Thai Red Curry Turkey Meatballs
Turkey meatballs baked and simmered in a creamy Thai red curry coconut sauce, finished with cilantro and green onion garnish.
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 poundground turkey
- 4 greenonions chopped
- 1/4 cupcilantro chopped
- 1 tablespoonfish sauce
- 1 tablespoonred curry paste
- 1 cupbreadcrumbs
- 1 largeegg
- 1/2 teaspoonsalt or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoonblack pepper or to taste
- 3 tablespoonspeanut oil
- 4 tablespoonsred curry paste
- 2 teaspoonslemongrass paste or 2 stalks of lemongrass
- 2 teaspoonsfresh ginger finely grated
- 2 clovesgarlic minced
- 1 cupchicken broth
- 14 ouncecoconut milk (1 can)
- 5 kaffir lime leaves fresh or dried
- 1 tablespoonsugar
Instructions
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Chop the green onions and cilantro; set aside a small amount of the chopped green onions and cilantro for garnish.
- In a medium bowl, combine 1 pound ground turkey, the remaining chopped green onions, the remaining chopped cilantro, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, 1 tablespoon red curry paste, 1 cup breadcrumbs, 1 large egg, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Mix until evenly combined, taking care not to overwork the meat.
- Form the mixture into 1-inch meatballs (about 20–25). Place the meatballs on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them evenly.
- Bake the meatballs for about 30 minutes, or until cooked through (internal temperature should reach 165°F / 74°C).
- While the meatballs bake, heat 3 tablespoons peanut oil in a large skillet or braiser over medium-high heat. Add 4 tablespoons red curry paste, 2 teaspoons lemongrass paste (or the prepared equivalent from 2 stalks of lemongrass), 2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger, and 2 cloves minced garlic. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add 1 cup chicken broth and stir until the curry paste dissolves into the liquid. Then stir in the 14-ounce can of coconut milk, add 5 kaffir lime leaves and 1 tablespoon sugar. Bring the sauce to a gentle boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 5 minutes. Taste and adjust with salt and black pepper as needed.
- Add the baked meatballs to the simmering curry sauce and cook for another 5 minutes, turning occasionally so they are well coated. Remove and discard the kaffir lime leaves before serving.
- Garnish with the reserved chopped cilantro and green onions, then serve.
Equipment
- Baking Sheet
- Parchment Paper
- Medium Bowl
- large skillet or braiser
- Oven
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
Notes
Use more or less curry paste, depending on how spicy you like your food. I used 4 tablespoons in the sauce, for less spicy start with a couple tablespoons and increase it from there.
Lemongrass paste is much more convenient to use, but you can also use fresh lemongrass stalks.
If you don’t want to make this dish with meatballs, you can also just use chicken breast or chicken thighs.
Curry should be safely sealed in an airtight container and refrigerated for3 days. If you want this curry to last, my advice is to freeze it. Ensure that it is fully cooled before sealing and use a shallow container to ensure even freezing. Stir well while reheating.
Lemongrass paste is much more convenient to use, but you can also use fresh lemongrass stalks.
If you don’t want to make this dish with meatballs, you can also just use chicken breast or chicken thighs.
Curry should be safely sealed in an airtight container and refrigerated for3 days. If you want this curry to last, my advice is to freeze it. Ensure that it is fully cooled before sealing and use a shallow container to ensure even freezing. Stir well while reheating.