Curried Beef Balls

Bite-sized curry meatballs made with ground beef, herb-seasoned stuffing mix, and a kick of curry powder. They cook in the microwave in batches of 12 in under 3 minutes, making them one of the fastest party appetizers you can pull together.

The stuffing mix crumbs replace traditional breadcrumbs and bring their own herbs and seasoning into the mix, so you get a more flavorful meatball with less work. Evaporated milk binds everything together and keeps the meat tender. The curry powder gives each ball a warm, aromatic edge that pairs naturally with a sweet-tart dipping sauce.

Rolling them into small, uniform 1-inch balls ensures they cook evenly in the microwave. Arranging them in a circle on the plate helps too, since microwave energy heats the edges faster than the center.

Chef Tips

• Keep the meatballs small and uniform. Oversized balls won’t cook through evenly in the microwave’s short cook time.
• Arrange in a circle, not a cluster. Microwave energy is weakest in the center of the plate.
• Rotate the plate a quarter turn halfway through cooking for more even results.
• You can bake these instead at 400°F (200°C) for 12-15 minutes if you prefer a browned exterior.

Variations

• Use ground lamb instead of beef for a richer flavor that pairs even better with curry.
• Double the curry powder for a more assertive spice kick.
• Serve with mango chutney or a yogurt-mint sauce instead of sweet-tart sauce.