatballs.
- Spray non-stick spray onto a large skillet. Add in the meatballs and sear the outsides, for about 8 - 10 minutes. Remove, and set aside.The meatballs won't be cooked all the way through, but they'll finish cooking in the sauce later.
- Add more minced onions to the same skillet. Sauté until they soften, about 5 minutes.3 tablespoons yellow onion
- Add in the minced garlic and red curry paste. Remove the pan from heat at this step; the curry paste usually begins to splatter.1 teaspoon minced garlic, 1 teaspoon red curry paste
- Break up the curry paste with a spoon, then immediately pour in the can of coconut milk. Return your pan to heat and stir until ingredients are fully incorporated.1 can full-fat coconut milk
- Season with bouillon powder, sesame oil, and rice vinegar.1 teaspoon chicken bouillon, ½ teaspoon sesame oil, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- Add the meatballs back to the sauce. Cut the heat on low, cover the skillet, and simmer for about 12-15 more minutes until meatballs are completely cooked through. Serve over rice and veggies. Enjoy!
Kylie Karvoza says
New favorite recipe!! The flavors in this are AMAZING!! I'm saving a lot of money on Indian takeout hahaha!
Shani H. says
Lol that's so great to hear Kylie! Thank you for trying and leaving a review 🙂