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Thai Red Curry Chicken Meatballs

Thai Red Curry Chicken Meatballs

Spiced Chicken Meatballs in Red Curry Coconut Sauce

Tender chicken meatballs packed with fresh ginger and cilantro meet a rich, aromatic curry sauce that clings to every curve. The secret is baking the meatballs until they're deeply golden before tossing them in that silky coconut-curry mixture. Pure comfort food with serious Thai flavor credentials.

ThaiAsianDinnerGluten FreeDairy FreeBakingChicken
Prep15 min
Cook20 min
Total35 min
Servings4
Difficultymedium

Ingredients

meatballs

  • 16 ozground chicken, preferably thigh meat for extra flavor
  • ½ cuppanko breadcrumbs
  • 2 clovegarlic cloves, finely minced
  • 1 tspfresh ginger, peeled and minced
  • 1 large egg
  • ⅛ tspkosher salt
  • ⅛ tspfreshly ground black pepper
  • ⅛ tspcrushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 tbspfresh cilantro, finely chopped

Thai curry sauce

  • ½ tbspextra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tspfresh ginger, peeled and minced
  • 2 clovegarlic cloves, finely minced
  • 1 tbspThai red curry paste, good quality
  • ¾ cupcanned coconut milk, full-fat preferred
  • 1 tspsriracha sauce
  • ⅛ tspfreshly ground black pepper
  • ⅛ tspkosher salt
  • ⅛ tspcrushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 tbspfresh cilantro, finely chopped
  • 1 tbspfresh lime juice

Instructions

  1. Crank your oven to 400°F and let it fully preheat while you prep the meatballs. A properly heated oven is key to getting those beautiful caramelized edges.
  2. Brush a large baking sheet with a thin layer of oil. You want just enough to prevent sticking without creating puddles.
  3. Combine all the meatball ingredients in a large bowl and gently mix with your hands until just combined. Overmixing makes tough meatballs, so stop as soon as everything looks evenly distributed.
  4. Dampen your hands with cool water and roll the mixture into 12 evenly sized meatballs, about 1½ inches across. The wet hands keep the mixture from sticking to you.
  5. Arrange the meatballs on your prepared baking sheet with space between each one. Bake for 15-20 minutes, flipping them once at the halfway mark. They're done when they're golden brown all over and spring back when gently pressed.
    ⏱ 20 min
  6. While the meatballs bake, warm the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat until it shimmers but doesn't smoke.
  7. Drop in the garlic and ginger, stirring constantly for about a minute until they smell incredible and just start to turn golden. Don't let them brown.
    ⏱ 1 min
  8. Add the curry paste and cook for another minute, stirring constantly. The paste should bloom and become fragrant — this step builds the flavor foundation.
    ⏱ 1 min
  9. Slowly whisk in the coconut milk until the mixture is smooth and starts to thicken slightly. Pull the pan off the heat once it reaches a sauce consistency that coats the back of a spoon.
  10. Stir in the sriracha, pepper, salt, red pepper flakes, cilantro, and lime juice. Taste and adjust the seasoning — you want a balance of heat, salt, and brightness.
  11. Add the hot meatballs directly to the sauce and gently toss until each one is completely coated. The residual heat will warm the sauce if needed.
  12. Transfer to your serving dish and scatter fresh cilantro over the top. Serve right away while the meatballs are still hot and the sauce is silky.