Thai Coconut Curry Meatballs

 

I wanted to serve meatballs, but it had to be an easy recipe. I tried these Thai coconut curry meatballs and really liked them! I always halve the amount of fish sauce in any recipe, because it tends to be too pungent for me, but in this case I would reduce it even further. The original recipe called for ¼ cup, but I would use only 1 Tbsp. And I used frozen (thawed) turkey meatballs for the dish, so prep was quite fast! I served this with a crunchy ramen and cabbage salad, but rice would be great, too. 

½ lb. bacon, chopped into large pieces 

¼ cup Thai red curry paste 

¼ cup brown sugar (use less if you are reducing the amount of fish sauce) 

¼ cup fish sauce (I would use only 1 Tbsp.) 

1 ½ cans coconut milk (I would use only 1 can) 

½ a pineapple, peeled and cut into small chunks 

1 red bell pepper, chopped salt, to taste 

2 lbs. precooked meatballs (any meat of your choice; thaw them if frozen) 

¼ cup Thai basil chiffonade 

In a large skillet over medium heat, add chopped bacon and fry until crisp. Remove bacon from the pan. Discard all but 2 tablespoons of bacon fat from the pan. 

Add the red curry paste, brown sugar, and fish sauce to the hot bacon fat and cook for about 3 minutes. 

Add the coconut milk and bring to a simmer. Add the cooked bacon, pineapple, and red bell pepper to the pan and cook for about 5 minutes. 

Add the meatballs and cook for another 10 minutes. You want to ensure the meatballs are heated through. 

Remove from the heat and sprinkle with Thai basil to serve.