Tikka Masala Style Meatballs
Imagine juicy beef meatballs in a rich, creamy, mildly-spiced sauce – that’s exactly what you get when this easy recipe is ready to serve. We’ve added fragrant spices into our homemade meatballs, before simmering them in a tasty Tikka Masala style sauce that’s far more slimming friendly than a takeaway version.
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NutritionPer Serving
- Calories344
- Carbs16g
- Protein37g
- Fat14g
- Saturates6.8g
- Sugars12g
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For the full list of ingredients and comprehensive instructions, please see the recipe card below. Before you scroll, there’s important stuff in the blurb!
We could never get bored of meatballs for dinner, but that doesn’t stop us coming up with delicious new ways to serve them! This time, we’ve given them an Indian-inspired twist, creating a creamy, rich Tikka Masala style sauce that you won’t believe is slimming friendly.
Our homemade beef meatballs are made using lean mince, with a touch of garam masala mixed in to complement the flavour of the sauce. You can use any kind of mince that you prefer, just remember to work out any additional calories, if you’re counting.
The tomato-based sauce gets its low-calorie creaminess from a combination of coconut dairy-free milk alternative and reduced-fat cream cheese. Melted into the other ingredients, this creates a thick, silky sauce that coats the meatballs, without any need for high-fat cream.
Perfect for the whole family, we’d say this recipe turns out to be mildly-spiced, although you can always ramp up the chilli if you like a bit more heat. So simple to make, it’s delicious served over a bed of fluffy basmati rice.
What diets are these Tikka Masala Style Meatballs suitable for?
This Tikka Masala Style Meatballs recipe is suitable for gluten-free diets.
If you’re cooking for people with allergies, please be extra careful when checking ingredients and preparing food!
Do you need any special ingredients to make Tikka Masala Style Meatballs?
You’ll need a coconut dairy-free milk alternative to make this dish. There are several brands including Alpro, Oatly and supermarket own brands that are widely available and suitable for this recipe.
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We used Alpro Coconut Plant-Based Long Life Drink to make these Tikka Masala Style Meatballs, although other brands would also work.
You’ll need a good quality large frying pan like this one from Amazon to give your ingredients room to simmer.
How many calories are in this Tikka Masala Style Meatballs?
These Tikka Masala Style Meatballs are included in our Everyday Light category because they contain just 344 calories per portion. For more delicious dishes all under 400 calories, take a look at other Everyday Light recipes!
This Tikka Masala Style Meatballs recipe is ideal when following any of the larger diet plans such as Weight Watchers or counting calories.
The average woman needs around 2000kcal per day to maintain a healthy body weight, and men typically need slightly more at 2,500kcals, but you may want to reduce these if you are aiming to lose weight. You can find more information on the NHS website.
Step 1
Place the minced beef in a mixing bowl and break up with a wooden spoon. Add the garlic granules, onion granules, garam masala, salt and black pepper and mix until well combined. Add the egg a little at a time, (you may not need to use all the egg depending on its size) and combine until the mixture holds together firmly enough to form meatballs. Shape the mixture into 20 evenly-sized small meatballs. Put the meatballs on a plate and place in the fridge while you make the Tikka Masala style sauce.
Step 2
Spray a large frying pan with low-calorie cooking spray and place over a medium heat. Add the onion, red pepper, garlic and ginger and cook for 5-10 minutes, until softened and golden.
Step 3
Add the chilli powder, turmeric, coriander, cumin, paprika and garam masala to the frying pan. Stir and cook gently for 2-3 minutes.
Step 4
Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, coconut dairy-free milk alternative and salt. Stir until well mixed. Lower the heat and simmer gently, uncovered, for 15 minutes or until the sauce has reduced and thickened.
Step 5
While the sauce is simmering, spray a medium frying pan with low-calorie cooking spray and place on a medium to high heat. Add the meatballs and cook for 3-4 minutes to seal and brown on all sides.
Step 6
Transfer the meatballs into the large frying pan containing the sauce, and simmer gently, uncovered, for a further 20 minutes, turning the meatballs halfway through. Cook the meatballs until they’re piping hot throughout and no longer pink inside.
Step 7
Remove from the heat and stir in the cream cheese until completely blended. Add the spinach and stir in until just wilted, then serve with a small portion of basmati rice or other accompaniment of choice.
What could I serve with these Tikka Masala Style Meatballs?
We like to serve these meatballs with a small portion of basmati rice, although you could add any of your favourite Indian-inspired side dishes. The following sides would complement the flavours well:
How do you know when Tikka Masala Style Meatballs are cooked?
You’ll need to cook this Tikka Masala Style Meatballs for around 50 minutes or until the sauce is thick and creamy and the meatballs are cooked all the way through, with no pinkness in the centre.
Here in the UK, the standard advice is to cook food until it has reached 70°C and maintained that temperature for 2 minutes. This is to keep you and your family safe!
How long can you keep Tikka Masala Style Meatballs in the fridge?
Once you’ve served this recipe, you’ll ideally need to eat it within 4 hours.
You can store any leftovers in the fridge for 1 or 2 days. Make sure that you allow them to cool before putting them in a container with a lid and chilling in the refrigerator.
Can I freeze Tikka Masala Style Meatballs?
Yes, this recipe CAN be frozen, but please remember to do the following:
- Make sure that you freeze it as soon as it is cold enough.
- Choose a container or a bag that is suitable for freezing.
- Label your dish with the name of the recipe and the date that you froze it on.
How do I reheat Tikka Masala Style Meatballs?
From chilled: Place in a microwavable container with a loosely fitting lid and heat for 4-7 minutes until piping hot.
From frozen: Allow to defrost overnight and reheat from chilled.
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Tikka Masala Style Meatballs
Imagine juicy beef meatballs in a rich, creamy, mildly-spiced sauce – that’s exactly what you get when this easy recipe is ready to serve. We’ve added fragrant spices into our homemade meatballs, before simmering them in a tasty Tikka Masala style sauce that’s far more slimming friendly than a takeaway version.
-
Prep Time
20 MINS
-
Cook Time
50 MINS
- KCals 344
- Carbs 16G
Instructions
- Place the minced beef in a mixing bowl and break up with a wooden spoon. Add the garlic granules, onion granules, garam masala, salt and black pepper and mix until well combined. Add the egg a little at a time, (you may not need to use all the egg depending on its size) and combine until the mixture holds together firmly enough to form meatballs. Shape the mixture into 20 evenly-sized small meatballs. Put the meatballs on a plate and place in the fridge while you make the Tikka Masala style sauce.
- Spray a large frying pan with low-calorie cooking spray and place over a medium heat. Add the onion, red pepper, garlic and ginger and cook for 5-10 minutes, until softened and golden.
- Add the chilli powder, turmeric, coriander, cumin, paprika and garam masala to the frying pan. Stir and cook gently for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, coconut dairy-free milk alternative and salt. Stir until well mixed. Lower the heat and simmer gently, uncovered, for 15 minutes or until the sauce has reduced and thickened.
- While the sauce is simmering, spray a medium frying pan with low-calorie cooking spray and place on a medium to high heat. Add the meatballs and cook for 3-4 minutes to seal and brown on all sides.
- Transfer the meatballs into the large frying pan containing the sauce, and simmer gently, uncovered, for a further 20 minutes, turning the meatballs halfway through. Cook the meatballs until they're piping hot throughout and no longer pink inside.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the cream cheese until completely blended. Add the spinach and stir in until just wilted, then serve with a small portion of basmati rice or other accompaniment of choice.
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Recipe notes
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17 comments
See what others have to say
CarolineThursday 8th February 2024
Hi, could I use a tin of reduced fat coconut milk in this receipe?
Cheryl LloydThursday 8th February 2024
Yes, you could use a tin of coconut milk if you prefer. Just remember to adjust any nutritional values 😊
VickiTuesday 23rd January 2024
Can I use A lighter Creme frache rather cream cheese?
Cheryl LloydSunday 4th February 2024
Yes, you could use creme fraiche instead if you prefer 😃
ToyahMonday 22nd January 2024
Hi is this dish suitable for slow cookers please if add the coconut milk and cream cheese at the end? Thanks
HollyMonday 5th February 2024
Hey Toyah, we haven’t tested this recipe in a slow cooker so can’t guarantee the results. We have a slow cooker conversion guide HERE that you may find helpful!
JeannieWednesday 17th January 2024
Can you use any other milk? I don’t like Almond Milk & my husband doesn’t like anything with coconut in, you mentioned using tomato’s is that instead of the Milk?
HollyWednesday 21st February 2024
Hey Jeannie, the recipe uses chopped tomatoes and coconut milk. You could swap for yoghurt and adjust the calories accordingly, hope that helps!
RaeTuesday 16th January 2024
Do you think this could be done in the slow cooker? What timings would you suggest?
HollyMonday 5th February 2024
Hey Rae, we haven’t tested this recipe in the slow cooker but have a handy slow cooker conversion guide HERE which you may find helpful!
LisaThursday 2nd November 2023
Is there an alternative to coconut milk as I’m not a fan of it, would extra tomatoes work?
SharonMonday 11th December 2023
Hi Lisa, we used a coconut dairy free milk alternative in this recipe as it adds flavour and creaminess to the dish. If you’re not keen on coconut flavours, you could try using a plant based almond milk instead. Extra tomatoes would give a different flavour to what is intended. Hope this helps.
SarahTuesday 24th October 2023
I made this, it is absolutely delicious 😋. Will definitely be making it again and again. Thank you ladies.
SharonTuesday 24th October 2023
Hi Sarah, thanks so much for your lovely comment, were pleased you enjoyed our Tikka Masala Style Meatballs.
MichelleFriday 20th October 2023
Could you use dairy free cream cheese?
SharonMonday 23rd October 2023
Hi Michelle, we wouldn’t recommend using dairy-free cream cheese in this recipe as it may not give the same rich creamy result as reduced-fat cream cheese. Using reduced-fat cream cheese makes a rich, creamy sauce that stands up well to freezing and reheating too. Hope this helps.
NickiTuesday 21st November 2023
I did use the plant based soft cheese and it tasted lovely.
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