Thai Red Curry Chicken Meatballs with Lemongrass & Coconut Sauce
These fragrant Thai Red Curry Chicken Meatballs are combined with a creamy lemongrass coconut sauce for a bold and easy weeknight meal.
Ingredients
Chicken Meatballs
- 1.5 pounds ground chicken
- 1-2 tablespoons spicy curry powder Adjust according to preference.
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari Divided.
- 1 small shallot, finely minced
- to taste Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- a pinch red chili flakes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Lemongrass Coconut Curry Sauce
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter Divided.
- ¼ cup Thai red curry paste
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 1 stalk lemongrass, very finely minced
- 3-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 medium orange or red bell peppers, thinly sliced
- 3 cups full-fat coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- ½ lime Juice of
For Serving
- as needed Steamed jasmine or basmati rice
- ½ cup chopped Thai basil or fresh cilantro
- as needed Lime wedges
Instructions
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 450°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, curry powder, shallot, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, olive oil, chili flakes, salt, and pepper. Gently mix until just combined.
- Using lightly oiled hands, roll the mixture into tablespoon-sized meatballs. Place them evenly on the baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes, until lightly golden.
Cooking
- While the meatballs bake, melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the red curry paste, ginger, and minced lemongrass. Cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Stir in the garlic and sliced bell peppers and cook for about 1 minute.
- Pour in the coconut milk, remaining soy sauce, and fish sauce. Stir until smooth and gently simmer.
- Add the baked meatballs to the sauce. Let everything simmer gently for 5–7 minutes until the meatballs are fully cooked and the sauce thickens.
- Stir in the lime juice.
- Melt the remaining butter in a small pan until lightly golden.
- Spoon the meatballs and sauce over warm rice, drizzle with the melted butter, and garnish with Thai basil or cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.
Notes
Don’t overmix the meatball mix; handle it lightly for tender meatballs. Use full-fat coconut milk for the creamiest sauce. If sauce is too thin, simmer a few extra minutes to reduce and thicken.