These Lamb Meatballs with Red Curry are one of my favorite cosy meals for busy weeknights. The meatballs take about 10 minutes to roll, the sauce comes together in one pan on the stove and then everything goes into the oven to bake while you cook the rice. That’s it!
Dinner is on the table in 50 minutes, with only one pan and a saucepan to wash up. And, it makes fantastic leftovers for lunch the next day! As you know, a recipe that doubles as meal prep is always a win for me. The curry is mild enough for kids, but I’ve included a note on how to turn up the heat if you like things spicy.
If you love meatballs as much as we do, you might also like my One Pan Greek Chicken Meatballs with Rice & Feta, The Best Zucchini Turkey Meatballs or my Slow Cooker Meatball Soup. And if a cosy curry night is more your thing, my Easy Butternut Squash Chickpea Curry is another family favourite!
Everything You Need to Make Lamb Meatballs with Red Thai Curry Sauce
You only need a handful of simple ingredients to make these lamb meatballs! I’ve listed all of the ingredients below along with any notes and possible substitutions. You can find the ingredient quantities in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Lamb meatballs
- ground lamb / lamb mince – lamb has a rich flavour that pairs perfectly with the curry sauce. If lamb isn’t your thing, this recipe works well with ground beef, ground chicken or turkey mince.
- spices – you will need onion powder, garlic powder and finely ground sea salt to season the meatballs. Finely ground salt mixes through the meatball mixture more evenly. Feel free to add some cracked black pepper too.
- gluten free breadcrumbs – if you aren’t gluten intolerant, you can use regular breadcrumbs or panko breadcrumbs.
- eggs – you will need one egg to help bind the meatballs together so they hold their shape in the sauce.
- spring onions – also known as green onions or scallions. They add a fresh, mild onion flavour to the meatballs.
Red Thai Curry
- extra virgin olive oil – olive oil is my go-to oil for cooking. It has a high enough smoke point for sautéing and is a great source of healthy fats.
- brown onion – you can swap the brown onion for a yellow onion, red onion, or a couple of French shallots.
- garlic and ginger – you will need 4 cloves garlic and 2 teaspoons of minced ginger. Jarred minced garlic and ginger work perfectly fine here. If using jarred garlic, use 1 teaspoon per garlic clove.
- red Thai curry paste – curry pastes vary quite a bit in heat between brands, so start with 3 tablespoons and add more to taste. If you need this to be gluten free, check the label as some brands contain gluten.
- fish sauce – fish sauce adds a lovely savoury depth to the sauce. Choose a gluten free fish sauce if needed. You can swap it for tamari or coconut aminos.
- coconut milk – I recommend full fat canned coconut milk for the creamiest sauce. Light coconut milk will work but the sauce will be a little thinner.
- chicken broth – I like to use my homemade chicken broth or a good quality store-bought chicken stock. Vegetable broth works too.
- bok choy – you can use baby bok choy, broccolini, green beans or a handful of baby spinach stirred through at the end.
To Serve
- jasmine rice – fragrant jasmine rice is perfect for soaking up the sauce. You could also use basmati rice, brown rice, cauliflower rice or rice noodles.
- fresh herbs – I like to top the curry with torn coriander (cilantro) or Thai basil leaves. Fresh mint is lovely too.
Optional Extras
If you want to take this curry to the next level, serve it with lime wedges for squeezing over the top, some sliced red chilli or chilli flakes for extra heat, or extra sliced spring onion. If you want more spicy flavor, you can also add extra red Thai curry paste!
A sprinkle of crushed roasted peanuts or cashews adds a lovely crunch (just leave them off if you need this to be nut free). These are completely optional though, it’s delicious just as it is.
Tips for Making the Best Thai Meatballs
These Thai lamb meatballs are really straightforward to make, but here are a few of my top tips to make sure they turn out perfectly every time. You can find the full list of instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- mix with clean hands – add all of the meatball ingredients to a large bowl and use clean hands to mix until just combined. Try not to overwork the meatball mixture or the meatballs can turn out dense and tough.
- wet your hands before rolling – lightly damp hands stop the mixture from sticking and make rolling so much quicker.
- keep the meatballs the same size – aim for meatballs about the size of a golf ball (roughly 2 tablespoons of mixture each) so they all cook evenly.
- sauté the curry paste – cooking the curry paste with the garlic and ginger for a minute or two until fragrant really wakes up the spices and gives the sauce so much more flavour.
- use an oven safe pan with a lid – I use a large shallow casserole pan so the sauce can go straight from the stove into the oven. If your pan isn’t oven safe, pour the sauce into a baking dish, add the meatballs and cover tightly with foil.
- arrange the meatballs in a single layer – this helps them bake evenly in the sauce. Turn the heat off before adding them and be careful, the sauce will be hot!
- no need to pan fry first – the meatballs bake right in the curry sauce, which keeps them really juicy and saves a step. If you love a golden crust, you can pop the pan under the broiler (grill) with the lid off for 2–3 minutes at the end.
- check they are cooked through – the meatballs are ready when they are no longer pink in the middle and reach an internal temperature of 71°C/160°F.
- rinse your rice – washing the rice a few times removes the excess starch so you end up with fluffy, separate grains rather than sticky rice. Letting it steam with the lid on for 10 minutes at the end is the secret to perfectly cooked jasmine rice.
- adjust the spice – this recipe is mild and family friendly. For more heat, use 5–6 tablespoons of curry paste or serve with fresh chilli on the side.
Storage
Lamb meatballs and curry sauce – store any leftover meatballs and sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a saucepan on the stove or in the microwave until piping hot. The lamb meatballs and sauce also freeze really well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Rice – store the rice in a separate airtight container. Cool it quickly and refrigerate within an hour of cooking, then enjoy within 1 to 2 days. Reheat with a splash of water until steaming hot all the way through.
Bok choy – bok choy is best enjoyed fresh as it softens once stored in the sauce. If you are meal prepping, I recommend steaming or sautéing some fresh bok choy when you reheat the curry.
Lamb Meatballs with Red Thai Curry Sauce
Equipment
- Shallow casserole pan or large skillet
- Large saucepan
- Timber or metal spatula
- Sharp knife
- Chopping Board
Ingredients
- 500 grams lamb mince
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ cup gluten free breadcrumbs
- 1 egg
- 2 spring onions, finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon finely ground sea salt
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 brown onion, finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons minced ginger
- 3 tablespoons red Thai curry paste
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 400 mL coconut milk, canned
- 250 mL chicken broth or stock
To serve
- 2 cups Jasmine rice
- 2 bok choy, sliced in half lengthways
- Handful fresh coriander, torn or Thai basil leaves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/392°F (conventional).
- To make the meatballs, add the lamb mince, onion powder, garlic powder, breadcrumbs, egg, spring onion and salt to a large bowl. Use clean hands to mix together until well combined. Take a spoonful of mixture and roll into a ball about the size of a golf ball and place onto a plate. Repeat until all of the mixture has been rolled into balls.
- Bring a large shallow casserole pan to a medium heat. Add the olive oil and then the brown onion. Sauté until the onion is translucent. Add the garlic, ginger and curry paste and sauté until fragrant. Finally add the fish sauce, coconut milk and broth and stir until well combined.
- Turn off the heat and carefully add the meatballs to the pan. Place the lid onto the pan and place into the oven for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, carefully remove from the oven and remove the lid. Place the bok choy pieces into the pan, place the lid on and return the pan to the oven for a further 5 minutes.
- While the meatballs cook, add the rice to a large saucepan and top with water. Swish the rice around with clean hands and strain through a fine mesh sieve. Repeat another two times to wash excess starches off the rice. Return the rice to the pan and top with 2 ½ cups water. Place the lid on and bring to a boil. Once boiling, move the lid so that it is half on and half off the pan. Turn the heat to low and simmer until most of the water has been absorbed. Place the lid on properly and turn off the heat. Set aside to steam for around 10 minutes.
- Once the meatballs are finished baking, remove from the oven. To serve, spoon rice into four bowls and top each bowl with a piece of the cooked bok choy. Use a ladle to spoon the meatballs and sauce over the rice and bok choy. Top with fresh coriander and serve warm.
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