I bake these turkey meatballs in the oven while a red curry and coconut milk sauce simmers on the stove, so dinner is ready in about 30 minutes. The meatballs are seasoned with curry powder, coconut aminos, garlic, green onions, fresh parsley or basil, and red pepper flakes. The sauce gets its flavor from red curry paste, fresh ginger, fish sauce, and toasted sesame oil. Once the meatballs are cooked through, they go straight into the sauce and get coated before serving. The recipe makes 18 meatballs, which is 6 servings of 3 each.
Baking the meatballs keeps the stove free for the sauce, and there are no batches to brown in a skillet. The sauce simmers until it thickens, about 10 to 12 minutes, while the meatballs finish in the oven. Moving them into the sauce as soon as they are cooked through keeps them from drying out.
I serve them over cauliflower rice, steamed white rice, or zucchini noodles with fresh basil, cilantro, or parsley on top. If you like coconut curry, my Sausage Curry and Curry Salmon with Coconut Milk are two more to try.
Every recipe on Real Balanced is tested before it’s published — read about how we develop and test our recipes.
Reader Love
Outstanding!! I used green curry paste and it was absolutely delicious. Wanted to eat way more than 3!!!
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💛 Why you’ll love this recipe
- The flavor runs through the meatballs, not just the sauce. The meatball mixture is seasoned with curry powder, coconut aminos, garlic, green onions, and red pepper flakes, so every bite is flavorful even before the sauce enters the picture.
- The sauce is rich and creamy. Full-fat coconut milk simmers with red curry paste, fresh ginger, fish sauce, and toasted sesame oil until it thickens and coats everything.
- Dinner in 30 minutes. The oven handles the meatballs while you build the sauce on the stovetop — both components finish at roughly the same time, so nothing is sitting around waiting.
- Flexible on substitutions. Red curry paste or green, ground turkey or another protein, coconut aminos or liquid aminos — the recipe holds up well to all of these swaps, and the full list is below.
- Makes great leftovers. The meatballs and sauce reheat well and can be frozen for up to 3 months for a future meal.
- Dairy-free as written. The creaminess comes entirely from coconut milk — no cream or butter needed.
⏲ How to make this recipe
This is an overview of the recipe’s instructions. The full instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Preheat: Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Prepare Meatballs: Mix together all of the meatball ingredients until fully incorporated, then roll the mixture into 18 equal-sized balls and place on your prepared baking sheet.
- Bake: Bake the meatballs until the internal temperature reaches 165°F, about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Coconut Curry Sauce: While the meatballs bake, heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat and sauté the chopped onion until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 30 seconds more. Add the remaining sauce ingredients and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the sauce until thickened, about 10 to 12 minutes.
- Add The Meatballs To The Sauce: Once the meatballs have finished baking, transfer them from the baking sheet to the prepared sauce and coat them in the sauce before serving.
- Garnish And Serve: Garnish with chopped fresh basil, fresh cilantro, and/or fresh parsley.
👉 Easy ingredient swaps
- Ground turkey: Ground beef, ground chicken, or ground pork all work at a 1:1 ratio. Different proteins have different fat content, so the texture and final nutrition will shift with the swap.
- Egg: The egg acts as a binder that holds the meatballs together during baking. For an egg-free version, use a flax egg: mix 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds with 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons water, stir together, and let sit for 5 minutes before using. This substitution has not been tested in this specific recipe, but a flax egg is a standard binder replacement that typically works. The swap will also change the final nutrition information.
- Red curry paste: Green curry paste is a direct 1:1 swap.
- Coconut aminos: Liquid aminos or gluten-free soy sauce can be substituted at a 1:1 ratio. Both contain soy.
- Fish sauce: Use more coconut aminos in its place. Liquid aminos or gluten-free soy sauce also work, though both contain soy.
- Golden monk fruit sweetener: Classic monk fruit sweetener, Swerve, or erythritol can be substituted at a 1:1 ratio. This ingredient is listed as optional in the recipe, so you can leave it out entirely.
✨ Variations
- Mix half ground beef with half ground turkey in the meatball mixture for a richer, more substantial result.
- Use green curry paste in place of red curry paste at a 1:1 ratio.
- Finish the plated dish with a squeeze of fresh lime juice just before serving.
- Use all three garnish options at once — fresh basil, fresh cilantro, and fresh parsley each bring something different to the finished dish, and combining them works well.
〰️ How to serve
- Spoon over Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice, the way the dish is pictured in the photos.
- Serve over steamed white rice or zucchini noodles if you prefer a different base.
- Pair with Lemon Garlic Spinach or roasted radishes on the side.
- Top with fresh basil, cilantro, and/or parsley right before serving — the fresh herbs add brightness against the rich sauce.
💬 FAQs
Why do my turkey meatballs fall apart, and how long should I bake them?
Meatballs fall apart when there isn’t enough binder. This recipe uses coconut flour in place of breadcrumbs — measure it carefully and use the full amount listed. With the right amount of coconut flour and the egg both in the mix, the meatballs hold together through baking. Bake them at 400°F until the internal temperature reaches 165°F, which takes about 15–20 minutes. Don’t pull them out early, and use a thermometer to check doneness rather than relying on color alone.
Can I make these without egg?
Yes, but you’ll need to replace the binder. Make a flax egg: combine 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds with 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons water, stir together, and let sit for 5 minutes. This substitution has not been tested in this specific recipe, but it’s a standard egg replacement that typically holds meatballs together. The swap will also change the final nutrition information.
Can I use a different curry paste or a different protein?
Yes to both. For the curry paste: green curry paste swaps in at a 1:1 ratio for the red curry paste. For the protein: ground beef, ground chicken, and ground pork all swap in 1:1 for the ground turkey. Keep in mind that different proteins have different fat levels, so the texture and nutrition will vary with the swap.
How do I store, reheat, and freeze these meatballs?
Store leftover meatballs in an airtight container in the refrigerator and eat within 3–4 days. To freeze, place in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to eat, thaw in the refrigerator before reheating. Reheat on the stovetop over medium heat until warmed through, or in the oven at 400°F for about 10 minutes. Once reheated, eat within 3–4 days.
📚 More recipes to try
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Coconut Curry Thai Turkey Meatballs
Ingredients
Turkey Meatballs:
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 egg
- 3 tablespoons coconut flour
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley or fresh basil, chopped
- 2 green onions, chopped
- 1 tablespoon coconut aminos
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Coconut Curry Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil or olive oil
- ½ small white onion, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
- 1 13.5-ounce can full-fat coconut milk
- ¼ cup chicken broth
- 3 tablespoons red curry paste
- 1 tablespoon coconut aminos
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce
- 2 teaspoons golden monk fruit sweetener (optional)
Optional Garnishes:
- 1-2 tablespoons fresh basil, roughly chopped
- 1-2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
- 1-2 tablespoons fresh parsley, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Turkey Meatballs: In a mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, mix together all meatball ingredients until fully incorporated. Roll meatball mixture into 18 equal-sized balls and place on prepared baking sheet.
- Bake meatballs until internal temperature has reached 165°F, about 15-20 minutes.
- Coconut Curry Sauce: Meanwhile, in a large pan over medium heat, heat oil until hot. Sauté onion until soft, about 2 minutes, before adding garlic and ginger and cooking for an additional 30 seconds. To pan, add remaining sauce ingredients and stir to combine. Reduce heat to low and simmer sauce until thickened, about 10-12 minutes.
- Final Steps: Once finished baking, transfer cooked meatballs from baking sheet to prepared sauce. Coat meatballs in sauce before serving. Garnish with chopped fresh basil, fresh cilantro, and/or fresh parsley.
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