Thai Chicken Meatballs

If you love chicken meatballs, you will love this Thai spin on them! Thai chicken meatballs simmered in a flavorful red curry sauce, served with vegetables and rice!

What a busy last couple of weeks I’ve had! Last week I went to Chicago for the Tastemaker’s conference, to hone my food blogging skills and do some much needed networking with my fellow bloggers. It’s been so long since I’ve done anything like this that it was incredibly refreshing – but also overwhelming!

Anyway, while I was away, Etienne did a terrific job of looking after the kids. I don’t think he’ll be in a hurry to do it again any time soon, but he successfully navigated the lunch making, school drop-offs and extra curriculars. And the house wasn’t even a complete disaster!

As for the food, there was some takeout but also some home-cooked meals. One thing I always love to have in the freezer to use in a pinch is either baked chicken meatballs or my turkey meatballs! They’re so versatile! You can throw them in with spaghetti and sauce, or eat them on their own with some veggies, or even add them to rice. Meatballs are the best!

How do you make these Thai chicken meatballs?

The meatballs themselves only require a few simple ingredients:

• 1 lb ground chicken
• 2 green onions, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp red curry paste
• 1 tbsp cilantro
• 1″ grated fresh ginger
• 1/2 tsp salt

Mix everything together with a large spoon, then use your clean hands or a cookie scoop to form round meatballs, about 2″ in diameter. Place them on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Meanwhile, heat some oil in a shallow frying pan, about 10-12″ in diameter. I like to use avocado oil as it has a high smoke point and neutral flavor, but you can use whatever oil you prefer!

Cook the meatballs for about 4 minutes on one side, or until they release from the pan easily. Turn them and cook on the other side for another 3-4 minutes. The meatballs should no longer be pink on the inside and should register an internal temperature of at least 165 F when you check them with a thermometer. Set the meatballs aside on a plate lined with a paper towel while you prepare the curry sauce.

How do you make a simple Thai red curry sauce?

This red curry sauce is something I make quite often! It’s so simple and flavorful and you can completely control the heat yourself. It’s made up of:

• diced shallot
• garlic
• red curry paste
• coconut milk (I like to use full fat)
• fish sauce
• brown sugar
• lime
• Thai basil

Once the meatballs have been removed from the pan, add 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan, then cook the diced shallots for 2-3 minutes, or until they start to soften. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute, before adding the curry paste. Stir everything together for another minute or two, then slowly pour in the coconut milk and stir to combine.

Once the mixture is simmering, add whatever veggies you’d like to use to the pan. My favourites are:

• bell pepper
• edamame beans
• snap peas
• broccoli

Whatever you choose to add, just keep it to about 1-2 cups or you’ll run out of sauce!

Cook the veggies in the simmering sauce until tender crisp, then turn down the heat to low and add the fish sauce, brown sugar and lime juice, giving everything a stir. Add the cooked meatballs back in, warming it all together for 4-5 minutes.

Serve warm over rice with a bit of extra fresh Thai basil!

What do you serve Thai chicken meatballs with?

My favorite way to serve these chicken meatballs are over coconut rice. You could also try:

• jasmine rice
• rice noodles
• vermicelli
• zucchini noodles
• cauliflower rice (try the cilantro-lime flavor)!
• greens, such as spinach

How spicy are these Thai meatballs?

You can easily control the level of spice in these meatballs by adjusting the amount of red Thai curry paste you put in. I usually put in about 1 tablespoon of paste in the meatballs, and 2 tablespoons of paste in the sauce. The meatballs themselves are not very spicy, so the heat mostly comes from the sauce. You can increase or decrease this amount by a tablespoon up or down in the sauce.

Freezing chicken meatballs.

We love to have a stash of meatballs in the freezer! I would freeze the meatballs after they’ve been cooked in the pan, without any sauce.

1. Let the cooked meatballs cool down completely to room temperature on a paper-towel lined plate.
2. Place the cooled meatballs on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving some space between the meatballs. Place the meatballs in the freezer for about 2 hours, or until hardened.
3. Add the meatballs to a large freezer bag, removing as much of the air as possible.
4. Freeze the meatballs for up to 2 months!

Thaw the meatballs overnight in the fridge before using them in this recipe, or pop them in the oven (fully frozen) at 350 F for 20 minutes before adding them to the curry sauce.

Who doesn’t love meatballs!? Here’s a few of my other favorite 30 minutes or less meals:

• Hawaiian meatballs
• easy turkey meatballs
• Thai chicken peanut curry
• Thai basil chicken

Thai Chicken Meatballs

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5 from 2 reviews

• Author: Katherine | Love In My Oven
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 3–4 servings 1x

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Description

If you love chicken meatballs, you will love this Thai spin on them! Thai chicken meatballs simmered in a flavourful red curry sauce, served with vegetables and rice! 

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Ingredients

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Meatballs

• 1 lb ground chicken
• 2 green onions, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp red curry paste
• 1 tbsp fresh cilantro, finely diced
• 1” grated fresh ginger
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp avocado oil, for frying

Red Curry Sauce

• 1 tbsp avocado oil (or other neutral oil)
• 1 shallot, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp red curry paste*
• 1 can (400mL) full-fat coconut milk
• 1 cup diced bell pepper (red or yellow)
• 1 cup snap peas
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• juice of 1/2 lime
• 2 tbsp fresh Thai basil, plus more for serving
• coconut rice for serving

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Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine together the ground chicken, green onions, garlic, curry paste, cilantro, ginger and salt. Mix until everything is fully combined, then use your hands or a cookie scoop to create 2″ wide meatballs, making them as similar in size as possible. Set the prepared meatballs on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
2. On a stove over medium heat, add the avocado oil and allow it to heat up for 1-2 minutes. Add the meatballs to the warm oil in an even layer, spacing them apart as much as possible.
3. Fry the meatballs on one side for about 4 minutes, or until they easily release from the pan. Turn the meatballs and cook them on the other side for an additional 3-4 minutes or until browned. Check the internal temperature to ensure they’ve reached a temperature of at least 165 F. Once fully cooked, use tongs to remove the meatballs to a paper-towel lined plate.
4. Prepare the curry sauce. In the same pan over low-medium heat, add another tablespoon of oil. Once warm, add the diced shallot, cooking them for 2-3 minutes or until slightly softened. Add the garlic, and cook for another minute. Add the curry paste and stir to combine, cooking for a minute. Slowly pour in the coconut milk, and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. 
5. Gently add the mixed fresh vegetables, cooking them in the sauce until tender-crisp, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in the fish sauce, brown sugar and lime juice, then add the cooked meatballs back into the pan. Stir everything together and allow it to simmer on low for 4-5 minutes before serving.
6. Serve over coconut rice, rice, cauliflower rice, or even zucchini noodles!

Leftover meatballs and sauce can be stored in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 2-3 days and reheated on the stove or in the microwave.

For freezing instructions for the meatballs, see the blog post above.

Notes

*If you want the sauce a bit spicier add another tablespoon of paste, for a less spicy version, use 1 tablespoon instead of 2.

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Category: dinner
• Method: stovetop
• Cuisine: thai

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