These Ginger Peach Meatballs are made with flavorful summer ingredients and come together in less than 40 minutes using only one skillet. With fresh summer peaches, Asian flavors and a sweet and sticky sauce, all served over creamy coconut rice. Easy to make and so good!
A good peach dessert is one of my favorite things about summer, but lately I’ve been experimenting with some more savory recipes. These Ginger peach meatballs are definitely one of my favorites… The combination of flavors and textures, especially served with my 2 ingredient coconut rice—so delicious. Everything also comes together in one skillet so cleanup is pretty easy!
How to Make Ginger Peach Meatballs
I like to start by making the coconut rice because it can just sit on the stove while you make the meatballs. It’s super simple: just rice, water, coconut milk and a bit of salt. Bring that up to a boil then reduce the heat and cover. Cook for about 20 minutes or until all the water absorbs.
Start by mixing and shaping the meatballs. For this recipe you can use whatever type of ground meat you like. I recommend something slightly higher in fat such as ground pork or dark ground turkey. This just makes it easier to pan fry. The meatball mixture has just a few other ingredients : scallions, garlic, ginger and salt.
Form the mixture into balls using oiled hands to prevent sticking. Since we’re going to toss the meatballs in a sauce later, we want to make sure it has something to stick to. Do this by rolling each meatball in cornstarch to coat. Just a thin layer is all you need.
To cook the meatballs, heat a large skillet over medium heat. When it’s pretty hot, add your oil and wait for it to shimmer. Place the meatballs in the pan and cook on medium low heat until they brown. If you’re using a leaner meat like turkey or chicken, it may take longer for the meatballs to release from the pan. After that initial browning, turn the meatballs around a few times so they cook on all sides.
While the meatballs are browning, you can mix together a simple sauce of peach preserves, soy sauce and lime juice. Make sure the peaches are pitted and sliced as well.
Once the ginger peach meatballs have browned, add in the sauce and sliced peaches. Reduce the heat and simmer with the lid on for a few more minutes so the meatballs can finish cooking. By now, the sauce should be thickened and the peaches should be just softened. I recommend cutting open a meatball to make sure it’s cooked all the way through.
Serve everything warm with fresh mint and a sprinkle of chopped scallions. Enjoy!
Tips for Making Ginger Peach Meatballs
- If you plan on using a super lean meat like chicken or turkey with a fat content less than 7 percent, I would recommend baking the meatballs instead of pan frying. See the notes below for instructions.
- I like to use firmer peaches for this recipe because they hold their shape and have a nice tartness which goes well with the sweet peach preserves.
- White jasmine rice works best for the coconut rice, but if you want it to be stickier, go with short grain white rice. I haven’t tried this recipe with brown rice before, but i’m sure it would work. The rice might just take longer to cook, 30-40 minutes.
More Recipes to Try:
- Burst cherry tomato chicken and rice skillet
- Lemon basil orzo salad with grilled corn
- Grilled honey mustard chicken salad
- Mediterranean meatball pitas
Made this vegan lasagna bolognese? Tag @wandering_chickpea on Instagram to be featured in my stories and follow along on Pinterest for more delicious recipes!
Ginger Peach Meatballs with Coconut Rice
These sweet and savory ginger peach meatballs are easy to make with ground chicken, turkey or pork and come together in less than 45 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground pork, chicken or turkey
- 2 scallions, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp mint, chopped
- 1 inch fresh ginger, grated
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 3 tbsp oil + more for oiling hands
- 1/3 cup high quality peach preserves
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 2-3 medium peaches, sliced
For the coconut rice
- 1 cup long grain white rice, rinsed
- 1 cup unsweetened, full fat coconut milk
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine ground meat with scallions, mint, ginger, garlic and salt. With well oiled hands, roll the mixture into 1 inch balls. Spread the cornstarch on to a plate and roll each meatball to coat.
- Heat a skillet over medium heat and add oil. When shimmering place the meatballs in the skillet and cook for 10-15 minutes, occasionally turning and shaking the pan, until browned on all sides.
- Meanwhile, mix together the peach preserves, lime juice and soy sauce.
- Once the meatballs have browned, pour in the sauce and add the sliced peaches. Bring to a simmer, and cook covered for 5-10 minutes or until the meatballs are no longer pink on the inside and the peaches have softened. If the sauce seems too thin, simmer uncovered for an additional few minutes until reduced.
- Serve warm over coconut rice with fresh mint and chopped scallions if desired.
For the coconut rice
- To a pot add rice, coconut milk and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cover. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and serve.
Notes
If you prefer to bake the meatballs, heat the oven to 400° F and line a baking sheet with parchment. Coat with cornstarch as written and bake for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through. Meanwhile, simmer the sauce with the peaches in a skillet until thickened and add the meatballs. Toss to coat and serve.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 458Total Fat: 51gSaturated Fat: 22gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 26gCholesterol: 157mgSodium: 951mgCarbohydrates: 54gFiber: 2gSugar: 27gProtein: 46g
All nutritional info is an estimation
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