Coconut Curry Chicken Meatballs

thai coconut curry with chicken meatballs in a grey bowl

5 from 8 votes

Coconut Curry Chicken Meatballs

Meatballs make every meal more fun, and this twist on Thai-style chicken curry uses tender, flavorful meatballs in place of chopped chicken. The rich curry is somewhere between a soup and stew, perfect to serve over rice with roasted peanuts, lime juice, and fresh herbs.

Prep Time20

Cook Time25

Total Time45

Course: Main

Cuisine: Thai

Keyword: chicken dinner, easy dinner, gluten free, meatball, Thai curry

Servings:

Author: Jess Smith via Inquiring Chef

Cost: $10.00

Equipment

Mixing Bowl
Dutch Oven, Saute Pan, or Wok

Ingredients

Thai Chicken Meatballs:

1/3 cup Panko Breadcrumbs (use gluten-free if needed)
3 Tablespoons Coconut Milk
2 Tablespoons minced White Onion
2 teaspoons Fish Sauce (can substitute soy sauce)
1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/2 teaspoon Ground Coriander
1/2 teaspoon Ground Ginger
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper
1 pound Ground Chicken

Coconut Curry:

1 1/2 cup Coconut Milk, divided
3 Tablespoons Thai Red Curry Paste (see note)
2 cups Low-Sodium Chicken Stock
1/2 Red Bell Pepper, chopped
1 Tablespoon Fish Sauce (can substitute soy sauce)
2 teaspoons Brown Sugar
1 Tablespoon Lime Juice
Jasmine Rice or Coconut Rice, for serving
1/2 cup Roasted, Salted Peanuts, for topping
Cilantro or Thai Basil leaves (optional)

Instructions

Combine panko breadcrumbs, milk, onion, fish sauce, salt, ground coriander, ground ginger, garlic powder, and black pepper in a large mixing bowl until even. Add chicken. Use your hands to gently combine all of the ingredients. Form into meatballs that are about 1.5-inches in diameter (these should be fairly small; if the mixture sticks to your hands, wet your hands with a small amount of oil or water). Set aside.
Heat a Dutch oven, wok, or saute pan over medium heat. Add 1/2 cup coconut milk (if using canned coconut milk that has separated, use the top, thicker portion of the milk) to the pan. Simmer coconut milk, stirring constantly, until it has reduced by half and you can see oil separating from the milk, 5 to 6 minutes. (Note: This step to “break” the coconut milk is part of the traditional process, but don’t worry if your coconut milk doesn’t show signs of separating after this initial cook time - just proceed with the recipe.)
Add curry paste and saute until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes.
Add meatballs to the pan and then pour chicken stock and remaining 1 cup coconut milk over top.
When liquids begin to simmer, stir in bell peppers, fish sauce, and brown sugar.
Let curry simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until meatballs are cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes.
Remove curry from heat and stir in lime juice. Taste and season with some more sugar if you’d like a bit more sweetness or more fish sauce if you’d like it more salty.
Serve curry and meatballs over cooked rice. Top with peanuts and cilantro or basil leaves.

Video

Notes

Coconut Milk - Look for coconut milk in a can in the international aisle (not the variety that is sold in cartons and used as a dairy milk substitute.) It’s worthwhile to use regular (not light) coconut milk in this recipe. It will give the curry much more flavor than the light variety. (Though light coconut milk will definitely work.) You’ll just need one can for this recipe, but note that it is divided into three separate portions with a small amount added to the meatballs themselves and the rest added in two increments to the curry base.

Nutrition