Meatballs with Coconut-Curry Sauce

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A sauce made with coconut milk and curry packs a flavor-filled punch in this delicious ground beef meatball recipe.

two bowls with bright colored vegetables over an orange curry soup with meatballs
Photo:

Brie Goldman

Prep Time:
20 mins
Cook Time:
10 mins
Total Time:
40 mins
Servings:
1 1/2 cups
Yield:
9 cups

The sweetness of coconut milk meets the spicy bite of curry in our savory beef and rice recipe. The beef meatballs and brown rice make for a hearty base, and with a healthy dose of snow pea pods, bell peppers, and peanuts, you're set for a colorful meal with lots of flavor.

If you're looking for red curry paste, it's available at most large supermarkets and can be found in the aisle with Asian specialty ingredients. We used Thai Kitchen brand for testing.

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp olive oil

  • 1 cup thin onion wedges

  • 2 cups red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

  • 3 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 15-oz. can unsweetened coconut milk

  • 3 tbsp peanut butter

  • 2 tbsp red curry paste

  • 1 tbsp fish sauce

  • 1 portion Freezer Meatballs

  • 1 cup fresh snow pea pods, halved

  • 1 tbsp lime juice

  • 3 cups cooked brown rice

  • ¼ cup chopped peanuts

  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

  • 1 lime, cut into wedges

Freezer Meatballs

  • 3 large eggs, lightly beaten

  • 2 tbsp milk

  • 1 cup onions, finely chopped

  • 3 cloves garlic, minced

  • ¾ cup fine dry bread crumbs

  • 1 tsp salt

  • 1 tsp black pepper

  • 3 pounds ground beef, 85%

Directions

  1. In a 4-qt. pot heat oil over medium-high. Add the onion, peppers, and garlic; cook and stir until onion is slightly softened, about 4 minutes.

  2. In a medium bowl whisk together the next four ingredients (through fish sauce). Stir into the onion mixture in pot. Stir in the Freezer Meatballs. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in pea pods. Cover; let stand 10 minutes. Stir in lime juice.

  3. Serve meatball mixture over rice. Top with peanuts and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

Freezer Meatballs

This recipe makes three portions. Only one is required for our Coconut-Curry Meatballs, but these are made to freeze! Make all three portions and save two for a rainy day.

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line two 15×10-inch baking pans with foil. In an extra-large bowl combine first seven ingredients (through pepper). Add ground beef; using clean hands, mix lightly until combined (do not overwork).

  2. Shape mixture into 1-inch meatballs, using about 1 Tbsp. mixture for each meatball. Arrange in prepared pans. Bake until done (160°F), about 15 minutes. Cool in pans on wire racks.

    Test Kitchen Tip: For perfectly sized meatballs, use a small cookie scoop to portion the meat mixture.

  3. Divide meatballs among three 1-gal. resealable plastic freezer bags or airtight containers. Seal and label. Lay bags flat and freeze up to 3 months.

Stuffed Meatballs Variation

For meatballs stuffed with cheese, prepare as directed in Step 1. Cut desired cheese (such as Gouda, provolone, mozzarella, cheddar, Monterey Jack, Colby Jack, pepper Jack, feta, Muenster, or Swiss) into 1⁄2-inch cubes. Shape meat mixture into balls as directed. Insert a cheese cube into each ball, sealing meat around the cheese. Continue as directed.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

4442 Calories
268g Fat
206g Carbs
303g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 1 1/2
Calories 4441.8
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 267.8g 343%
Saturated Fat 120.3g 601%
Cholesterol 1180.4mg 393%
Sodium 4640.4mg 202%
Total Carbohydrate 205.6g 75%
Dietary Fiber 22.9g 82%
Total Sugars 31.6g
Protein 303.2g
Vitamin D 2.2mcg 11%
Vitamin C 394.6mg 1,973%
Calcium 715.5mg 55%
Iron 46.5mg 258%
Potassium 6105.8mg 130%
Fatty acids, total trans 6.9g
Vitamin D 109.9IU
Alanine 17.9g
Arginine 21g
Ash 29.4g
Aspartic acid 27.7g
Caffeine 0mg
Carotene, alpha 81.4mcg
Choline, total 1185.9mg
Copper, Cu 2.7mg
Cystine 3.5g
Energy 18585.8kJ
Fluoride, F 7.2mcg
Folate, total 399.4mcg
Glutamic acid 48.1g
Glycine 19.2g
Histidine 9.3g
Isoleucine 13.2g
Leucine 23.3g
Lysine 23g
Methionine 7.4g
Magnesium, Mg 748.6mg
Manganese, Mn 10.2mg
Niacin 73.8mg
Phosphorus, P 3316mg
Pantothenic acid 13mg
Phenylalanine 12.3g
Phytosterols 82.9mg
Proline 15.4g
Retinol 199.5mcg
Selenium, Se 263.9mcg
Serine 13g
Starch 34.7g
Theobromine 0mg
Threonine 11.5g
Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) 10.2mg
Tryptophan 1.9g
Tyrosine 9.5g
Valine 15.2g
Vitamin A, IU 7352.6IU
Vitamin A, RAE 534.1mcg
Vitamin B-12 26.6mcg
Vitamin B-6 6.3mg
Vitamin K (phylloquinone) 73.4mcg
Water 1558.8g
Zinc, Zn 67.2mg

*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

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