These tender and aromatic Green Curry Meatballs are a perfect 35-minute weeknight dinner that brings Thai-inspired flavors to your table. Packed with 28g of protein and bursting with authentic curry notes, these meatballs offer a delightful twist on traditional recipes.
The dish strikes an ideal balance of nutrients while keeping preparation simple – just 20 minutes of prep and 15 minutes of cooking time. Whether you’re meal prepping or serving a family dinner, this flavorful recipe delivers restaurant-quality results in your home kitchen.
Ingredients
- For the Meatballs:
- Rolled oats or panko: 1 cup, acts as a perfect binding agent
- Ground meat: 1½ pounds, choose between turkey, pork, or chicken
- Aromatics: Fresh ginger, garlic, onion for authentic flavor
- Seasonings: Green curry paste, fish sauce, sugar, and salt for depth
- Binders: 1 egg and ¼ cup milk for perfect texture
- For the Sauce:
- Coconut milk: 2 cans, creates rich and creamy base
- Green curry paste: 1 tablespoon for authentic Thai flavor
- Fresh elements: Garlic, lime juice, and cilantro for brightness
- Seasonings: Brown sugar, fish sauce, salt, and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the mixture: Combine oats, egg, and milk; let rest 10 minutes before adding remaining meatball ingredients
- Shape meatballs: Form mixture into golf ball-sized portions for even cooking
- Brown meatballs: Heat oil and cook meatballs in batches until nicely browned on all sides
- Create sauce: Sauté curry paste and garlic, then add coconut milk mixture with seasonings
- Final cooking: Return meatballs to pan, simmer in sauce for 10 minutes until cooked through
- Serve: Present over hot jasmine rice, garnished with fresh cilantro
Cooking Techniques
These meatballs use a smart two-step cooking method that builds amazing flavor! First, you’ll brown them to create a tasty crust on the outside. Then, they finish cooking as they simmer in the coconut curry sauce. This gentle simmering helps the meatballs stay tender and juicy while soaking up all those wonderful Thai flavors.
Variations & Substitutions
This recipe is super flexible! While turkey, pork, or chicken all work great, you can mix and match to find your favorite. If you prefer a spicier dish, add more green curry paste to taste. Can’t find fish sauce? Just add a little extra salt.
The oats can be swapped for panko breadcrumbs, and if you’re not a cilantro fan, try fresh basil instead. For a lower-carb meal, serve over cauliflower rice or zucchini noodles.
Serving Suggestions
These meatballs shine when served over a bed of hot jasmine rice, which soaks up all that creamy curry sauce beautifully. Add some fresh lime wedges on the side for squeezing over top.
For a complete meal, serve with stir-fried vegetables like snap peas, bell peppers, or baby corn. A sprinkle of extra cilantro and some crushed peanuts on top adds wonderful fresh crunch!
Storage Tips
These meatballs taste even better the next day! Store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. When reheating, add a splash of coconut milk if the sauce has thickened too much. You can also freeze the cooked meatballs and sauce for up to 3 months – just thaw overnight in the fridge before gently reheating on the stovetop.
Green Curry Meatballs
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- large nonstick skillet
Ingredients
For the meatballs:
- 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats or panko breadcrumbs
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 1/2 pounds lean ground turkey, pork or chicken
For the sauce:
- 1 tablespoon Green curry paste
- 2 15 ounce cans canned unsweetened coconut milk
Instructions
- Combine meat mixture: Add the oats, egg and milk to a large mixing bowl. Mix together and set aside for 10 minutes. Add ground meat, ginger, curry paste, fish sauce, sugar, salt, garlic and onion. Mix to combine.
- Roll into balls: Scoop the meat mixture into balls, a little smaller than golf-ball size.
- Cook Meatballs: In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, place one layer of meatballs in the pan, leaving space between each—you may meed to cook them in two separate batches, depending on the size of your pan. Brown the meatballs on all sides, turning occasionally as they cook.
- Make sauce: Add curry paste and garlic to the pan and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in one can of coconut milk, scraping up any browned bits from the pan. Stir cornstarch in to the other can of coconut milk, and add to the pan. Add brown sugar, garlic, lime, fish sauce, cilantro and stir to combine.
- Simmer: Return meatballs to pan and simmer them in the sauce until cooked through, about 10 more minutes. Serve over hot, cooked rice.
