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A square, overhead image of Thai Chicken Meatball Curry in a black pan. There is a large wooden spoon on the left side of the dish, scooping some sauce and meatballs. The meatballs are topped with slices of red chilli, and coriander and there are two lime wedges placed in the pan. There is some coriander scattered around the background, and to the left of the pan, there is a dark blue napkin tucked behind the pan. In the top right corner of the image, you can slightly see a stack of light grey dishes with silver cutlery on top. Below the stack of dishes, there is a small black dish filled with chopped coriander. This is all set on a dark grey background.
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5 from 3 votes

Chicken Meatball Curry

Chicken Meatball Curry - Juicy flavourful chicken meatballs in a creamy red Thai curry sauce. The sauce is packed fully of flavour, with a nice kick of heat.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Refrigerating time20 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Thai
Keyword: curry, meatballs, Thai Curry
Servings: 4
Author Nicky Corbishley

Ingredients

Chicken Meatballs:

  • 500 g (1lb 2oz) minced (ground) chicken
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 medium egg
  • 5 tbsp panko breadcrumbs
  • 2 garlic cloves peeled and minced
  • 1 tsp minced ginger
  • 2 tsp lemongrass paste
  • 1 red Thai chilli finely chopped (or for less heat use a Fresno or serrano chilli or leave out)
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp white pepper
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped coriander (cilantro)

Sauce:

  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 2 garlic cloves peeled and minced
  • 1 tsp minced ginger
  • 1 chicken stock cube crumbled
  • 4 tbsp red Thai curry paste
  • 400 ml (14oz) tin full fat coconut milk
  • 2 tsp fish sauce
  • 1 tbsp light brown sugar
  • 10 Thai basil leaves torn in half
  • 1 tbsp fresh lime juice approx. the juice from half a lime

To Serve:

  • boiled/steamed rice or coconut rice
  • fresh Thai basil leaves and/or fresh coriander (cilantro) I like a bit of both
  • thinly sliced Thai chillies only use if you like it HOT
  • lime wedges

Instructions

  • Place all the meatball ingredients into a large bowl and mix together with your hands. Place in the refrigerator for 20 minutes to allow the panko to absorb some of the moisture - as this is quite a sticky mixture. If you're putting in the fridge for more than 20-30 mins (make it up to one day ahead), cover the bowl with clingfilm too).
    500 g (1lb 2oz) minced (ground) chicken, 1 tbsp sesame oil, 1 medium egg, 5 tbsp panko breadcrumbs, 2 garlic cloves, 1 tsp minced ginger, 2 tsp lemongrass paste, 1 red Thai chilli, ¼ tsp salt, ¼ tsp white pepper, 2 tbsp finely chopped coriander (cilantro)
  • Remove the mixture from the fridge and form the mixture into walnut-size meatballs – you should get about 20-22 meatballs. The mixture will still be fairly sticky, so I like to oil my hands first as this helps to prevent the mixture from sticking to hands.
  • Heat the oil in a large frying pan (skillet) over a medium–high heat. Add the meatballs and brown on all sides – this should take 6–8 minutes.
    1 tbsp oil
  • Move the meatballs to one side of the pan and add the garlic, ginger, crumbled stock cube and curry paste to the space in the pan. Cook, whilst stirring, for one minute.
    2 garlic cloves, 1 tsp minced ginger, 1 chicken stock cube, 4 tbsp red Thai curry paste
  • Pour in the coconut milk, then add the fish sauce, sugar, Thai basil leaves and lime juice.
    400 ml (14oz) tin full fat coconut milk, 2 tsp fish sauce, 1 tbsp light brown sugar, 10 Thai basil leaves, 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
  • Stir together to coat the meatballs, turn down the heat and simmer for 5-6 minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly.
  • Serve with rice and top with Thai basil leaves or fresh coriander, sliced chillies and lime wedges.
    boiled/steamed rice or coconut rice, fresh Thai basil leaves and/or fresh coriander (cilantro), thinly sliced Thai chillies, lime wedges

Video

Notes

Can I make this curry ahead?

Yes! you can make this curry, then cool, cover and refrigerate for up to two days. Reheat in a pan until piping hot throughout. You might need to add a splash of water to loosen the sauce when reheating.

Can I freeze this curry?

Yes, any leftovers of this curry can be cooled, covered and frozen. Then defrost overnight in the refrigerator and reheat in a pan (stirring often) or microwave until piping hot throughout. You might need to add a splash of water to loosen the sauce when reheating.

How to make this a mild curry

I often use Blue Dragon Red Thai curry paste, which is a little on the spicy side (Thai-brands of red Thai pastes usually are fairly hot too).
If I want a milder red Thai curry that the kids will enjoy, I use Waitrose own brand of Thai red curry paste. It's still got a good flavour but is actually quite mild.
If you don't want to use a Thai curry paste, a mild Indian paste (such as Korma paste) will also work well.
You can leave the chopped Thai chilli out of the meatballs too.

Can I swap out the coconut milk?

The coconut milk is quite important for a more authentic Thai flavour, but you can replace the coconut milk with 250ml (about 1 cup) of chicken stock and 150ml (about 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp) of double(heavy) cream.
You may need to thicken the sauce slightly with a cornstarch slurry made of 2 tbsp cornflour/cornstarch, mixed with 5 tbsp of cold water. Stir it in slowly to the hot curry before serving – until you achieve the desired thickness.

I can't find lemongrass paste

Swap out the lemongrass paste for one lemongrass stalk. Remove the outer leaves and chop very finely.
If you can't find lemongrass stalks, add 2 tsp lemon zest instead. It's not quite the same, but it will add a nice citrussy flavour that comes pretty close.

How to scale up and down this recipe: 

You can double up to serve a crowd or halve to serve a few, as long as you stick to the same ingredient ratios. If you are doubling up, you may have to cook the meatballs in two batches.
Nutritional information is per serving NOT including rice and toppings.

Nutrition

Calories: 535kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 23g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 149mg | Sodium: 817mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g

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