Thai Curry Meatballs

As Thanksgiving and the month of gratitude approach, I wanted to make a dish that celebrates comfort, warmth, and family. I used turkey or chicken for my Thai curry meatballs. It is my way of celebrating the season and get the meal done in crockpot.

Asian Meatballs Ingredients

• Ground turkey (or chicken): Turkey keeps this dish light yet satisfying — perfect for a Thanksgiving-inspired meal.
• Green onion: Adds freshness and subtle sharpness that balances the curry’s richness.
• Garlic powder: A time-saver that gives a gentle garlicky depth; fresh minced garlic works too. If using fresh minced garlic, double the amount that I show in the recipe card.
• Chicken bouillon: Enhances umami flavor. You can substitute with 2 tablespoon of soy sauce if preferred and 1/4 tsp ground pepper.
• Sugar: A touch of sweetness helps balance the savory and spicy flavors in the sauce. I use coconut sugar but brown or table sugar also work.
• Cornstarch: Helps bind the meatballs together and keeps them juicy while cooking.
• Almond flour (or panko): Almond flour makes the recipe gluten-free, while breadcrumbs are a great everyday option. (If you want to brown the meatballs before using in the curry, I recommend that you use panko instead of almond flour. Just from my experiment, turkey is quite dry so browning it first makes them more tough and dense. Panko gives the softer bite touch compared to almond flour.)

Thai Red Curry Ingredients

• Onion: Adds natural sweetness and depth to the base of the curry.
• Red curry paste: My trusted brands are MaeSri and Aroy-D.
• Coconut sugar: Adds a mellow sweetness that complements the spice; palm or table sugar work fine too.
• Fish sauce: Adds salty umami depth; use soy sauce for a vegetarian-friendly swap.
• Coconut milk: Use full-fat is best for a silky texture. My trusted brands are Aroy-D, Chao Koh, and Chao Thai, and Thai Kitchen.
• Water: Helps thin the curry to the perfect consistency for simmering in the crockpot.
• Kabocha squash: Naturally sweet and creamy; butternut squash or sweet potato are good substitutes.
• Red bell pepper: Adds color and crunch for freshness and balance.
• Thai basil: Infuses the dish with a subtle peppery aroma and brightness at the end.

A Note About Kabocha Squash

Kabocha squash, also known as Japanese pumpkin, is one of my favorite vegetables to use in Thai curry. It’s naturally sweet, creamy, and slightly nutty. Butternut squash is my second choice.

To prepare it, use a sharp knife and cut through one side of the squash, close to the center but not directly through the thickest part. This makes it much easier to slice safely. Once you open it, scoop out the seeds with a spoon, then cut the flesh into bite-sized pieces.

The skin of kabocha squash is completely edible once cooked — it softens beautifully and adds extra nutrients and color to your dish. But if you prefer a smoother texture, peeling is optional.

Simple Steps for Meatballs Curry

• Cut up the vegetables.
• Mix the meatballs ingredients together and form into small meatballs. Do not make big size meatballs for turkey meatballs. They will get too dense.
• Add the meatballs to your crockpot along with coconut milk, red curry powder, coconut sugar, fish sauce, water, kabocha squash, and red bell pepper. DO NOT stir the pot to combine anything or the meatballs will break.
• Slow cook on high heat for 3 hours or low heat for 6-8 hours or until the kabocha squash is for tender. The meatballs itself takes only an hour to cook in the crockpot but the squash is a hard vegetable and takes longer to cook well. Add extra 200 mL water to the pot if slow cooking for 6-8 hours.

How to Customize this Dish

• You can make this dish on the stove top for lesser time. Simply follow my Chicken Red Curry recipe. Also, make sure not to move the meatballs too much or they’ll break. The curry will be more vibrant when cooking on the stovetop because you get to reduce the coconut milk to some oil and saute the curry paste first.
• If you want to still throw everything in the crockpot but have only an hour to cook, leave out the squash. Just use bell pepper and onion for your vegetables.
• Serve or rice or noodles of choice.

More Curry and Squashes Recipes

• Chicken Red Curry (with butternut squash)
• Thai Gren Chicken Curry
• Chicken Massaman Curry
• Chicken Panang Curry
• Beef Panang Curry
• Easy Slow Cooker Massaman Curry
• Mango Curry
• Shrimp Pineapple Curry
• Khao Soi from Scratch
• Mee Ka Tee
• Red Curry Wonton Soup