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
Delicious! I was feeling lazy and just browned up the ground lamb and made it that way- kind of like doing a meat sauce. It was so good. Served with riced cauliflower and mango chutney on the side. I just wish I had some naan. Couldn’t find fenugreek leaves, so made it without. Used a can of chopped tomatoes and it worked well instead of a fresh tomato. Definitely a keeper recipe.
Love this idea Marcie! So glad you enjoyed!
Fantastic recipe. To the meatballs I added an egg, milk and a bit of Pablo bread crumbs. They still turned out deliciously tender. I didn’t have the fenugreek or the fennel so I only can imagine how much more flavorful it would be. I used canned tomatoes instead of fresh and added a bit of Mexican cinnamon. My family and I loved it! Already looking forward to the leftovers!
Great to hear Krista!
I left out the fenugreek and fennel due to not having it on hand and added a bit of Mexican cinnamon and it turned out wonderful still. The whole family loved it. For sure will make this again!
Sounds perfect!
So yummy good. I did not make meatballs cause I’m lazy. I sauteed the ground lamb with the shallots and spices. Made the sauce in another skillet then added the lamb mixture to the sauce. This is so so good. Comfort food!
Perfect Jenny- and I totally get it! I get lazy too sometimes. 🙂
Excellent!!!!
thanks Ben!
This dish was delicious! I used ground turkey since I had it on hand and added a half can of leftover chickpeas while cooking the sauce. The flavors were beautiful, all the kids approved too! Thank you for sharing 🙂
Sounds great Cat. Such a bonus when the kids approve!
I could not find fenugreek leaves. Would fenugreek powder work and if so how much would you recommend?
Thank you!
Ahi Amie, the fenugreek powder is actually made from the seed, not the leaf, which has a different flavor. That being said, you could still try adding a little if you want, but it is not really a replacement. 😉
Easy and so yummy!
Thanks Katherine!
Hi Sylvia,
Can this be made as a lamb curry instead?. I am hosting a curry night and want to just use your recipes.
Thanks,
Carly.
Hi Carly- yes, that would work. It is lamb curry in a way- just with meatballs instead of chunks of lamb- which you could use instead. 🙂
Can this recipe be made with ground turkey instead? Thank you!
Hi Heather- I haven’t tried it with turkey but it seems like it should work?
Loved this! It was really delicious.
Thanks so much Tiffany- glad this worked for you!
Love this used yoghurt instead of coconut milk as didn’t have any and tinned tomato’s instead of fresh but it did not deter from the taste and flavour. Thank you for sharing the recipe x
Great to hear Lynne!
In many ways, this turned out great! However, some comments:
In making the meatballs, it’s a good idea to include an egg. The last time I made a meatball recipe that also didn’t call for eggs, the meatballs fell apart. This time I added the egg, and they came out perfectly (the eggs act as binders). It is also probably best to use fresh mint rather than dry. It’s perfect for the lamb.
I used a large onion for the sauce, onions generally form the basis of a curry dish, and a single shallot just didn’t feel as though it were enough. I also made my own garam masala, and it tasted great in this dish. However, as someone else on this board pointed out, garam masala is generally used as a finishing spice in most Indian recipes, not as the main spice for the dish. So I’m not sure how well store-bought garam masala (which ranges widely in terms of ingredients and flavour) will work.
But all that said, this came out great, and using my homemade garam masala as the main spice gave it a unique and delicious flavour.
This was one of the most successful recipes I’ve tried in over a year! Delicious, easy to make, well-balanced, and a big hit with my guest. Only changed one thing: instead of frying, I baked the meatballs to medium rare, then added them to the sautee pan during sauce prep to gently finish cooking. Also, served with both cauliflower rice and spinach (perfect accompaniments) as well as warm mini NaaN breads.
This was one of the most successful recipes I’ve tried in over a year! Delicious, easy to make, well-balanced, and a big hit with my guest. Only changed one thing: instead of frying, I baked the meatballs to medium rare, then added them to the sautee pan during sauce prep to gently finish cooking.
Delicious! Everyone in my family loved this dish. I sautéed some garbanzo beans in a separate pan of sauce for my vegetarian daughter. This is the third recipe I’ve made from you in the last two weeks, and each one has not disappointed. Your flavors and ratios really satisfy everyone is our large family, and I love that you give vegetarian options. I will definitely make this yummy dish again, but am looking forward to trying many more of your recipes!
thanks, glad you are enjoying the recipes!
I made this dish using Sylvia’s lentil balls and it worked amazingly, I recommend trying it if you’re looking to make it veggie/vegan. The lentil balls are my go to meatball alternative now, I just change up the herbs and spices depending on the dish I’m using them in. Yum!
Great to hear Faye!
I love all of your recipes and I’m looking forward to trying this one! I am not a huge fan of fennel, so I was wondering if the fennel seed flavor is very strong? If so, should I just leave it out? Would cumin seed be a good alternative? Thank you!
It really does add to the dish, I would highly recommend trying it in this case. 😉
Sooooooooo good❤️! I will make this again! Simple to make and has big flavour!! I made the squash/potato curry as a veg dish and omg amazing flavours! I also made the naan which Everyone raved about! Lots of ummmm and compliments about all of these dishes. I’ve been cooking from this site for years and years. First review…I’ve never been disappointed. Sylvia you nourish my families body and my soul with your blog. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻Gratitude.
thanks so much Liza!
Amazing recipe! Will definitely make this again. I added baby spinach in with the sauce (because we had just a enough to add some color, but not enough to put the meatballs over a bed of spinach) and spooned that over rice.
Delicious!
I made this for dinner last night and my husband and I both LOVED it. I didn’t have any mint so I left that out, and I don’t like coconut milk in my curry, so I replaced it with 1 cup of cream and about 1/4 cup splash of skim milk (so it wouldn’t be too thick). The meatballs and the curry itself for delicious. We served it with freshly toasted naan. It was delicious!
Perfect Andrea! Great way to adapt!
Hi! I’ve cooked quite a bit of Indian food and found that I don’t care for recipes when I used coconut milk. I haven’t made a lot of lamb dishes though. Is there an alternative I can try? Can I substitute with another liquid or can I do half coconut milk, half something else? Thank you!
I’d just use some cream or even yogurt? The yogurt will give more tang, so taste as you go. 😉
I just made this recipe for Father’s Day and my husband said it was the best dish that I’ve ever made! Thank you!
yay!!! Love that. Thanks for sharing! 🙌
I made this recipe and thoroughly enjoyed it. It was easy to make and delicious. My son-in-law is from Sri Lanka and loves lamb. He had this for lunch and gave it a thumbs up! Thank you for your recipes. I can count on them being accurate, delicious and healthy.
Thanks Jennifer- glad you both liked it!
I didn’t have mint, and decided to one drop of organic peppermint essential oil into the meat ball mix and it was delightful! I did cut back on the spices a bit as I am serving little kids. We all loved this meal and will make it again!