Easy Tikka Masala Meatballs for Metabolic Health + Blood Sugar Balance

this free BONUS recipe will be a Fall and Winter favorite + 4 free meatball recipes to try!

Tikka Masala Meatballs

Happy Halloween! I am coming to your inbox today with a bonus recipe! I have been on a major meatball kick lately, and this one is a winner. This is one of those recipes that is easy enough for a weeknight meal, especially with this pre-made Tikka Masala paste by Mike’s Curry Love.

I met Mike and Laurie, the owners of Mike’s Curry Love, at the Fancy Food Show in New York in the summer of 2023, and I was so impressed with their commitment to excellent, organic ingredients. They produce a range of spices, sauces, coconut milk, and curry pastes that make getting a real, whole-food dinner on the table that much easier. This is not an ad; I am just a fan!

If you are looking for even more healthy, low carb Fall and Winter meatball recipes, check out:

Thai Chicken Meatball Soup (free recipe here on Substack)

Lemon and Turmeric Meatball Soup (free recipe on my website, no ads!)

Vegetarian Italian Meatballs (free recipe on my website, no ads!)

Teriyaki Meatballs (free recipe on my website, no ads!)

I have been doing a lot of cooking and baking recently in preparation for the metabolically healthy Thanksgiving Menu that I have prepared for paid subscribers. The Thanksgiving Menu will drop November 10th and will include a printable ebook of all the recipes along with individual links to just print single recipes. If you have been considering becoming a paid subscriber, now would be a great time! The holidays are a tricky time for blood sugar balance, and I have done the experimenting for you to be sure all of the holiday recipes (gluten-free, grain-free, dairy free or with dairy free swaps, refined sugar-free, and low glycemic) all produce a level glucose response.

As with all my recipes, these Tikka Masala Meatballs are gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, low-carb, and blood-sugar-friendly. Substitutions and links are provided just for you, and a downloadable, printable PDF is below. 🧡 Beth

Tikka Masala Meatballs

By Beth Bollinger of Nest Wellness

Gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, low-carb, blood sugar friendly

serves 3-4

Equipment

• Mixing bowl

• Dutch oven or skillet

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground chicken

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• ¼ cup red onion, fine dice

• ⅓ cup cilantro (chopped, plus more for garnish)

• ½ tsp sea salt  

• ¼ tsp black pepper 

• 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil 

• ⅓ cup tikka masala paste (I like this one from Mike’s Curry Love or use the recipe for homemade below)

• ⅔ cup filtered water

• Steamed cauliflower rice for serving, along with a green vegetable of your choosing like broccoli or green beans

Method

1. Mix the ground chicken, garlic, red onion, cilantro, salt and pepper in a bowl.

2. Using slightly damp hands, form into balls approximately two inches in diameter.

3. Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the meatballs and cook for two to three minutes per side or until golden brown.

4. Add tikka masala paste and water to the pan. Stir well and cover the pan with lid. Let simmer on low heat for 15 minutes or until cooked through. Top with more cilantro and enjoy!

5. Serve on a bed of cauliflower rice with green vegetables like broccoli, green beans, or your favorite!

Substitutions 

Ground chicken: use ground turkey, bison, lamb, or grass-fed beef

Garlic: fresh is always best, but in a pinch, substitute dehydrated garlic granules (about 2 tsp)

Cilantro: if you don’t like cilantro (my daughter hates cilantro!), use parsley instead or leave it out

Cauliflower rice: cauliflower rice and riced broccoli are terrific for blood sugar balance, but if blood sugar is not a concern, use jasmine rice or ½ jasmine rice and ½ cauliflower rice

Notes

Make your own Tikka Masala paste:

• 1 white or yellow onion, rough chopped

• 4 cloves garlic, rough chopped

• 1 red hot chili pepper, seeded and chopped

• 2 tsp fresh ginger, chopped

• 2 tbsp garam masala

• 1 tsp paprika

• 1 tsp coriander

• 1 tsp cumin

• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper

• 2 tbsp tomato paste

• 1 tbsp avocado oil

• 1 tsp sea salt

1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender and process until smooth. If the mixture is too thick, add filtered water as needed to blend. 

2. Store in a glass jar in the refrigerator or freeze for up to 6 months.

Nutrition Cronometer

(one serving of meatballs, without cauliflower rice or veg)

• Calories: 284

• Protein: 27 g

• Net Carbs: 2 g

• Fat: 18 g

Thank you🧡

This newsletter wouldn’t be possible without YOU! A huge THANK YOU to all who support my work here on Substack.

🧡P.S.

If you know someone with pre-diabetes, diabetes, PCOS, metabolic syndrome, or anyone eating for blood sugar balance, low carb, keto, grain-free, gluten-free, or just eating whole food for better health, will you forward my Substack to them? I would love it if you would share my page with a friend, leave a comment, or restack to your notes. Thank you!

🧡Beth

Tikka Masala Meatballs

342KB ∙ PDF file

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