Thai turkey meatballs in coconut curry are the perfect weeknight dinner when you want something delicious, healthy, and satisfying on every level. Juicy and tender turkey meatballs are baked to perfection and tossed in a flavorful coconut curry sauce made with classic Thai flavors like red curry paste, basil, lime juice, and fish sauce. Serve these Thai turkey meatballs over steamed rice, noodles, or on their own with a side of naan bread.
Why You’ll Love Thai Turkey Meatballs in Coconut Curry
- Amazing Thai flavors. Coconut milk, red curry paste, fish sauce, and basil are just a few of the ingredients in this recipe that brings classic Thai flavors to your home. They add incredible depth of flavor to this curry that is just so satisfying.
- Tender juicy meatballs. Turkey meatballs are hailed as a healthy alternative to beef meatballs, but they are a bit tougher than beef. So to produce light, tender, and moist turkey meatballs, we add breadcrumbs and egg to these Thai turkey meatballs for the ultimate fluffy texture.
- Saucy coconut curry. Although these Thai turkey meatballs are so flavorful on their own, the coconut curry brings more moisture and savory tastes into the mix. Coconut milk, red curry, fish sauce, lime juice, and basil all come together for a flavorful sauce that pairs perfectly with delicious Thai turkey meatballs.
Ingredients and Substitutions
To make this flavorful and delicious turkey meatballs in coconut curry, you will need the following ingredients (full quantities in the recipe card below):
- ground turkey
- green onions
- garlic + ginger
- red curry paste + fish sauce - we use these Thai classics in both the meatballs and the curry sauce for a flavor-packed meal.
- breadcrumbs - helps give the meatballs their moist tender texture.
- egg
- salt
- coconut oil
- onion
- red bell pepper - you can substitute this for any color of bell pepper that you have on hand.
- coconut milk - you can use regular coconut milk or lite coconut milk. Both will be delicious but the regular one will be more creamy.
- lime juice
- basil leaves - add more or less to taste.
The best part about Thai turkey meatball curry is that it is customizable. You can add in whatever veggies that you have on hand. Some vegetables that go well in here are snap peas, green beans, and cauliflower.
How to Make the Best Thai Turkey Meatballs in Coconut Curry
- Marinate the ground turkey. In a large mixing bowl, combine ground turkey with green onion, garlic, ginger, curry paste, fish sauce, breadcrumbs, egg, and salt. Mix well until it forms into a uniform consistency. Set aside for at least 20 minutes or refrigerate overnight to allow the flavors to infuse inside the meat.
- Shape the turkey meatballs. Take 2 tablespoons of the turkey mixture at a time and roll into meatballs. Transfer the meatballs onto a parchment-lined half sheet baking pan and lightly coat with some cooking oil spray to keep them from sticking, if needed.
- Bake the meatballs. Bake in a 400F preheated oven until fully cooked and the internal temperature reaches 165F as read on a meat thermometer, about 18-20 minutes. Set aside.
- Prepare the coconut curry. While the meatballs are baking in the oven, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high until the oil sizzles, about 1 minute. Add onion and bell pepper and sauté until tender, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add ingredients and simmer. Stir in curry paste until well combined and cook for 1 minute. Add coconut milk, fish sauce, lime zest and lime juice. Stir well to combine and bring the sauce to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and let the sauce simmer for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Toss in meatballs. Stir in fresh basil and baked meatballs, and toss well to coat evenly. If the meatballs are a bit cold before adding them in, you can reheat them in the sauce until warmed through.
- Serve. Serve immediately with steamed rice if desired.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- How to serve: I recommend serving Thai turkey meatballs in coconut curry over rice, noodles, or with naan bread or pita bread for major dipping.
- How to store: Keep leftover Thai turkey meatballs in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days in the refrigerator. You can also freeze the cooked meatballs with the sauce for up to 3 months.
- How to reheat: Reheat leftover meatball and sauce on the stovetop, covered, over medium heat. If the sauce thickens too much, add a splash of water to thin it to your desired consistency.
More Turkey Recipes
- 35 Best Turkey Recipes
- Sweet Chili Turkey Meatballs
- Ground Turkey Pasta Bake
- Baked Turkey Meatballs
- Mediterranean Turkey Burgers
- Leftover Turkey Stuffed Peppers
- Turkey Fried Rice
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Recipe
Thai Turkey Meatballs in Coconut Curry
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 servings
Description
Thai turkey meatballs in coconut curry are the perfect weeknight dinner when you want something delicious, healthy, flavorful, and satisfying.
Ingredients
For the Thai turkey meatballs:
- 1 pound ground turkey
- ½ cup green onions, diced
- 1 teaspoon fresh garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
- 1 tablespoon red curry paste
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the Thai coconut curry:
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil (or avocado oil)
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 2 tablespoons red curry paste
- 1 (13.5 ounce) can coconut milk (about 1.5 cups)
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 lime, juiced and zested
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves (or to taste)
Instructions
Make the Thai turkey meatballs:
- Preheat oven to 400 F.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine ground turkey with green onion, garlic, ginger, curry paste, fish sauce, breadcrumbs, egg, and salt. Mix well until it forms into a uniform consistency. Set aside for at least 20 minutes or refrigerate overnight to allow the flavors to infuse inside the meat.
- Take 2 tablespoons of the turkey mixture at a time and roll into meatballs. Transfer the meatballs onto a parchment-lined half sheet baking pan and lightly coat with some cooking oil spray to keep them from sticking, if needed.
- Bake until fully cooked and the internal temperature reaches 165F as read on a meat thermometer, about 18-20 minutes. Set aside.
Make the Thai coconut curry:
- While the meatballs are baking in the oven, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high until the oil sizzles, about 1 minute. Add onion and bell pepper and sauté until tender, about 3-4 minutes.
- Stir in curry paste until well combined and cook for 1 minute. Add coconut milk, fish sauce, lime zest and lime juice. Stir well to combine and bring the sauce to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and let the sauce simmer for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in fresh basil and baked meatballs, and toss well to coat evenly. If the meatballs are a bit cold before adding them in, you can reheat them in the sauce until warmed through.
- Serve immediately over steamed rice, noodles, or with naan bread or pita bread for major dipping.
Notes
How to store: Keep leftover Thai turkey meatballs in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days in the refrigerator. You can also freeze the cooked meatballs with the sauce for up to 3 months.
How to reheat: Reheat leftover meatball and sauce on the stovetop, covered, over medium heat. If the sauce thickens too much, add a splash of water to thin it to your desired consistency.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Turkey
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Thai
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Lisa thompson says
I used chicken rather than turkey for the meatballs. The curry was delicious and will make it with other protein in the future. I was a little heavy handed with the curry paste but I like spice! Thanks for an easy to follow dish!
Jessica says
My husband and kids loved this recipe! Definitely making again.
Valerie says
These were really good! It's hard to make turkey flavorful, but this worked. I served them over rice. I don't have a microwave, so to reheat I plopped some rice & meatballs w/sauce with a pat of butter on a foil sheet, folded it up and heated it for about 20 min at 375 degrees. Even better the next day!
MarJo says
I haven't made this yet, but I can't wait to try it. I am thinking of subbing the fresh basil with fresh cilantro and serving over Coconut Rice from this website. Thoughts?
Bev says
22/01/2023 Never made a Thai curry before so I gave this a go and OMG it was absolutely amazing me & my son loved it the only thing I did differently was add 3 spoons of the paste instead of two but it was amazing I will definitely make this again it’s definitely a keeper. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Betty says
This is our new favorite recipe! The whole family loved it. We are adding it to our dinner rotation.
Sam Hu | Ahead of Thyme says
Yay that makes me so happy to hear!