Cilantro Meatballs
These cilantro meatballs are a flavorful twist on traditional meatballs, featuring a vibrant cilantro paste that infuses them with fresh, aromatic flavors. The addition of coconut cream adds richness to the sauce, creating a creamy and delicious coating for the tender meatballs. Serve them as a main dish with rice or noodles, or as a unique appetizer for a party or gathering.
When cilantro and meatballs come together, it’s a match made in culinary heaven. The fresh and zesty flavors of cilantro complement the savory richness of the meatballs, creating a dish that is both flavorful and satisfying. Each bite is a delightful burst of contrasting flavors and textures, making it a dish that is sure to please the palate. Whether served as a main course or as a creative appetizer, cilantro meatballs are a delightful twist on a classic favorite.
Why is this the best recipe
- Flavorful Cilantro Paste: The cilantro paste, made with fresh cilantro, garlic, and ginger, adds a burst of flavor to the meatballs and the sauce, making them incredibly aromatic and delicious.
- Moist and Tender Meatballs: The addition of breadcrumbs and coconut cream helps keep the meatballs moist and tender, ensuring a juicy texture with every bite.
- Simple Preparation: Despite the rich flavors, this recipe is relatively simple to prepare, making it suitable for both beginner and experienced cooks.
- Impressive Presentation: The vibrant green cilantro sauce and the beautifully browned meatballs make for an impressive presentation, perfect for serving at a dinner party or special occasion.
Ingredients and substitutes
- Cilantro: Provides a fresh, citrusy flavor to the meatballs and the sauce. Parsley can be used as a substitute for cilantro if you prefer or if cilantro is unavailable.
- Garlic and Ginger: Add aromatic flavor to the cilantro paste and the meatballs. Garlic powder and ginger powder can be used if fresh garlic and ginger are unavailable, but the flavor won’t be as vibrant.
- Ground Meat: Forms the base of the meatballs, providing protein and texture. Ground turkey or chicken can be used instead of beef or pork for a lighter option.
- Breadcrumbs: Help bind the meatball mixture together and provide texture. Crushed crackers or oats can be used as a substitute for breadcrumbs.
- Oil: Used for cooking the meatballs and the cilantro paste. Any cooking oil with a high smoking point, such as vegetable or canola oil, can be used.
- Coconut Cream: Adds richness and creaminess to the sauce. Heavy cream or full-fat coconut milk can be used instead of coconut cream.
Step-by-step: Cilantro meatballs
- Cilantro paste: In a food processor, blend the cilantro, onion, green chili, garlic, ginger, salt, and pepper into a paste.
- Shape Meatballs: In a bowl, combine one tablespoon of the cilantro paste with the ground meat, breadcrumbs, parmesan, and additional seasoning if desired. Mix well. Form the mixture into meatballs about 1 inch in diameter.
- Cook meatballs: Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook the meatballs until browned on all sides and cooked through, about 10-12 minutes. Remove the meatballs from the skillet and set aside.
- Cilantro Sauce: Add the remaining cilantro paste to the same skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the broth and coconut cream to the skillet and stir to combine with the cilantro paste. Cook for another 2-3 minutes.
- Combine – Return the meatballs to the skillet and coat them with the cilantro-coconut sauce.
- Serve the meatballs hot, garnished with additional cilantro leaves if desired.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can prepare the meatball mixture ahead of time and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours before cooking. You can also cook the meatballs ahead of time and reheat them before serving.
While fresh cilantro is recommended for the best flavor, you can use dried cilantro in a pinch. Use about 1/3 of the amount of fresh cilantro called for in the recipe.
Yes, you can use ground chicken, turkey, or lamb instead of beef or pork for a different flavor.
Yes, you can make the cilantro paste ahead of time and refrigerate it for up to 3 days. However, the flavor may diminish over time, so it’s best to use it as soon as possible.
Yes, you can use a different sauce for the meatballs if you prefer. A tomato-based sauce or a creamy garlic sauce would work well with the flavors of the meatballs.
Cilantro Meatballs
These cilantro meatballs are a flavorful twist on traditional meatballs. They feature a vibrant cilantro paste that infuses them with fresh, aromatic flavors. The addition of coconut cream adds richness to the sauce, creating a creamy and delicious coating for the tender meatballs. Serve them as a main dish with rice or noodles or as a unique appetizer for a party or gathering.
Ingredients
- 1 bunch Cilantro Wash and roughly chop
- ¼ cup Chopped onion optional
- 2 large Garlic cloves chopped
- 1-inch piece Fresh ginger chopped
- 1 med Green chilli
- ½ tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Black pepper
- 1 lb (500 g) Ground meat (beef, pork, or chicken)
- ½ cup (55 g) Breadcrumbs
- ½ cup (50 g) Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup (60 ml) Broth or water
- 2 tbs Cooking Oil
- ½ cup (120 ml) Coconut cream
Method
- Cilantro paste: In a food processor, blend the cilantro, onion, green chili, garlic, ginger, salt, and pepper into a paste.1 bunch Cilantro, ¼ cup Chopped onion, 2 large Garlic cloves, 1-inch piece Fresh ginger, ½ tsp Salt , ½ tsp Black pepper, 1 med Green chilli
- Shape Meatballs: In a bowl, combine one tablespoon of the cilantro paste with the ground meat, breadcrumbs, parmesan, and additional seasoning if desired. Mix well. Form the mixture into meatballs about one inch in diameter.1 lb Ground meat , ½ cup Breadcrumbs, ½ cup Parmesan cheese
- Cook the meatballs: Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook the meatballs until browned on all sides and cooked through, about 10-12 minutes. Remove the meatballs from the skillet and set them aside.
- Cilantro Sauce: Add the remaining cilantro paste to the same skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the broth and coconut cream to the skillet and stir to combine with the cilantro paste. Cook for another 2-3 minutes.2 tbs Cooking Oil, ½ cup Coconut cream, ¼ cup Broth
- Combine – Return the meatballs to the skillet and coat them with the cilantro-coconut sauce.
- Serve the meatballs hot, garnished with additional cilantro leaves if desired.
Notes
- Use Fresh Ingredients: Fresh cilantro, garlic, and ginger will provide the best flavor. Avoid using dried herbs or spices for the cilantro paste.
- Properly Season the Meat: Season the ground meat mixture well with salt, pepper, and any other desired seasonings. This ensures the meatballs are flavorful throughout.
- Don’t Overwork the Meat: Mix the meatball mixture gently until just combined. Overmixing can result in tough meatballs.
- Use a Hot Skillet: Ensure the skillet is hot before adding the meatballs. This helps to brown the meatballs evenly and develop a nice crust.
- Cook the Meatballs in Batches: Avoid overcrowding the skillet, which can lead to uneven cooking. Cook the meatballs in batches if necessary.
- Adjust the Sauce Consistency: If the sauce is too thick, you can thin it out with a little water or chicken broth. If it’s too thin, you can simmer it longer to reduce and thicken.
- Serve Hot: Serve the meatballs hot, either as an appetizer or a main course, with rice or bread to soak up the delicious sauce.
Equipment you will need
Nutrition
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Excellent !!
I substituted. Coriander powder for cumin
Thanks. Happy you enjoyed it
Made this last week.. Yum! Thanks
Thank you, Madeline. So happy you have success with this recipe and loved it. Thanks for coming back to leave this feedback. Have a wonderful week.
Shalom Veena,
I’ve tried several of your recipes already, am a big fan of your lamb masala and your kidney bean curry, just to name a few. Today we tried these meatballs and the kidney bean patties- both delicious as well! But unfortunately there was hardly any sauce with the meatballs even though I exactly followed your recipe. No idea, what went wrong…. Flavor with all the spices and cilantro was great though! Quickly mixed together some joghurt with lemon juice and dried nana to have a dip for the patties and balls.
Do you have any suggestions what I might improve next time to have more sauce?
Shavua tov from Germany,
Daliah
Hey Daliah,
So happy to hear you are enjoying my recipe. We love the lamb masala very much too. And my favorite is the kidney beans.
yes, as you can see from the pictures, this is actually a side dish so the gravy or sauce is not much. But, you can add more water, coconut milk or sour cream to make a thick gravy at the end and give it one last boil. This will give a nice creamy sauce as well as add a lighter flavor to the sauce which will work great with rice or bread.
I have edited the post so you should see an option to make it with gravy.
Thank you so much for the feedback. Have a wonderful week.
That green chutney meat balls looks delicious. I too like to use cilantro some time even in space of parsley. These perfect recipe even we can make ahead.
You said it Swathi. Green Chutney minus the coconut it is. Love cilantro more than parsley for sure.
These meatballs sound so tasty! I love the spices you use, and I’m a big fan of cilantro, so I know I would love this!
They are sure very tasty Marlynn..
These sound AMAZING and perfect for a weeknight dinner! My husband would really love them!
Thanks Christine. Absolutely they come together so easily they are perfect any time. Happy to hear your hubby likes cilantro too.
I love cilantro and all the other flavors in your sauce. I know that my family would love these. I’ve never thought of adding ginger to cilantro before, but I imagine it’s good.
Thank you Joanna. Happy to hear that. I love Cilantro and I think ginger makes a great combination too!
Isn’t it funny…you either LOVE cilantro or HATE it…there is NO in between. Unfortunately I don’t like it, but I DO like meatballs. I would have no problem using another herb…in fact I just posted some jerk meatballs on my blog this week.
I know so true Gloria.. no worries. I so understand that cause I’m not a big fan of parsley myself. Don’t hate it but use it very sparingly. You can use parsley instead of cilantro just as well. I saw those and they look awesome too
I love cilantro. I can eat it on just about anything. I love that you added tumeric. It’s a great antioxidant, yes, but it has so many awesome health benefits. I use it for inflammation
That is so true Alicia.. Turmeric has lots of other benefits apart from being a good antioxidant. I love Cilantro too!
I love cilantro! Can’t wait to try this recipe, my husband is always asking for new foods – this will fit the bill.
He loves meatballs, I love cilantro. We can’t lose!
I love Cilantro too! Such an awesome fresh herb. I bet he will love this.