Thai Meatballs

These Thai Meatballs with Mango Coconut Sauce are so easy to make, perfectly moist, and a great change of pace on the dinner table! They’re gluten-free and dairy-free. The zucchini keeps them perfectly moist, and the almond flour holds them together. Pair those savory meatballs with a creamy coconut-mango sauce, and you have a crowd-pleaser you’ll want to make every week!

I’m often asked how I come up with recipes, and to be honest, it’s a bit of a mystery to me most of the time, too. These Thai Meatballs with Mango Coconut Sauce are definitely no exception. It was really just a craving for meatballs, but not the usual Italian flavors.

I had my Coconut Lime Chicken in mind when I created this Asian-inspired sauce, but added some sweetness with fresh, juicy mango.

From there, I added zucchini to keep the meatballs moist, a few spices that sounded good, and it turned out to be a new favorite in our house. And that’s it, there’s not a whole lot of rhyme or reason to how I cook other than what I’m craving, along with whatever ingredients sound good together!

Let’s start these Thai Meatballs

First we’ll mix the meatball mixture together.

How to make these Thai Meatballs

1. Mix together everything for the meatballs.
2. Next, brown them in a skillet, which creates so much awesome flavor.
3. Remove the meatballs from the skillet and set them aside.
4. Sauté the ginger and garlic before adding the spices and coconut milk .
5. Add the meatballs back to the pan. Simmer just until they’re done in the middle, and the sauce is slightly thickened.
6. Season to taste and add the fresh diced mango.
7. Serve right away with your choice of sides! My favorite is steamed jasmine rice and toasted cashews with lime wedges.

Variations & Substitutions

1. You can use ground turkey, pork, or beef for these meatballs. My favorite is ground pork.
2. If you don’t have coconut aminos, you can sub in soy sauce or tamari instead. Be careful to read the labels if you’re strictly gluten-free, since soy sauce and tamari aren’t always gluten-free.
3. You can use any type of ripe mango you can find. Champagne mangos are definitely the best flavor and texture.

Tip: Freshly minced ginger and garlic are worth the small amount of extra effort. The flavor is really that much better. Also this is a simply flavored recipe, so you’ll be rewarded for your efforts on the garlic/ginger front!

I sure hope you’ll enjoy these fun meatballs as much as we have. They’ve been such a fun change of pace. And they’re so easy to make as well, which is always a bonus in my book!

INGREDIENTS1x2x3x

Zucchini Meatballs:

• 1 pound ground pork - turkey, or beef
• 2 tbsp coconut aminos
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 clove garlic - minced
• 1 tbsp minced ginger
• 1/2 tsp sea salt - optional and you can omit
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 cup almond flour
• 1 egg
• 1 cup grated zucchini - from 1 small
• 1 tsp lime zest - grated with a microplane grater
• 2 tbsp avocado oil

Coconut Mango Sauce:

• 1 clove garlic - minced
• 1 tsp minced ginger
• 2 tsp lime zest
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/2 tsp red pepper chili flakes
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 13.5 ounce full-fat coconut milk - canned
• 2 cups diced mango - 1/2″ cups from 1 pound champagne mangos

Serve With:

• Freshly steamed rice or cauliflower rice for Whole30
• Freshly chopped cilantro - lime wedges, and toasted cashews

INSTRUCTIONS

• Mix together all the ingredients for the meatballs, except the avocado oil . Form the meat mixture into meatballs about 2" in diameter, you will have around 24.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot but not smoking, add the avocado oil and sauté the meatballs in 2 batches browing the sides.
• Remove the meatballs from the pan and set them aside. Add a touch more oil if necessary, along with the garlic and ginger called for in the sauce portion of the recipe.
• Sauté until fragrant, stirring, about 1 minute. Add the lime zest , coriander, turmeric, chili flakes, fish sauce, and coconut milk .
• Stir, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Then add the meatballs back to the pan, and simmer until the meatballs are done and the sauce is thickened, about 8-10 minutes.
• When the meatballs are done, season the sauce to taste with sea salt, and add the diced mango to the pan. Stir to combine, being careful not to break up the meatballs.
• Serve immediately with your choice of sides.

NOTES

nutrition facts

Thai Meatballs

Ingredients

Zucchini Meatballs:

• 1 pound ground pork turkey, or beef
• 2 tbsp coconut aminos
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1 tbsp minced ginger
• 1/2 tsp sea salt optional and you can omit
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 cup almond flour
• 1 egg
• 1 cup grated zucchini from 1 small
• 1 tsp lime zest grated with a microplane grater
• 2 tbsp avocado oil

Coconut Mango Sauce:

• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1 tsp minced ginger
• 2 tsp lime zest
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/2 tsp red pepper chili flakes
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 13.5 ounce full-fat coconut milk canned
• 2 cups diced mango 1/2" cups from 1 pound champagne mangos

Serve With:

• Freshly steamed rice or cauliflower rice for Whole30
• Freshly chopped cilantro lime wedges, and toasted cashews

Instructions

• Mix together all the ingredients for the meatballs, except the avocado oil. Form the meat mixture into meatballs about 2" in diameter, you will have around 24.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot but not smoking, add the avocado oil and sauté the meatballs in 2 batches browing the sides.
• Remove the meatballs from the pan and set them aside. Add a touch more oil if necessary, along with the garlic and ginger called for in the sauce portion of the recipe.
• Sauté until fragrant, stirring, about 1 minute. Add the lime zest, coriander, turmeric, chili flakes, fish sauce, and coconut milk.
• Stir, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Then add the meatballs back to the pan, and simmer until the meatballs are done and the sauce is thickened, about 8-10 minutes.
• When the meatballs are done, season the sauce to taste with sea salt, and add the diced mango to the pan. Stir to combine, being careful not to break up the meatballs.
• Serve immediately with your choice of sides.

Notes

Nutrition

The recipe Thai Meatballs appeared first on Get Inspired Everyday! on April 4, 2019

https://getinspiredeveryday.com/food/thai-zucchini-meatballs-with-mango-coconut-sauce/