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Meatballs in Spicy Curry in skillet with yellow striped towel.
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4.49 from 50 votes

Meatballs in Spicy Curry

Meatballs in Spicy Curry rock with flavor and can be made with any protein!  Try beef, lamb, chicken or turkey meatballs smothered in this amazing spicy Indian-inspired sauce!
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Beef
Cuisine: Indian
Diet: Diabetic, Low Lactose
Servings: 6

Ingredients

Meatballs

  • Cooking spray
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 1 large onion finely chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tablespoon minced ginger
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons curry powder
  • 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
  • 1/2 cup panko
  • 1/2 cup beef broth divided
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 1/3 pounds ground beef lamb, chicken or turkey

Sauce

  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1 tablespoon minced ginger
  • 2 tablespoons curry powder preferably Madras
  • 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 3 1/2 cups beef broth
  • 1 can (15-ounce) petite diced tomatoes undrained
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk
  • 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • Basmati rice for serving
  • Cilantro springs for garnish
  • Lime wedges for garnish

Instructions

Meatballs

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.
  • Heat coconut oil over medium-high heat in a large saute pan. Add onion and cook 8-10 minutes or until onion is softened. Transfer 1/3 of the onions to a large bowl. Leave remaining onions in the saute pan and set aside.
  • While the onions that you placed in the bowl are still hot, add garlic, ginger, cumin and curry powder and stir. Cool to room temperature.
  • To the cooled onions in the bowl, add cilantro, panko, 1/4 cup beef broth, egg, salt, black pepper and mix well. Add beef (or protein you're using) and mix well again.
  • Using a large cookie scoop, form mixture into approximately 36 even meatballs. Place on prepared cookie sheet. Drizzle with remaining 1/4 cup beef broth. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until center of meatballs registers 165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer.

Sauce

  • While meatballs are baking, heat onions that you left in saute pan back up over medium-high heat. Add garlic, ginger, curry powder and flour and cook 1-2 minutes. Stir in beef broth, tomatoes and tomato paste. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 15-20 minutes or until thickened. Add coconut milk, cilantro and salt and black pepper to taste.
  • When meatballs are finished, add to sauce, stir gently to coat. Serve over hot cooked basmati brown rice. Garnish with cilantro sprigs and lime wedges.

Notes

The large onion will be used in both the meatballs and sauce. Cook the entire onion in the coconut oil, then divide.
TIPS:
  • Mix all the ingredients except the ground meat together first, then add the ground meat. This ensures that all the ingredients–especially the seasonings–are evenly distributed.
  • Drizzle a little bit of broth or stock over the meatballs before baking.  This keeps them from drying out and they stay super tender.
MAKE AHEAD:
  • Can be made 1-2 days ahead of time.
  • Reheat in the oven at 350 degrees until heated through.
FREEZER-FRIENDLY:
  • Freeze in airtight containers in amounts desired.  Thaw in the refrigerator or microwave.
  • Reheat in the oven at 350 degrees until heated through.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 716kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 53g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 18g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 192mg | Sodium: 1665mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 5g