Tender, garam-masala spiced Lamb Meatballs with Indian Curry Sauce melt in your mouth and are simply irresistible. A simple, flavorful dinner the whole family will love.
I don’t want to end up simply having visited this world.
Mary Oliver
Juicy, plump, lamb meatballs are deliciously seasoned with garam masala spice, then bathed in the most fragrant Indian Coconut Curry Sauce. Ready in about an hour; it’s easier than you think!
We served this recipe while catering an Indian wedding, and the family asked for the recipe- so here it is! Serve the lamb meatballs with naan bread or basmati rice, or over a bowl of baby spinach for a memorable dinner that will take you to faraway places.
Why You’ll Lamb Meatballs
- Full of rich flavor! Garam masala seasoned meatballs and aromatic, savory coconut curry sauce. So delicious!
- Versatile! Enjoy with basmati rice, cauliflower rice, or even baby spinach.
- Family-friendly. A warm and hearty high-protein meal everyone will enjoy.
- Easy to make. Ready in under an hour with a simple method. Great for weeknights!
- Freezer-friendly! Make a double batch to store in the freezer for up to 3 months!
Lamb meatball Recipe Ingredients
- Lamb: We use a pound of local and sustainably raised ground American Lamb. Local lamb doesn’t have to travel as far and has a much fresher taste.
- Aromatics: Garlic cloves, shallot (or sub onion), fresh ginger, and fresh turmeric (or sub ground). Add savory depth to both the meatballs and the curry sauce.
- Spices: Garam masala, dried mint (or sub fresh), fennel seeds, dried fenugreek leaves (optional but really elevate the dish!), and cayenne for heat.
- Tomato: An extra large tomato, diced with its juices.
- Coconut milk: Use full fat here, not light. This makes the sauce extra creamy and rich!
- Ghee: Using ghee is traditional and delicious, but feel free to sub butter or olive oil.
- Brown sugar: Or coconut sugar or another alternative. Adds a touch of sweetness that balances the acidity from the tomatoes.
- To serve: Basmati rice, cauliflower rice, or a bowl of baby spinach.
How to Make Lamb Meatballs
For those of you who are unfamiliar with cooking lamb, starting off with ground lamb is an easy, approachable way to get your feet wet.
Step 1: Cook rice. Start by making the basmati rice if using.
Step 2: Prep the meatballs. Add ground lamb, shallot, garlic, salt, garam masala, and mint to a large bowl and mix well using your hands. Wet your hands to form the mixture into 1 1/2 inch wide meatballs (about 10 total).
Step 3: Pan-sear meatballs. Heat a large skillet with olive oil. Sear the lamb meatballs until browned, about 10 minutes. You only need to brown them as they will continue to cook through in the sauce.
Step 4: Prepare the curry sauce. You can begin the sauce while the meatballs brown or wait and use the same pan. Warm ghee in a skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and cook 3-4 minutes, then add garlic and ginger and cook 2 more minutes. Add all spices, the tomatoes and juices, cooking for a minute before adding the coconut milk. Simmer for 3-4 minutes. Add sugar, salt, and cayenne. Taste and adjust salt and heat.
Step 5: Add meatballs to the sauce. Coat them well and simmer until cooked through, 5-10 minutes. You can hold them in a warm oven until ready to serve!
Serving Suggestions
Serve over warm basmati rice, or naan bread, or if going low carb serve with cauliflower rice or a bed of baby spinach.
Garnish with cracked black pepper, lemon zest, and fresh mint or parsley.
Storage
Store leftover lamb meatballs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop with some oil or bake in the toaster oven or oven on a baking sheet, or warm in the microwave.
You can also freeze the meatballs by sealing them in a freezer bag. Separate the layers with parchment paper. Store for up to 3 months.
FAQs
We use one pound ground lamb, shallot and garlic for pungent taste, salt to enhance the flavors, garam masala for warm Indian spice, and dried mint for a refreshing, cool bite. You could easily customize the spices and herbs to create a variety of lamb meatballs.
It is as simple as forming the ingredients into balls using your hands, then pan-searing them in the skillet! They cook through in the simmer sauce.
No, you do not need bread crumbs to make these meatballs. They bind well, especially if you wet your hands before forming them.
They should not be overly pink inside. If they are, cook longer. They may be tender and slightly pink in the center.
You can always use a meat thermometer to be sure the lamb meatballs are cooked through. Make sure the temperature is over 140F.
On the homefront: As I type this morning, I’m looking over the city of Memphis, here for the Saveur Blog Awards. Tomorrow I make my way to India, the place of food dreams. I can’t help but reflect on my life a little and acknowledge the incredible role food has played.
Food, can bring people together and connect us instead of divide.
In my life, I’ve felt this power repeatedly, firsthand from the restaurant I once owned, where one night I stood looking around at all the guests and truly understanding for the first time the idea of community and how food can create this.
And when traveling, asking the simple question to a stranger in a foreign land, what do you like to cook? Which so often has become the doorway to making a new friend. I understand more deeply than ever that food, for me, has always been about connection.
xoxo
More Recipes You Might Like
If you enjoy this meatballs recipe, you may also want to try our Homemade Sloppy Joes!
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Lamb Meatballs Recipe
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 35
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 12 meatballs
- Category: Main
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: indian
Description
Tender, garam-masala spiced Lamb Meatballs with Indian Curry Sauce melt in your mouth and are simply irresistible. A simple, flavorful dinner the whole family will love.
Ingredients
Lamb Meatballs
- 1 lb ground American lamb
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1 shallot, finely minced ( or sub 1/2 cup chopped onion)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon dried mint ( or 1 tablespoon fresh)
Indian Curry Sauce
- 2 tablespoons ghee, butter or olive oil
- 1 shallot, diced
- 4 cloves garlic- minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated or use paste
- 1 tsp fresh turmeric, grated (or 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric)
- 1 tablespoon garam masala spice
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 2 teaspoons dried fenugreek leaves ( optional, but really good- elevates the dish )
- 1 extra large tomato, finely diced, with juices (about 1 cup diced tomatoes)
- 1 13.5 oz coconut milk (not lite)
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar ( or coconut sugar or alternative )
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, more to taste
- 1/4–1/2 tsp cayenne, more to taste
Serve over basmati rice, cauliflower rice or a bowl of baby spinach.
Instructions
Start the rice if making.
Place ground lamb, shallot, garlic, salt, garam masala and mint in a bowl and mix well, using your hands. Using wet hands, form into 1 ½ inch wide balls. ( about 10 meatballs)
Heat a large skillet with olive oil. Begin searing the lamb meatballs, until most sides are nicely browned, about 10 minutes. ( You can finish cooking them through in the sauce, so just brown them at this point)
At the same time you could start the sauce ( or wait and use the same pan).
Heat ghee in a skillet over medium heat. Add shallot and cook 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and ginger and cook two more minutes. Add all the spices and then the tomato and its juices. Cook 1 minutes. Add the coconut milk and simmer gently for 3-4 minutes. Add the sugar, salt and cayenne. Taste and adjust salt and heat.
Add the lamb meatballs to the sauce, coating well. Simmer gently until the lamb meatballs are cooked through ( 5-10 minutes). Serve over your choice of rice, cauliflower rice, or baby spinach.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3 meat balls (4 ounces) with sauce.
- Calories: 545
- Sugar: 5.7 g
- Sodium: 1180.4 mg
- Fat: 46.1 g
- Saturated Fat: 23.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 21.5 g
- Cholesterol: 82.9 mg
I don’t have any mint on hand. Will it be ok without? Also I’m serving little kids, what is the spice level, should I dial the spices back? Thanks!
Perhaps taste your Garam Masala to see if it is spicy, and if so, yes cut it back. I think it will be fine without mint. Maybe add dried thyme or something along those lines. 🙂
Excellent recipe. The combination of flavours is superb. I made it as written with the only substitution of dairy 10% cream for coconut milk because I had none on hand.
Hi, I made this recipe last night and I would make the following revisions : a cup and a half yogurt is too tart change to no more than 4-5 TBSPS or use cream and or half and half. I don’t like coconut milk in my curies. The Garam Masala according to Madhur Jaffrey should be used at the end of cooking and then sparingly. I like heat!, but between my Garam Masala mix and only a quarter tsp. of cayenne I melted my eyebrows. I realize that all of us have different tastes. In this recipe I would only use one tsp.Garam Masala tops in the sauce at the very end. I do enjoy your website Thanks Dan
Thanks Dan! Yes, I suppose the spice level should be different if not using the full can of coconut milk (which the recipe was designed around). I see how it would be important to it cut back, especially if subbing 4-5 tablespoons of Yogurt in place of the coconut milk.
Made this for lunch today and it was delicious! My kitchen smells divine! I doubled the meatballs and it was the perfect ratio of sauce to meatballs for me. This is going into my “Recipes to Keep” folder. Looking forward to trying more of your recipes (just signed up today).
Great to hear, thanks Jeanne!
So, every recipe I’ve tried from Feasting at Home has been…exceptionally good. After making this tonight, I decided to *finally* post a comment noting my appreciation. Couldn’t get ground lamb, cut pieces from a leg of lamb, slow cooked it and served w/quinoa. Super good!
Awww… thanks Desiree, I really really appreciate this and all your comments today! xoxo
I want to try this but cannot stand coconut except in sunscreen lotion. There is something about that sweet-bitter that just destroys my palate. I love curry anything so long as there is no coconut. What do you think about an alternative creamy filler like say sour cream or a stepped up tart yogurt? Or some combination of several alternatives?
Hi Ed, I would just use heavy cream. The sour cream may give it too much tang???
Wow, this sounds delicious & I can’t wait to try it! One question: if I don’t have a fresh tomato on hand (it’s off season right now), could I sub canned diced tomatoes or tomato paste or sun-dried? If so, what would you recommend in terms of amount? Thanks!
Yes, canned diced tomato would work just fine.
Do you think I could make this and leave it in a crock pot on warm to serve on Christmas?
I like the idea of this- but honestly, I’m not experienced enough with crockpots to answer this. My hesitation would be that the meatballs may fall apart a little? Although they may be totally fine! Use your best judgement and please will you let us know how it works out?
Fabulous recipe! Found it by searching lamb curry meatballs. My husband brought me a gigantic $10 heirloom tomato from Met Market in West Seattle, so sauce was a bit soupy, but
reduced it down and it was amazing! In a huge hurry, so I baked the meatballs on a rack in the oven to 145*, then into the sauce!
Love that you baked them!
Made this tonight for tea but instead of meatballs I did beef mushrooms and onions and it was delicious cant wait to make it again x
Awesom Jackie! Did you leave the mushrooms whole?
Awesome Jackie! Did you leave the mushrooms whole?
Delicious! Definitely something I will make again.
This looks great, as do many of your recipes. Just wondering if I could leave out the sugar? I try to avoid added sugar, including alternatives. Would it change the taste that much? Thanks!
I think it would be fine in this recipe to leave it out.
Really good depth of flavour, easy and quick to make, this is definitely a recipe to keep !
Hi just wanted to ask about coconut milk, how much is it 1 13.5 oz?
Yes! Sorry for the delay!
Love this recipe – I prefer baking the balls on high heat to get rid of most of the fat that the lamb produces. The curry sauce is delicious and everything can be put together quickly. Thank you 🙂
Love that tip Simi! Thank you!!!
Love this recipe!!! I’ve already made it twice. One quick question – how long do you recommend frying the meatballs and then cooking in the sauce before serving?
Just fry until golden on most sides, then let cook through in the sauce, another 5-10 minutes or so. 🙂
I’m going to make this, this weekend. You say it makes 10 meatballs and the nutrition facts states “serves 5”. You just serve 2 each? As I see in your picture there are 4 n the bowl, which is what I would do but then makes the dish 872 calories per serving or is the serving amount a typo? Thanks
Hi Rachel, yes, unfortunately this is very high in calories, and basically why I reduced the serving size to two meatballs. I didn’t realize until after I photographed it.
Made this last night as written. It was fantastic. Will now be my go to recipe for ground lamb
Yay!!! I like this one too! Glad you enjoyed!
This was quite delicious. The curry sauce was excellent. The only thing I did differently was for the meatballs. I diced up some water chestnuts and added them to the mixture. I could easily see myself making a batch of just the curry sauce. Seems pretty versatile, maybe even freeze some.
Sylvia,
Your ‘Lamb Meatballs with Indian Curry Sauce’ was superb. And it was posted on your blog before your trip to India. We look forward to seeing more Indian food recipes after your trip.
Gordon
I made this last night, delicious! The sauce directions mention sautéing shallot but there is no shallot amount in the ingredients list.
Thanks for letting me know and I will fix it! xo
I made this last night for dinner and it was excellent. It was also very easy to pull together. The flavors of the curry really are just right. I will keep this in the rotation.
Im so glad you liked it! Thanks for sharing!
Made it just as written and it was absolutely delicious!
I appreciate you writing this post so much. It made me a little teary to read your thoughts on food and togetherness. I live in Ventura County and I awoke to the news of the Thousand Oaks mass shooting and two wild fires here. I felt overwhelmed this morning like the earth is being torn in two, slowly, right before our eyes. I needed your reminder today. I choose to focus my love and attention on nurturing my surroundings. I choose the slow and beautiful meditation of cooking, stirring, giving, gathering instead of the things I can not control. The world is a better place around the table. Thank you for your soft reminder and gentle nudge in a direction that serves me better. You changed my day 🙂
Hi Laurie, Im so sorry to hear about the shootings and wild fires. I used to live in Thousand Oaks. I’ve been traveling so hadn’t heard. Hang in there. Remember the good in the world. Sending love and hugs.
Wow awesome recipe with full of nutrients. As a Nutritionist I appreciate this recipe with all healthy ingredients. Many Thanks for posting this recipe, I will must try to home.
Could this be frozen?
yes, I think it ould be fine!