These Coconut Curry Chicken Meatballs are going to be your new favorite weeknight dinner. The sauce is bursting with flavors of garlic, ginger, lime and lemongrass. It’s so delicious and so simple to make!
When I’m looking for weeknight dinner recipes, I have a few requirements. It has to be reasonably healthy, with a few vegetables and plenty of protein. It shouldn’t dirty too many dishes, and ideally, I should be able to make it in one pan. And, of course, it should be extremely delicious. (That’s the most important part.)
And these coconut curry meatballs? They check all the boxes. These truly have no business being as good as they are for how quick and simple they are to whip together. Plus, they’re good for you, too — that coconut curry sauce is the perfect canvas for any and all vegetables you have languishing in your fridge.
What’s more, they’re the perfect candidate for weekly meal prep. They store incredibly well in the fridge and reheat like a dream, so you can have a tasty and colorful lunch waiting for you all week long. Seriously, what can’t these meatballs do?
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Ingredients
You’ll need just a few simple ingredients to make these coconut curry chicken meatballs, plus a few pantry staples that might be new to you. Be sure to scroll all the way down for the full list of ingredients with measurements!
To make these meatballs, you’ll need…
- Ground chicken. I like to use 93% lean, as 99% lean can dry out easily. But use what you like best!
- Veggies of choice. My favorite combo is red bell pepper and baby broccoli, but it’s truly up to you. Any veg is delicious here, so choose a few of your favorites.
- Garlic, ginger and shallot. The holy trifecta of flavor. We’ll mince these up and use them in both the meatballs and the sauce.
- Thai red curry paste. This stuff is so good I think I could eat it straight-up off a spoon. If you’ve never had it, it’s a miraculous combination of red chili pepper, garlic, lemongrass, galangal (AKA Thai ginger) and spices. It’s not spicy, but it is extremely flavorful, savory and a bit tangy, making it an essential component in lots of Thai dishes. Thai Kitchen brand is available in the Asian foods aisle at most U.S. grocery stores.
- Coconut milk. I only recommend using full-fat coconut milk (not just in this recipe, but all the time). Light coconut milk is just full-fat coconut milk with water added to it, so not only is it less flavorful, it’s also kind of a rip-off. And that thick, rich coconut cream is essential to creating a thick, rich sauce!
- Lime. We’ll use the zest in the meatballs and the juice in the sauce.
- Fish sauce. Since we’re using Thai red curry paste, it’s probably best to use a Thai fish sauce in this recipe. But my favorite brand of fish sauce is Red Boat, which is a Vietnamese variety that I find a bit milder than Thai versions available here in the U.S. Whichever you choose, be sure to use only a small amount of it — fish sauce adds a crucial punch of saltiness and savoriness to this dish, but it can be overpowering in large quantities.
- Cilantro, steamed rice and/or rice noodles. For serving!
Instructions
There are three components to this recipe: the meatballs, the veggies and the sauce. I strongly prefer to make my meatballs in the oven — it’s much easier (no flipping required, meaning no opportunities for stuck or broken meatballs) and much cleaner (no spattering oil).
However, if it pains you to think of dirtying another dish, you can make the meatballs on the stove before making your sauce in the same pan. I’ve included directions for both below so you can choose your own meatball adventure.
Here’s what you’ll do (be sure to scroll all the way down for the full written recipe with temperatures and cooking times):
- Mix up the meatballs and shape ’em. Place them on a baking sheet in the oven or sear them in a skillet on the stove — your choice.
- Sauté your aromatics and add your veggies. Stir-fry for a few minutes until the veggies get just a little bit tender.
- Add what you need for the sauce: coconut milk, Thai curry paste, lime juice and fish sauce. Stir it all together, then add the cooked meatballs and top with chopped cilantro. Enjoy over rice or rice noodles!
Substitutions and Variations
This recipe is super customizable, so feel free to think of it less as a recipe and more as a jumping-off point for future delicious meals. A few ideas for modifications…
- Swap out the ground chicken for another protein like ground turkey, ground pork or ground beef.
- Omit the meatballs entirely and sear your favorite protein, like chicken thighs, sliced beef, shrimp or tofu.
- Add your favorite veggies. Any are welcome here! Asparagus, zucchini, spinach, carrots and sweet potatoes are all very, very delicious in that glorious coconut curry sauce.
Expert Tips
This recipe is pretty foolproof, but I still have a few tips to make it as easy and tasty as possible.
- If you can, try making your meatballs in the oven! I find it much easier than cooking meatballs on the stove, where they can stick to the pan and break apart, or spatter oil all over your stovetop (or both). Baking the meatballs also makes this recipe faster, since you can stir-fry the veggies and make the sauce while they’re doing their thing in the oven.
- Add the sauce ingredients just when the veggies start to turn tender. They’ll finish cooking in the sauce so you’ll end up with veg that’s tender-crisp rather than mushy.
- Wet your hands with a tiny bit of water before shaping your meatballs. It helps prevent them from sticking to your hands. You can also wear gloves if touching raw meat skeezes you out.
Equipment Needed
- Baking sheet
- Medium mixing bowl
- Skillet or frying pan
Make-Ahead and Storage Tips
Meal preppers, this one’s for you. These coconut curry chicken meatballs store incredibly well in the fridge, so you can make them once and have lunch ready for the next few days! I recommend storing the meatballs and rice or noodles in separate containers, then reheating them individually.
FAQs
No, these aren’t spicy! They’re super flavorful, with notes of lime, garlic, ginger and lemongrass. You can make them spicy by adding chili paste!
Fish sauce is, as you probably expected, a sauce made of fish — more specifically, anchovies. But wait! Before you run away screaming, let me tell you a little bit about why I think you should love fish sauce as much as I do.
You’ll never use a whole ton of fish sauce in a recipe, as it can be overpowering. But a small amount of it adds an incredibly delicious salty-savory flavor that really rounds out a sauce or a soup. It’s an essential component of Thai and Vietnamese cooking, so if you’d like to explore those cuisines, fish sauce will be your new best friend.
I recommend Red Boat brand, which is a Vietnamese fish sauce you can find at many stores. However, Thai Kitchen is a bit easier to find and is also a good option.
Most definitely! Try these meatballs with ground turkey, or (my favorite) a mix of ground beef and ground pork. They’re delicious any way you make ’em.
More delicious weeknight dinners:
Easy Japanese Curry
20-Minute Creamy Tomato Gnocchi with Sausage
Spicy Pork and Cabbage Noodles
Did you make this recipe? If you loved it, please leave a ⭐5-star rating⭐ and/or leave a comment below the recipe card! And don’t forget to share a photo and tag me on Instagram, Facebook or TikTok — I love seeing you recreate my recipes.
PrintCoconut Curry Chicken Meatballs
These Coconut Curry Chicken Meatballs are going to be your new favorite weeknight dinner. The sauce is bursting with flavors of garlic, ginger, lime and lemongrass. It’s so delicious and so simple to make!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground chicken, preferably 93% lean
- 1 large shallot, minced and divided
- 4 cloves garlic, minced and divided
- 1 (2-inch) knob ginger, grated and divided
- 4 tablespoons Thai red curry paste, divided
- 1 bunch baby broccoli or regular broccoli, chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 1 (15-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
- Zest and juice of 1 lime
- ½ tablespoon fish sauce
- Big handful of cilantro, roughly chopped
- 1–2 tablespoons neutral cooking oil
- Kosher salt
- Steamed rice or rice noodles, for serving
Instructions
- To make your meatballs in the oven (my preferred method), preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. To make your meatballs on the stovetop, skip this step.
- Make the meatballs: In a medium bowl, combine the ground chicken, half of the minced shallot, half of the minced garlic, half of the grated ginger, 1 tablespoon of red curry paste, and a generous pinch of salt. Mix with your hands or a big spoon until thoroughly combined. Scoop out about 3 tablespoons of the meatball mixture and form it into a ball. Place on the baking tray (if making in oven) or on a plate (if making on the stovetop). Repeat with the rest of the meatball mixture.
- To make your meatballs in the oven: Once all the meatballs are on the lined baking sheet, place them in the oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until a meat thermometer inserted in the center reads 165°F. Set aside while you finish making the sauce.
- To make your meatballs on the stove: Heat a few tablespoons of neutral oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot and shimmering, add your meatballs in an even layer, working in batches if needed and making sure not to overcrowd the pan. Cook for about 5–6 minutes on each side, or until the meatballs are golden brown and a meat thermometer inserted in the center reads 165°F. Remove the meatballs to a clean plate and set aside while you make the sauce.
- Cook the aromatics and vegetables: In a large skillet (the same skillet, if you made your meatballs on the stove), heat about a tablespoon of oil until hot and shimmering. Add the garlic, ginger and shallot, and stir-fry for about a minute, or until fragrant. Add the bell pepper and broccoli and stir-fry for an additional 3–4 minutes, or until just barely starting to turn tender.
- Finish the sauce: Add the coconut milk, remaining 3 tablespoons of Thai curry paste, lime juice and fish sauce, and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer for just a minute or two to heat through.
- Add the meatballs back to the pan and stir to coat in the sauce. Finish with a generous sprinkle of chopped cilantro, then serve over steamed rice or cooked rice noodles.
Adrianna Cobb says
Made this exactly as it was (only swap was turkey because my local was out of ground chicken) and it was so good!! Made it for meal prep and it was great reheated!