These Thai Meatballs are made with ground turkey and full of garlic, ginger and curry flavors. These sweet, savory, and spicy meatballs are ready in one skillet, in under 45 minutes.
These Thai meatballs is one of the oldest recipes on my website dating back to 2013. It’s very popular, so today I am bringing it to your attention once again!
Much like my slow cooker porcupine meatballs and sweet and sour meatballs, Thai turkey meatballs can be eaten as a main dish with a side of rice or quinoa. Or with a toothpick for an appetizer like cranberry turkey meatballs.
It’s amazing healthy dinner or healthy appetizer!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Signature Thai flavors: That everyone loves and rival any Thai restaurant dish!
- Easy recipe: Despite lengthy list of ingredients, meatballs are made in one skillet. Just combine, sear, and cook in the sauce.
- No eggs or breadcrumbs: And still moist meatballs. If you use certified gluten free fish sauce, these meatballs are gluten free! Dairy free too because we’re using coconut milk.
- Healthier than your typical meatballs: Added zucchini for moisture which means every bite has some veggie in it.
Ingredients for Thai Turkey Meatballs
- Ground turkey: On its own ground turkey is quite dry but it works with this recipe because of the creamy sauce. You can also use ground beef, pork or chicken.
- Zucchini: Grated and squeezed of excess moisture, this is a key player in keeping moisture locked in.
- Fish sauce: A lovely salty condiment that is a popular ingredient in many Asian dishes. Will be used in the meatballs, as well as the sauce.
- Green onion: Finely chopped, adds the fresh vibrant onion flavor without overpowering.
- Basil: Finely chopped basil adds a freshness like the green onions however without the pungence.
- Ginger: Grated. Add it to the complex flavor combination of these ingredients and they all work in harmony.
- Garlic: Grated fresh garlic goes hand in hand with the ginger.
- Red curry paste: A spicy, sour, and salty flavorful paste, delicious addition to both meatballs and the sauce.
- Coconut milk: Use full fat milk or even coconut cream for a thicker, richer sauce. I like Thai Kitchen coconut milk because it is creamy and doesn’t separate.
- Red pepper flakes: To kick up the heat a notch. The amount can be adjusted to your preference. You can also use chili paste or sriracha sauce.
- Cooking spray: I use Misto because it’s essentially olive oil which is a healthier option.
- Tomato paste: Helps to thicken up the sauce and add tomato flavor.
- Kaffir lime leaves: An optional ingredient you can buy in International foods aisle or on Amazon. They are sold dry and last forever, but they’re completely optional.
How to Make Thai Meatballs
- Make the meatballs: In a medium bowl, combine meatball ingredients, mix and shape 28 meatballs. Set aside.
- Make the sauce: In another medium bowl, whisk together ingredients for the sauce and set aside.
- Brown: Preheat large ceramic non-stick skillet on medium-high heat and spray with cooking spray. Cook meatballs until brown or for 2-3 minutes, turning a few times. No need to cook meatballs through as they will continue to cook in the sauce.
- Simmer: Add the sauce, reduce heat to medium and simmer for 15 minutes, uncovered.
Tips for Best Results
- Squeeze zucchini: Make sure to squeeze all of the excess water out of the zucchini. While it does help with adding moisture, too much liquid can cause problems in keeping the meatball intact, since there are no breadcrumbs to absorb it.
- Wet your hands: To avoid the meatball mixture sticking to your hands, wet them a little before rolling into balls.
- Use cold meat: The colder your meat, the easier it is to maintain its meatball structure.
- For same size balls: I like to use a trigger ice cream scoop.
Serving
There are 2 ways to serve these Thai meatballs. Serve meatballs warm with garnishes like fresh cilantro and green onion alongside these side dishes:
- Instant Pot brown rice
- Cooked quinoa
- Rice noodles
- Cauliflower rice
- Instant Pot steamed vegetables
- Zucchini noodles
- Spaghetti squash noodles
Or serve them as an appetizer on a platter with toothpicks, and some naan bread or pita bread for dipping into the sauce.
How to Store and Reheat
Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Freeze: Fully cook, cool completely and freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
Reheat: Simmer on a stovetop while covered on low heat until heated through. Or use good old microwave and reheat in 1 minute increments until warm.
FAQs
Use cold meat straight out of the fridge. Squeeze excess liquid out of the zucchini and don’t overpower the meatball ingredients with too many “bigger” ingredients. You want to leave the meat as the main portion of the meatball, so when it says “finely chop or grated” follow that direction!
Yes, you can. It does add a delicious taste, but you can omit it or replace it with soy sauce, tamari, Worcestershire sauce, or coconut aminos instead.
These Thai meatballs are mild. If you would like to make them less spicy, omit the red pepper flakes in both meatballs and the sauce.
Yes. Combine meatball ingredients, shape into balls and then, also combine sauce ingredients, store covered separately in the refrigerator up to 24 hours. On the day you plan to cook them, proceed with recipe instructions.
More Meatballs Recipes to Try
Thai Meatballs
Equipment
Ingredients
For Thai Meatballs:
- 2 pounds ground turkey pork or chicken
- 1 cup zucchini shredded & liquid squeezed out
- 1/4 cup green onion finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons basil finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons ginger grated
- 2 garlic cloves grated
- 1 teaspoon red curry paste
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons coconut milk light (canned)
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Cooking spray I use Misto
For the Sauce:
- 1 1/2 cups coconut milk light (canned)
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon red curry paste
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes more to taste
- 5-6 dried kaffir lime leaves optional**
Instructions
- To make meatballs: In a medium bowl, combine ground turkey, zucchini, green onion, basil, ginger, garlic, red curry paste, fish sauce, coconut milk and red pepper flakes. Mix well.
- Make 28 meatballs by spooning heaping 1 tablespoon of mixture and rolling between your hands. Lay on a cutting board or plate. Set aside.
- To make sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together coconut milk, tomato paste, red curry paste, fish sauce, red pepper flakes and kaffir lime leaves. Set aside.
- Preheat large ceramic non-stick skillet on medium-high heat and spray with cooking spray. Add meatballs and cook until brown or for 2-3 minutes, turning a few times. No need to cook the meatballs through.
- Add the sauce, reduce heat to medium and simmer for 15 minutes, uncovered.
- Serve warm with brown rice or brown rice noodles. Add garnish like fresh cilantro and green onions.
Notes
- Make ahead: Make meatballs and sauce up to 24 hours in advance. Store covered separately in the fridge.
- Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Freeze: Fully cook, cool completely and freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw on a stovetop covered on low.
- Kaffir lime leaves: You can buy kaffir lime leaves in any Asian store or online. They are sold dried and last forever in a sealed container. If you don’t have any, omit.
This was DELICIOUS! Sharing with all my friends. My one yr old ate 4 meatballs and my super picky 4 yr old ate them too (after a 15 minute stare-down with the meatball because she was convinced she wouldn’t like it). This is a keeper!
Just made this recipe tonight for dinner…it was absolutely delicious! I posted about it on my blog 🙂 Thanks for the amazing recipe!
I found you via pinterest and made this recipe last night over some brown rice minus the chili flakes. It was delicious. The husband and 5 year old approved as well. thanks for the great recipe!
Great recipe…my boys don’t know they are eating veggies!
Made my day!:) Happy Sunday!
Just made these. They were great, but a little salty. We may try anchovies paste instead of fish sauce next time, since that’s the only possible source of salt in here, but this recipe was an absolute hit!
I could see that…Salt is totally up to taste. Glad you had a great meal.:)
I made these for the first time 5 mins ago, and they are the best meatballs ever! I didn’t use any of the spicy ingredients because I don’t care for spicy food, however it still came out great!
Thanks !
Oh yay! Awesome! I had no doubt but after some reviews of not even dogs liking these… They must be not Thai food lovers. 🙂
Made this last night and it was a hit! Even my very picky 7 yr old liked it. My husband and I are not big on fish sauce, so I omitted that and added salt and it was still very flavorful. I also used the regular coconut milk. Great recipe and thanks for sharing!! I’ll definitely be making this again.
That’s great, Sooki! This recipe can be tweaked depending what you got in hand and personal taste preference.:)
I followed this recipe to the tee and it was the most tasteless meal I have ever eaten…like a dry meatloaf with no flavor. Even our dogs wouldn’t eat the meatballs…wouldn’t make again. Just my (and my family’s opinion). Sorry!
Sorry to hear about your experience, Gretchen. Everyone has different taste and taste buds. So no worries. Maybe it was too spicy for the dogs?
THIS is what I want to eat……. right NOW!!!!!!!!
30 minutes away:)
I just made these tonight and they were amazing! Thank you for such a delicious recipe! I want to make these for a friend who just had a baby…if I make it ahead of time would I cook it all the way through then freeze? And when I take it to my friend would I just tell her to reheat on the stir top? Thanks again for a great recipe!
Yes, you got it. Cook it all the way and freeze. She can defrost it on a counter and warm up in microwave. Or defrost in a pot. Or defrost in microwave. Anything. They freeze well. Glad you enjoyed!!!