Zesty chicken meatballs are packed full of flavour and definitely not dry thanks to being baked in the oven. Tossed in a thick and creamy Thai red curry sauce and served over a bed of fluffy rice, this a perfect twist on a classic weeknight dinner.
It really doesn’t matter what time of year it is, I always love to eat a hearty bowl of Thai curry. With good quality curry pastes available and inexpensive from the grocery store, it becomes a simple weeknight dinner that I can make with mostly pantry staples.
And while I usually just use any chicken breast or thigh I have in the freezer, along with any combination of vegetables I have on hand, this time I wanted to change things up a little and make dinner a bit more interesting by using baked chicken meatballs.
I can’t remember when I first heard about the technique of cooking meatballs in the oven. Before this I had always thought they had to be cooked on the stove which often resulted in dry, unevenly cooked little bits of meat. For this reason I stopped making meatballs all together for a while.
But with the oven method, the process becomes mostly hands off and the result is perfectly cooked, tender meatballs every single time, with all the juicy flavour staying within the meatball rather than getting lost in the pan.
How to make baked Thai chicken meatballs
I love a one bowl situation, and that is exactly what we have here. Throw all the ingredients for your meatballs into a large bowl, mix it up with a wooden spoon and then get to rolling.
These meatballs are heavy on the lime and have just a slight hint of chilli. Also, don’t skimp on the fish sauce as although it has a funky smell, this is what makes these meatballs so delicious.
The best tip I ever read for making meatballs is to lightly coat your hands with olive oil before rolling. This prevents the mixture from sticking to your hands making your meatballs cleaner, plus the extra little bit of oil on the outside helps the meatballs to get nice and golden in the oven.
Roll all of you meatballs and place on a lined baking tray and cook in the oven for 20-25 minutes, turning once as they cook.
From here, you can eat the meatballs as they are, and they make a perfect appetiser either hot or cold dunked in sweet chilli sauce.
Otherwise, you can whip up a simple creamy Thai red curry sauce as in the recipe below and make it into a hearty meal.
To your curry sauce, you can add in some veggies if you want, or keep things simple with just the meatballs served over a bed of rice. You could also use cauliflower rice instead for a low carb option.
Once you try these meatballs baked in the oven, you will only ever make them this way I promise. Chicken meatballs are always dry, but these are the exception.
Next time you are wanting something a bit different to the usual for dinner without adding any complication or expensive ingredients, give this simple Thai red curry with baked chicken meatballs a try and I am sure they will become a household favourite.
If you do make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and rating below! And tag any of your creations on Instagram with #eightforestlane as I would love to see.
Thai Red Curry with Baked Chicken Meatballs
Ingredients
For the meatballs:
- 500 grams chicken mince
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- ½ teaspoon crushed ginger
- zest of half a lime
- juice of half a lime
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- ½ teaspoon chilli flakes
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- ¼ cup breadcrumbs
For the red curry:
- 1 tablespoon peanut oil
- 3 tablespoons red curry paste
- 1 x 400ml can of coconut milk
- 2 teaspoons of fish sauce
- juice of half a lime
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C and line a large baking tray with baking paper.
- Make the meatballs. In a large bowl, mix everything together with a wooden spoon.
- Coat your hands with a small amount of olive oil to prevent the meatball mixture from sticking and roll tablespoon amounts of mixture into balls. Place on the tray and bake for 20-25 minutes, turning once until slightly golden and cooked through. Set aside.
- In a frying pan with deep sides, heat peanut oil on high heat and add in curry paste. Using a wooden spoon, mix curry paste in pan until fragrant. Add in coconut milk and stir to combine with the curry paste. Turn down heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the sauce starts to thicken. Add in fish sauce and lime juice and stir to combine. Add in cooked chicken meatballs and stir to coat in sauce for a further 5-10 minutes or until sauce coats the meatballs. Serve with rice.
Notes
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
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Robyn
Yum! I’ve never though about doing a Thai curry with meatballs but what a great idea. Thanks also for the tip about the olive oil before you roll the meatballs!
Sally
It saves so much mess! Hope you enjoy these!
Gavin
I’m LOVING the sound of these. I do a pork meatball dish and it goes down a treat. Never made chicken meatballs – guess I know what ingredients I’ll be buying on my next trip to the shop
Sally
Pork meatballs sound great! Hope you enjoy this one Gavin 🙂