Thai Pork and Veggie Meatballs are full of shredded zucchini and carrots and cooked in a coconut curry sauce. They are so delicious and also good for you!
Meatballs are one of the few things all 3 of my kids will eat without complaint. And this recipe is proof that I can literally put anything in meatballs and they will eat them.
As I was shredded the zucchini for these, my 4 year old walked into the kitchen and said “Eww, I don’t like zucchini!”
Umm… guess who asked for more meatballs not once but twice!
If we’re being technical here, these aren’t really Thai meatballs. Honestly, I’m not even sure Thai meatballs are a thing. I think Thai-Inspired would be a better title but…
Yeah.
So these are pork meatballs with a little ground turkey which I love because I love love love the flavor of pork but not necessarily the fat/calories so I feel like I can eat more if I mix in some super lean ground turkey. The meatballs have lots of shredded zucchini and carrots mixed in with some curry powder, fresh ginger, garlic, all kinds of good stuff. And then you cover them with a peanut sauce before baking!
Except I don’t eat peanut butter because I do try to eat paleo when I’m not drinking wine and eating my weight in Qdoba 3-cheese nachos so I used almond butter in this “peanut” sauce. You could totally use peanut or even sunbutter if you prefer the taste of those!
Anyway, the sauce is SO good. I could drink it! Coconut milk, almond butter, and curry powder just make the yummiest combination.
These are super simple and I anticipate making these often in the coming months.
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Thai Pork and Veggie Meatballs
Thai Pork and Veggie Meatballs are full of shredded zucchini and carrots and cooked in a coconut curry sauce. They are so delicious and also good for you!
Ingredients
For the meatballs:
- 1 small zucchini, shredded
- 2 small carrots, shredded
- 1 pound ground pork
- ½ pound ground turkey
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- salt and pepper, to taste
For the sauce:
- 1 14 ounce can of coconut milk
- ¼ cup almond butter
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce, or coconut aminos
- 1 tablespoon sriracha
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- pinch of salt
For serving:
- chopped green onions
- chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Put shredded zucchini in a fine mesh strainer over a bowl. Press with the bag of a wooden spoon to remove all liquid. (You can also do this in a cheese cloth.)
- Place zucchini, carrots, pork, turkey, and the rest of the the meatball ingredients in a bowl and use your hands to combine.
- Taking about 2 tablespoons of the meat mixture at a time, shape into meatballs. Set aside on a plate.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together all sauce ingredients until completely combine.
- Place a large oven safe saucepan over medium heat and add a teaspoon of coconut oil. Once saucepan is hot, add meatballs to the pan and brown on all sides. Pour the sauce over the meatballs.
- Place saucepan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until meatballs are cooked through.
- Garnish meatballs with chopped cilantro and green onions.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 412Total Fat: 32gSaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 83mgSodium: 307mgCarbohydrates: 7gFiber: 2gSugar: 2gProtein: 25g
Bonny says
I’ve made this dish now at least 5 or 6 times and every single time it’s a huge hit. It’s absolutely delicious for both adults and kids. I’ve made it with up to 1kg of mince and have used both a mix of turkey and pork, as in the original recipe, and most recently used turkey and pork + veal, as that’s what the supermarket had. Still delicious. I generally use almond butter each time, but have also used peanut butter which was still yummy and a bit of a cheaper option. The sauce is amazing! It really is what brings the WOW to this meal. I serve wish either brown or white basmati rice and steamed vegies, or a yellow coconut rice and salad on the side. Yum-O!! Thanks for a delicious and healthy recipe!!
nicole @ I am a Honey Bee says
ooo I have most of the stuff needed for these alrady at home! yay!
and I don’t think I could give up PB. i don’t know how you do it!
Chelsea says
Haha! I just made something with zucchini too and my husband said he hated zucchini and then ate two helpings – that’s the best when that happens! And proof of how awesome these meatballs are! Love all those veggies you sneaked in – these look amazing Amanda!
Julie @ Table for Two says
I love the combination of pork and turkey in this to give it a moist consistency. The veggie hiding is awesome – gonna have to remember that for when I have kids ;) I’m a huge fan of Thai flavors so this looks like a great weeknight meal served with some rice on the side!
Donalyn@TheCreeksideCook says
Thai meatballs are totally a thing – everybody eats meatballs! I love the idea of combining the two meats for the flavor, but a little leaner – and all the flavors just sound so good together – yummy!
Deanna McK says
I just like all the ingredients so to put them all together like that sounds delicious, to me! Gotta try it!
Cate @ Chez CateyLou says
I love hiding veggies in food, even though I don’t have kids. I just love increasing my own veggie intake in different ways! These meatballs look delicious, and that sauce sounds incredible!