Slow Cooker Asian Meatball Bowls with Spicy Peanut Sauce

I’ve been thinking about doing some kind of Asian meatball recipe since I saw the theme for our Gluten-Free Menu Swap was meatballs for this week. When I found the recipe for a peanut-sauced meatball in Stephanie O’Dea’s More Make It Fast Cook It Slow, I knew that was the direction I was taking this meatball. I changed up the recipe to get more peanut flavor and used what I had in my pantry. Instead of pre-made meatballs, I made my own veggie-packed meatballs put them in the slow cooker and then whisked the sauce together and poured it on. Stephanie used the dump method with hers, but my veggies made the meatballs a little too fragile to toss around too much. They did keep their shape and a nice tender bite after an afternoon swimming around in that silky, spicy, peanut sauce.

Asian Meatballs

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• ½ cup gluten-free bread crumbs(mine were leftover Rudi’s Multigrain bread heels toasted and blasted in my Vitamix)
• ½ cup red pepper, finely chopped
• 1 small carrot, grated
• 1 small stalk of celery, diced
• ½ small onion, finely diced
• 1-2 garlic cloves, pressed
• 1 tablespoon gluten-free Tamari or soy sauce
• ½ cup chopped cilantro
• 1 egg lightly beaten
• ¼ tsp red chili flakes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil or coconut oil

Lightly combine all ingredients and form into 24 meatballs. Cook in 12 inch skillet with the oil until lightly browned and cooked through.

Asian Meatballs in Spicy Peanut Sauce

• 24 already cooked meatballs and any vegetables that escaped from meatballs when cooking
• ½ cup chunky peanut butter
• 1 can coconut milk (I used full fat Thai Kitchen)
• 1 tablespoon red curry paste (I used Thai Kitchen)
• 2 tablespoons gluten-free Tamari (I love San-J)
• 1 tablespoon agave
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed
• Sriracha to taste
• Cilantro

Place meatballs in 4-quart slow cooker. Whisk peanut butter, coconut milk and the rest of ingredients together in a bowl. Pour over meatballs. Cook on low for 4-6 hours or high 2-4 hours. Serve over basmati rice and stir-fried vegetables. Top with cilantro and Sriracha.

Serves 4 hearty appetites or 6.

I was hoping there would be leftovers of this for lunches, but no such luck. These bowls of goodness were wolfed down and the slow cooker emptied by the menfolk of the house. They liked being able to adjust the spiciness on their own with the Sriracha on the side. I think the meatballs would be delicious with a stir-fry sauce like San-J’s Gluten-Free Cooking Sauces over rice and veggies if you’re in a hurry and would be a quick meal with meatballs pre-made and frozen for busy nights.

I’m linking up to Gluten-Free Wednesdays with the Gluten-Free Homemaker.