This recipe was a hit at our Super Bowl feast this year and while it may have taken me more than a month to get this blog post written up, it wasn’t for lack of loving this recipe.
These Grain-free Thai Chicken Meatballs with Coconut Red Curry Sauce are incredibly simple to pull together and the flavors run deep with this one. The creamy coconut based red curry sauce is thick and luscious, with a hint of very subtle heat from the red curry paste.
I love serving these Thai-inspired meatballs in bowls, overtop of cauliflower rice or veggie noodles. It would also be wonderful over basmati rice or thin rice noodles.
If you want a little extra heat, add some red pepper flakes or even sriracha, if that’s your jam. For a more complete meal, I serve this with a little roasted baby bok choy, right in the bowl, or even spinach and sometimes some raw spiralized carrot noodles for a little crunch and color.
Grain-free Thai Chicken Meatballs with Coconut Red Curry Sauce {Paleo & Gluten-Free}
Ingredients
Thai Chicken Meatballs
- 1 pound dark meat ground organic chicken, white meat chicken or turkey will work as well
- ¼ cup almond flour, more if needed
- 3 scallions, sliced thin (both green and white segments)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
- 3 teaspoons fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil
- 1 pasture-raised egg, beaten
Coconut Red Curry Sauce
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil or ghee
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 white or yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated or minced
- 2 tablespoons red curry paste
- 3 cups full fat coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon lime zest, plus more for serving
- 1 teaspoon fresh squeezed lime juice
Optional for serving:
- fresh basil, regular or thai, roughly chopped
- fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
- scallions, thinly sliced
- coconut rice, zucchini noodles, rice noodles, regular rice, etc
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400ºF.
- Add the ground chicken to a medium sized bowl. Add the almond flour, scallions, garlic, ginger, fish sauce, curry paste, and herbs. Finally, add the egg. Form the meatballs into 1 -1.5 inch diameter balls, and place on a large parchment-lined baking sheet. If the meat is more moist and isn't rolling and holding shape, add a little more almond flour, as needed. Bake for 20 minutes, until lightly browned and cooked through.
- While meatballs are cooking, make the sauce. Heat a large skillet to medium high heat, add ghee or coconut oil. Add the vegetables: onion, bell pepper, garlic, and ginger. Cook for 5-7 minutes until onion is translucent. Add curry pasted all of the coconut milk. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes until the curry paste is completely mixed into the sauce. Add salt, and more to taste if needed.
- Add meatballs to the sauce, and cook for another 5 minutes. Finish off with fresh lime juice and zest, fresh basil and cilantro. Serve hot over Spaghetti squash, noodles, zoodles, rice, or cauliflower rice.
Notes
