Thai Quinoa Meatballs

I was skeptical at first before trying this recipe out. I wasn’t sure if sweet and savory would work with meatballs, but I surely was wrong. These Thai inspired meatballs are an absolute perfect example of sweet meets savory. Add in some peanut sauce and your mind will be blown. These do take a little long to make, but they are worth the time spent.

Total time:

1 hour, 10 minutes

Ingredients:

Produce

  • 1/4 cup (15g) finely chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for serving

  • 1/4 cup (38g) finely diced green onions

Baking and Spices

  • 1/4 cup (55g) organic brown sugar (or substitute coconut sugar)

Other

  • One 15-ounce can (425 grams) chickpeas, also called garbanzo beans

  • 1/2 cup (92g) cooked quinoa

  • 2 Tbsp (32g) salted peanut butter

  • 2-3 Tbsp tamari or soy sauce

  • 1 Tsp chili garlic sauce

  • 3/4 - 1 cup (105-140g) roasted salted peanuts, crushed, plus more for coating and texture

Peanut Sauce

Produce

  • 1/2 lime, juiced

Baking and Spices

  • 2 - 3 Tbsp (24-36g) organic brown sugar (or substitute coconut sugar)

Other

  • 1/2 cup (128g) saluted natural peanut butter (or substitute cashew butter or almond butter)

  • 1 1/2 - 2 Tbsp tamari or soy sauce

  • 1/2 tsp chili garlic sauce

  • 2-4 Tbsp hot water to thin

Directions:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350º F. Arrange the chickpeas on a foil or parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 12-13 minutes to dehydrate, then set aside. Keep the oven at 350º F.

  2. Add the baked chickpeas to the bowl of a food processor or blender. Mix/pulse on low to pulverize. Alternatively, mash with a fork.

  3. Add the chickpea mixture and remaining ingredients to a medium bowl. Stir/mix to combine. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed. Add more crushed peanuts if too wet (bread crumbs work well too, about 1 cup). This will depend on how wet your quinoa and peanut butter are.

  4. Scoop out amounts of dough slightly larger than 1 tbsp. Gently roll into balls. Roll in additional crushed peanuts to coat.

  5. Spray the foil-lined baking sheet used earlier with non-stick spray. Add the meatballs. Bake for 15 minutes, then gently turn/flip to ensure even cooking. Bake for another 10-15 minutes, or to desired doneness. The longer the meatballs cook, the firmer they will get. Once they cool a little, they firm up even more.

  6. While baking, prepare any additional serving items.

  7. Serve the meatballs with peanut sauce, chili garlic sauce, fresh cilantro, and lime juice.

  8. Leftovers will keep covered in the fridge for 2-3 days, though best when fresh. Reheat in a 350º oven until warmed through.

Peanut Sauce

  1. In a small bowl, whisk the peanut butter, tamari, coconut sugar, lime juice, and chili garlic sauce together. Add the hot water to thin to thin until pourable. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed.

  2. Leftovers will keep covered in the fridge for 7-10 days. Add more hot water if the sauce becomes too think after chilling.

For serving

Peanut Sauce

Chili garlic sauce

Fresh cilantro, chopped

Lime juice

*This recipe was created with the Minimalist Baker’s Everyday Cooking Cookbook by Dana Shultz with slight modifications*

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