Thai Meatballs
Healthy Thai Meatballs Recipe with turkey, coconut milk, red curry paste and zucchini instead of breadcrumbs. Rave reviews from EVERYONE!
Healthy Thai Meatballs Recipe with turkey, coconut milk, red curry paste and zucchini instead of breadcrumbs. Rave reviews from EVERYONE!
- 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp fish sauce
- 2 tsp ginger grated
- cooking spray (i use misto)
- 1/4 cup green onions finely chopped
- 2 tbsp basil finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves grated
- 1 tsp red curry paste
- 2 tbsp coconut milk light (canned)
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 lbs ground turkey*
- 1 cup zucchini, shredded & liquid squeezed out
- 1 cup coconut milk light (canned)
- 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes more to taste
- 5-6 dried kaffir lime leaves (optional)**
- Carbohydrate 0.854310452925718 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 1.97309159739025 g
- Fiber 0.144181248930351 g
- Protein 0.349949350557155 g
- Saturated Fat 1.72462635396106 g
- Serving Size 1 1 meatball (45g)
- Sodium 69.2519942964302 mg
- Sugar 0.710129203995368 g
- Trans Fat 0.125501948735412 g
- Calories 21 calories
Step-by-step
- In a medium bowl, combine Thai Meatballs ingredients and mix with your hands thoroughly. Make 28 meatballs by spooning heaping 1 tbsp of mixture and rolling between your hands. Lay on a cutting board or plate. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together Thai Meatballs Sauce ingredients and 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.
Traditional meatballs rely on wheat-based breadcrumbs to trap moisture and prevent the protein from tightening into dense pellets. This version swaps grated zucchini into ground turkey. Shredding the vegetable and wringing out the liquid is essential before mixing. Excess water turns the meat mixture into a paste that refuses to hold a spherical shape in the pan.
Achieving Structural Integrity
Ground turkey contains less fat than beef or pork. Low fat content makes meat dry out quickly under high heat. Incorporating tomato paste and light coconut milk directly into the simmering pan creates a braising environment. Simmering the browned spheres uncovered for fifteen minutes reduces the liquid while keeping the protein moist. Brown the exterior over medium-high heat for two to three minutes per batch, turning frequently to set the crust without cooking the interior completely.Avoiding Common Pitfalls
Overworking the meat mixture remains the primary error cooks make with poultry meatballs. Mix the aromatics, fish sauce, and shredded zucchini gently until just combined. Overmixing develops the proteins too much, yielding a rubbery bite instead of a tender interior.
