Thai Chicken Meatballs
Craving bold flavors? These Thai Chicken Meatballs are the answer! Made with aromatic herbs and red curry paste, these tender little bites of deliciousness are drenched in a sticky sauce to deliver the perfect balance of heat, sweetness, and savory goodness. Whether you're new to Thai-style cuisine or a seasoned fan, these red curry meatballs will transport your taste buds straight to the vibrant streets of Bangkok!
Equipment
- 1 Large Baking Sheet (with parchment) - for baking the Thai Meatballs
- 1 Large Mixing Bowl - for making the meatball mixture
- 1 large skillet - for cooking the sauce
Ingredients
Thai Meatballs
- 1 ½ pounds Ground Chicken (SEE NOTES)
- 10 TBS Panko Breadcrumbs (equal to 1/2 cup + 2 TBS) (or more if needed)
- 4 Cloves Garlic - minced and divided
- 2 TBS Ginger – grated and divided
- 2 whole Scallions – finely chopped
- 1 large Jalapeno – seeded and finely chopped
- 2 tsp Lemongrass - white part only; finely chopped
- 1 TBS Cilantro Leaves – roughly chopped
- 1 TBS Fish Sauce
- 1 TBS Thai Red Curry Paste
- to taste Kosher Salt and Pepper
Sticky Sauce
- ¾ Cup Sweet Thai Chili Sauce
- 3 TBS Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce
- 3 TBS Light Brown Sugar
- 2 TBS Rice Wine Vinegar
- 2 TBS Lime Juice
- Optional Garnishes: Crushed Peanuts, Chopped Cilantro, Sliced Green Onions, Red Chili Flakes, Lime Wedges
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheet: Arrange oven rack to the center position and then preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup and then set it aside.
- Mix Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground chicken, panko breadcrumbs, 2 cloves of garlic, 1 tablespoon of ginger, scallions, jalapeno, lemongrass, cilantro, fish sauce and curry paste. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Use your hands or a rubber spatula to gently mix until just combined. Note: Do not over-mix or over-work the meatball mixture.
- Form Thai Meatballs: Spray your hands with non-stick cooking spray or lightly wet them with water to prevent the meatball mixture from sticking to your hands. Then, roll the chicken mixture into golf ball-sized balls (about 2 tablespoons mixture each). After rolling, place the rolled meatballs onto prepared baking sheet, arranging them so they're evenly spaced apart.(Tip: If the meatball mixture feels too wet, add more panko, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it holds together and is easier to shape.)
- Bake Thai Chicken Meatballs: Transfer the meatballs to the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until an instant read thermometer inserted into the center of the meatball reads 165 degrees F.
- While Meatballs Are Baking, Make the Sauce: In a skillet or wok, combine all the ingredients for the sauce, plus the remaining 2 cloves of garlic and 1 tablespoon of ginger. Whisk to thoroughly combine the ingredients and then, place the pan over medium heat on the stovetop. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally. Once simmering, immediately reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook the sauce, stirring occasionally, for about 5-8 minutes, or until sauce is thickened to your liking. Turn the heat off under the pan, but keep the pan on the burner to help keep it warm.
- Add Meatballs to Sauce: When meatballs are done baking, transfer them from the baking sheet to the sauce in the skillet. Gently toss and stir to coat the chicken meatballs in the sticky Thai sauce.
- Garnish and Serve Thai Red Curry Meatballs: Transfer meatballs to a platter or serve straight from the pan. Sprinkle your favorite garnishes over the meatballs and serve immediately. Enjoy!
Notes
- Chicken: This recipe calls for ground chicken, but make sure you do NOT use all ground chicken breast or the meatballs won’t be as juicy and flavorful. Purchase ground chicken that is made with both white and dark meat. Bonus, ground chicken that is a mixture of both is cheaper to buy!
- Fish Sauce: Fish sauce adds a wonderful umami flavor and there is no great substitution. However, if you are in a pinch, or don’t like fish sauce, you can substitute soy sauce.
- Mixing Meatballs: When mixing the ingredients for the meatballs, make sure you do NOT over-mix!! Mix everything until the ingredients are JUST combined. Over-mixing the ingredients will cause your meatballs to be less tender.
- To keep the meatballs from sticking to your skin when rolling them into balls, lightly oil your hands. This trick works like a charm! Also make sure you DON’T roll your meatballs into a tight ball. When meatballs are packed too tight they will end up tough and chewy after being cooked.
- Forming Meatballs: Make sure you form your meatballs into roughly the same size. You don’t need to be overly obsessive, just make sure they are around the same size. If you want to be precise, you can use an ice cream scoop (it is what I use).
- Meatball Size: You can make the meatballs mini sized or jumbo sized if you want, just see the above note (#5), and scale down or up the baking time accordingly.
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Need to Scale the Recipe? Hover your mouse over the number of servings in the recipe card. You'll see a sliding scale pop up, you can use that to scale the recipe up or down as needed.
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Got questions? I've got answers! If you ever run into an issue, have a question, or need any clarification - please feel free to drop them in the comments section. I'm happy to help when I can!
- Recipe Yield: approximately 26-28 meatballs
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and the nutrition facts are an estimate based upon 6 servings. Exact information will depend upon the brands of ingredients and precise measurements used.
Nutrition
Calories: 267kcal Carbohydrates: 20g Protein: 23g Fat: 10g Saturated Fat: 3g Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g Monounsaturated Fat: 4g Trans Fat: 0.1g Cholesterol: 98mg Sodium: 716mg Potassium: 703mg Fiber: 1g Sugar: 7g Vitamin A: 430IU Vitamin C: 5mg Calcium: 55mg Iron: 2mg