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Butter chicken meatballs

Butter Chicken Meatballs with Coconut & Turmeric

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Gluten-free butter chicken meatballs made with coconut milk and warming spices — a blood sugar-friendly, hormone-supportive twist on the takeout favorite, served with brown rice and cucumbers. Makes extra for leftovers.
Prep Time:25 minutes
Cook Time:40 minutes
Total Time:1 hour 5 minutes

Equipment

  • Instant Pot or rice cooker
  • Large skillet or Dutch oven
  • mixing bowl
  • 2 baking sheets (or bake in batches)
  • parchment paper

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

  • 2 lbs ground chicken. breast
  • ⅔ cup almond flour
  • 2 large eggs
  • 4 cloves garlic grated
  • 2 tsp fresh ginger grated
  • 2 tsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp salt

For the sauce:

  • 3 tbsp ghee or grass-fed butter
  • 1 small yellow onion finely diced
  • 5 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 ½ tbsp fresh ginger minced
  • 1 ½ tbsp garam masala
  • 1 ½ tsp ground turmeric
  • ¼ tsp black pepper freshly ground
  • ¾ tsp smoked paprika
  • 3 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 13½ oz can full-fat coconut milk
  • Salt to taste
  • Fresh cilantro for topping

For the instant pot brown rice:

  • 2 cups brown rice rinsed
  • 2 ⅓ cups water
  • ¾ tsp salt
  • 1 ½ tsp ghee or avocado oil

For the cucumber side:

  • 2-3 Persian cucumbers thinly sliced
  • Juice of ½ lime
  • Pinch of salt
  • Few mint leaves torn (optional)

Instructions

  • Add rinsed brown rice, water, salt, and ghee to the Instant Pot. Seal the lid, set to Manual/Pressure Cook on high for 22 minutes, then let it naturally release for 10 minutes before opening the valve. Fluff and set aside.
  • Preheat oven to 400°F. In a bowl, combine ground chicken, almond flour, eggs, garlic, ginger, garam masala, cumin, and salt. Mix gently and roll into about 32-36 meatballs. Divide between two parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them apart so they aren't crowded. Bake for 15-18 minutes, until just cooked through.
  • While the meatballs bake, melt ghee in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Stir in garlic, ginger, garam masala, turmeric, black pepper, paprika, and tomato paste. Cook 1-2 minutes, until the paste darkens slightly and smells toasty.
  • Add crushed tomatoes and coconut milk to the pot. Stir in salt. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 12-15 minutes, until slightly thickened.
  • Add the baked meatballs to the sauce and simmer another 5-7 minutes so they soak up the flavor. Top with fresh cilantro.
  • Toss sliced cucumbers with lime juice, salt, and mint. Let sit while everything else finishes.
  • Serve meatballs and sauce over brown rice with cucumbers alongside. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Notes

Swapping coconut milk in for heavy cream keeps this dairy-light and adds gut-friendly medium-chain fats, while turmeric and ginger bring anti-inflammatory support alongside the protein from the chicken. This batch makes great leftovers — the sauce actually deepens in flavor overnight. If the sauce feels too thick for your taste, a second can of coconut milk is an easy add next time.
Nutrition (estimated per serving, based on 8 servings):
  • Calories: ~511
  • Protein: ~35
  • Fat: ~31g
  • Carbs: ~26g
  • Fiber: ~7g
Course: dinner, Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: Indian-inspired
Keyword: anti inflammatory dinner recipe, blood sugar friendly dinner, coconut milk butter chicken, cortisol friendly meals, gluten free butter chicken, gluten free meatballs, hormone friendly dinner recipe
Servings: 8
Calories: 511kcal