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Red Curry Chicken Meatballs
4.7 from 27 votes

Red Curry Chicken Meatballs

This Thai-influenced dish delivers big flavor for very little work. Tender oven-baked chicken or turkey meatballs, simmered in a delicious coconut milk-based red curry sauce. Packed with ginger and garlic and showered with fresh herbs, this is a guaranteed crowd pleaser.

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
Total Time
55 mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Thai, American

Ingredients

For the Meatballs:
  • 2 pounds ground chicken dark meat recommended (you can also use ground turkey, pork or beef)
  • 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 3 scallion minced (about 1/4 cup, medium
  • 3 tablespoons cilantro plus more for garnish, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon ginger about 1-inch knob, fresh minced or grated
  • 3 garlic minced or grated, cloves
  • 2 egg large
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
For the Curry:
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil or neutral oil
  • 1 yellow onion finely chopped (about 1 1/2 cups, large
  • 3 garlic minced or grated, cloves
  • 2 tablespoons fresh ginger about 2-inch knob, minced or grated
  • 3 tablespoons red curry paste or more if you like spice
  • 1 coconut milk 15oz can
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons peanut butter smooth
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice plus wedges for squeezing
  • 3 cups baby spinach
  • mint basil, and or cilantro leaves, fresh, roughly chopped
  • jasmine rice steamed or rice noodles

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F and place a rack in the middle. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil or parchment.
  2. Add all of the meatball ingredients in a large bowl and, using your fingers or a fork, gently mix everything together until fully combined. Don’t squeeze the meat or the meatballs will be tough. Form the mixture into 2-inch meatballs (a scoop is great though you can also just estimate) and arrange them on the baking sheet with a little space between each ball. Bake the meatballs until golden brown and just cooked through, about 12 to 14 minutes. Remove the tray from the oven and set them aside.
  3. While the meatballs are cooking, make the curry sauce. Heat the oil on medium-high in a deep, wide skillet or dutch oven. Add the onion and cook, stirrinq often, until the onion turns soft and translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the red curry paste and cook, stirring everything around, until the paste sizzles and turns a darker red, about 3 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk, chicken stock, fish sauce, sugar and peanut butter and bring sauce to a boil, then lower the heat and gently simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Add in the spinach and lime juice and stir until wilted, 1 minute. Transfer the meatballs to the sauce and gently toss until coated in sauce.
  4. Serve on top of rice or rice noodles, with lots of fresh herbs and lime wedges for squeezing.