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    Home ยป Diet ยป Paleo ยป The Best Whole30 Curry Meatballs

    The Best Whole30 Curry Meatballs

    Published: Jun 23, 2019 ยท Modified: Dec 21, 2021 by Monica Stevens Le ยท 29 Comments

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    two bowls of whole30 meatballs with cauliflower rice and forks on the side
    meatballs on a bed of cauliflower rice in a bowl with a fork
    bowl of curry meatballs on cauliflower rice
    close up of curry meatballs in a bowl with cauliflower rice
    two bowls of curry meatballs served with cauliflower rice and parsley on top
    a bowl of chicken meatballs topped off with curry sauce
    chicken curry meatballs in a bowl with cauliflower rice topped off with parsley
    chicken curry meatballs in a bowl with cauliflower rice and curry sauce on top

    The best Whole30 curry meatballs are the perfect addition to your Whole30 weekly meal plan. Bring them with you to lunch atop a big and hearty salad or enjoy them with a big bowl of cauliflower rice for dinner. These meatballs are paleo, low carb and Whole30.

    Just wanted to let you know these incredible Whole30 meatballs are sponsored by my friends at KitchenAid!

    curry meatballs in two bowls with cauliflower rice

    What can I pair with these Whole30 curry meatballs?

    I’m really clueless as to why it has taken me so long to come up with a recipe like this. I’m a curry fiend… ask anyone. I love Thai curry, Indian curry, you name it.

    However, once I discovered how easy it was to make curry at home, there was no turning back.

    I love picking up curry paste at the local grocery store and getting down with the stove. Seriously, once you pick some curry paste up, you’ll understand why it is such a game changer.

    These Whole30 curry meatballs were finished by my husband in TWO days… I got to eat… 3 meatballs- total. Thanks babe.

    You know what would pair really well with these meatballs besides plain cauliflower rice or white rice? Some souped up cauliflower rice recipes like:

    Super Saucy Asian Cauliflower Rice

    or Whole30 Cauliflower Fried Rice

    meatball ingredients in a food processor

    Would almond butter work instead of cashew in these Whole30 meatballs?

    You can absolutely substitute out the cashew butter in this recipe for almond butter. I don't always do well with almonds, so I choose to use cashews in their place for that reason.

    Not to mention, I think cashew butter is way tastier and creamier, so that's a big win! ๐Ÿ™‚

    If you have access to cashew butter, I would highly recommend getting your hands on it for the sauce. If you already have some creamy almond butter at home and don't want to head to the store, I won't hold it against you.

    One of my favorite parts of this recipe is how quickly everything comes together.

    I love that I was able to just throw all of my meatball ingredients into the food processor and give it a whirl. It’s so convenient to have and it looks really beautiful on my countertop.

    whole30 meatballs in a bowl with cauliflower rice

    Could I use ground beef or pork instead of chicken?

    You could use a different ground meat mixture like beef or pork, but if it's 90% lean or higher, I'd recommend adding some chopped bacon for extra fat to combat the dryness.

    I have a few theories as to why these meatballs turned out just so delicious.

    • The curry sauce they are swimming in is to die for. I like to double the recipe and keep some on hand in the freezer (in small serving cubes) to quickly defrost.
    • A little fish sauce adds so much umami… and goes a long way
    • They are so quick and easy to make. Less time in the kitchen doing dishes = a happy me

    Imagine how incredibly easy it would be to throw these onto a large bed of greens with some extra veggies, pour some curry sauce on top and chow down on your break at work. No microwave necessary!

    I’m patting myself on the back as I type this… for real.

    Get on board with these Whole30 curry meatballs, and you'll be thanking me very soon. Promise.

    overhead of meatballs in two bowls with forks and curry sauce

    This post is sponsored by the lovely folks at KitchenAid. Thank you for allowing me to continue creating such incredible content by supporting relationships with incredible brands and companies that The Movement Menu enjoys working with! Opinions will always remain 100% my own!

    More Whole30 recipes like this:

    Easy Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

    One Pan Creamy Garlic Shrimp

    Whole30 Greek Salmon

    Paleo Egg Roll in a Bowl

    Whole30 Beef and Bacon Breakfast Bowl

    Whole30 Drunken Zucchini Noodles

    overhead of meatballs in two bowls with forks and curry sauce

    Best Ever Whole30 Curry Meatballs

    These Best Ever Whole30 Curry Meatballs are the perfect addition to your Whole30 weekly meal plan. They taste wonderful reheated... or cold! Bring them with you to lunch atop a big and hearty salad or enjoy them with a big bowl of cauliflower rice for dinner. Any way you want them- they're amazing!
    4.86 from 14 votes
    Tried this recipe?Mention @themovementmenu or tag #movementmenu!
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    Servings 8
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Indian
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 35 minutes
    Total Time: 45 minutes
    Servings: 8
    Calories: 394kcal
    Author: Monica Stevens Le

    Ingredients

    Meatballs

    • 2 pounds grassfed beef 90/10 works best
    • 1/2 cup cooked cauliflower rice
    • 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal
    • 6 garlic cloves
    • 1/2 a red onion roughly chopped
    • 1 cup carrots roughly chopped
    • 1 1/2 limes juiced
    • 2 tablespoons coconut aminos
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
    • 1 teaspoon cumin
    • 1/2 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes
    • splash fish sauce
    • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
    • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
    • 3 tablespoons fresh basil chopped
    • sea salt and black pepper to taste

    Curry Sauce

    • 14 ounces canned coconut milk
    • 2 heaping tablespoons red curry paste
    • 2 limes juiced
    • 3 tablespoons cashew butter
    • 2 teaspoons garlic minced
    • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
    • 2 tablespoons arrowroot flour whisked in 2 tablespoons water

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
    • Place all of the ingredients (except the beef) for the meatballs in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse for 30 seconds or so until mixed well. Do not over process, as it will become mushy! Add the meat and process a few more times.
    • Roll into 1 1/2 - 2" balls and place them on the prepared baking sheet.
    • Bake for 20 minutes and rotate the pan 180 degrees. Bake for another 10-15 until they have reached your desired doneness. I like mine cooked to a medium doneness, so I pulled them out after 30 minutes. While they finish cooking, prepare the curry sauce.
    • In a medium saucepan, heat the coconut milk until is begins to simmer. Add the rest of the ingredients and whisk well. Bring to a low boil and turn the heat down to low. Let simmer and thicken for 10-15 minutes. if you like your sauce a bit thicker, you can add the arrowroot mixture (see the bottom of the Curry Sauce ingredients list!)
    • Serve the meatballs on a bed of cauliflower rice or regular rice (if you aren't Whole30ing!) Cover with the curry sauce and garnish with fresh herbs and red pepper flakes.

    Notes

    This recipe can be made and served on top of a bed of rice as well. Stick with cauliflower rice if you want to keep it Whole30 compliant!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 394kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 74mg | Sodium: 332mg | Potassium: 675mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Calcium: 54mg
    Monica Stevens Le
    Monica Stevens Le

    Hi! I’m Monica – recipe developer, matcha addict and lover of all things chocolate, kombucha and any & all puns. I am also the blogger, real food lover, & bonafide hustler behind the blog ‘The Movement Menu.’ I’m so excited to welcome you to my happy space, where my appreciation of creative recipes and healthy & mindful eats come together to inspire you to live a healthy, balanced life.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. debby says

      February 02, 2020 at 5:43 pm

      is there something i can sub for the flaxseem meal?

      Reply
      • Monica Stevens Le says

        February 03, 2020 at 10:21 am

        Hemp seeds ?

        Reply
    2. Skye says

      July 04, 2019 at 12:33 pm

      Oh, my goodness...these are delish! Followed the recipe as is and theyโ€™re a hit with my picky family (kids without sauce and hubby and I with the curry sauce). This recipe is going into my regular rotation. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Monica Stevens Le says

        July 07, 2019 at 9:42 am

        That makes me so happy. They are a big fave at our house too, YUMMM!!

        Reply
    3. Courtney Miller says

      March 23, 2019 at 11:22 am

      These were insanely good! By far one of the best whole30 meals we have tried!!

      Reply
      • The Movement Menu says

        March 23, 2019 at 7:11 pm

        This makes me so, so happy to hear. Feel free to rate the recipe using the star system on the recipe card if you'd like! It helps me and my readers out tremendously. Are you doing a Whole30 now?

        Reply
    4. Mia Pillsworth says

      February 11, 2019 at 6:08 pm

      First time I made these I fudged the recipe a little because I was missing some of the ingredients. But they were still so good. Second time I made it to the T. It is one of my favorite recipes I have ever found online. Thank you for sharing it!

      Reply
      • The Movement Menu says

        February 13, 2019 at 8:17 pm

        This makes me so unbelievably happy to hear!! I'm so happy you enjoyed them.

        Reply
    5. Justin B says

      July 23, 2018 at 7:07 pm

      Iโ€™ve found that Iโ€™m not a fan of riced cauliflower in place of rice....but let me tell you what goes AMAZING WITH THIS! Riced plantain! I used some coconut oil, minced garlic, riced plantain, and when it was finally crispy enough I dropped some lime juice and salt into it and let it sizzle for a second. This curry sauce over the riced plantain is dangerously good.

      Reply
      • The Movement Menu says

        July 25, 2018 at 4:48 pm

        Wow, that sounds flipping AMAZING. I will absolutely need to try that. Thanks for sharing with me ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    6. Kim says

      March 06, 2018 at 9:37 pm

      Dish looks amazing! My boys are allergic to nuts...is there anything that I can substitute for the cashew butter in the curry sauce? Thank you!

      Reply
      • The Movement Menu says

        March 07, 2018 at 8:28 pm

        Can you use sunflower seed butter?

        Reply
    7. Victoria says

      February 09, 2018 at 11:58 am

      DO you put the cauliflower rice in the meatballs themselvesor is that on the ingredient list for putting the meatballs on top of to serve?

      Reply
      • The Movement Menu says

        February 09, 2018 at 5:19 pm

        Hi there. The riced cauliflower goes into the meatballs, yep ! ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    8. Rachel says

      January 22, 2018 at 9:40 am

      Can I make these with ground turkey instead? Would you change any of the other ingredients with this substitution? Thanks!

      Reply
      • The Movement Menu says

        January 22, 2018 at 1:36 pm

        Hi there. You can absolutely do that. I may add in some bacon, as turkey is much drier!

        Reply
    9. PattiC says

      September 18, 2017 at 4:53 pm

      Sounds yummy but the Thai curry paste linked is not Whole 30 compliant (Soy), do you happen to know one that is?

      Reply
      • The Movement Menu says

        September 24, 2017 at 1:59 pm

        Hi there, the red curry paste by Thai Kitchen doesn't seem to have any soy in it... can you link me?

        Reply
        • Patti says

          September 25, 2017 at 8:08 pm

          Thanks I found that the one in the small jar does not have soy but the Amazon link takes you to one that's in a larger tub and it does have soy. Both the same brand Thai Kitchen. I bought the right one!

          Reply
          • The Movement Menu says

            September 25, 2017 at 9:41 pm

            Oh, how strange! Thank you for making me aware of this... I'm changing the Amazon link now!!! Please let me know what you think of the meatballs ๐Ÿ™‚

            Reply
    10. McKenzie C says

      July 30, 2017 at 8:01 am

      These are so amazing! We have actually made them a few too many times and they never fail. My husband is always a little nervous about anything too clean ๐Ÿ™‚ and he LOVES these, we even made extra sauce, so we could pour it on anything and everything! This is in our regular rotation!

      Reply
      • The Movement Menu says

        July 30, 2017 at 8:23 pm

        Hi McKenzie, wow this makes me so incredibly happy to hear! The sauce is just the best, isn't it? Drinkable ๐Ÿ˜‰
        Can you do me a huge favor and give the recipe a rating (1-5 stars)? You can do so towards the bottom of the recipe post. That helps me out a ton!

        Reply
    11. Laura Dunwoody says

      May 16, 2017 at 1:58 pm

      Would almond butter work ok in place of cashew???

      Reply
      • The Movement Menu says

        May 16, 2017 at 6:53 pm

        Yep, absolutely!

        Reply
    12. Sarah says

      April 10, 2017 at 1:56 pm

      Is a serving size 1 meatball?

      Reply
      • The Movement Menu says

        April 10, 2017 at 3:36 pm

        Hi there. No, 8 servings is split amongst the 2 pounds of beef ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    13. Christine says

      March 06, 2017 at 2:47 am

      I'm a curry fiend as well - This dish looks super tasty!

      Reply
      • The Movement Menu says

        March 06, 2017 at 10:37 am

        Thank you so much! It sure is tasty... curry all day ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    14. chavamazal says

      March 02, 2017 at 7:19 pm

      These look incredible! I have a few friends on Whole30 who would love this.

      Reply

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    Monica

    Hi! Iโ€™m Monica!

    I am a recipe developer, matcha addict and lover of all things delicious, green and any & all puns. I am also the blogger, real food cook, & bonafide hustler behind the scenes. Read Moreโ€ฆ

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