This Thai-influenced dish delivers big flavor for very little work. Tender oven-baked chicken or turkey meatballs, simmered in a delicious coconut milk-based red curry sauce. Packed with ginger and garlic and showered with fresh herbs, this is a guaranteed crowd pleaser.
Prep Time30 minutesmins
Cook Time25 minutesmins
Total Time55 minutesmins
Course: Entree, Main Course
Cuisine: American, thai
Keyword: coconut, curry, meatballs
Author: Emily Clifton, Nerds with Knives
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Ingredients
For the Meatballs:
2poundsground chickendark meat recommended (you can also use ground turkey, pork or beef)
1/2cuppanko breadcrumbs
3medium scallionsminced (about 1/4 cup)
3tablespoonsfinely chopped cilantroplus more for garnish
1tablespoonfresh minced or grated ginger(about 1-inch knob)
2tablespoonsminced or grated fresh ginger(about 2-inch knob)
3tablespoonsred curry pasteor more if you like spice
115oz can coconut milk
1/2cupchicken stock
1tablespoonfish sauce
1tablespoonbrown sugar
2tablespoonssmooth peanut butter
1tablespoonlime juiceplus wedges for squeezing
3cupsbaby spinach
Roughly chopped fresh mintbasil, and or cilantro leaves
Steamed jasmine rice or rice noodles
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400°F and place a rack in the middle. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil or parchment.
Add all of the meatball ingredients in a large bowl and, using your fingers or a fork, gently mix everything together until fully combined. Don’t squeeze the meat or the meatballs will be tough. Form the mixture into 2-inch meatballs (a scoop is great though you can also just estimate) and arrange them on the baking sheet with a little space between each ball. Bake the meatballs until golden brown and just cooked through, about 12 to 14 minutes. Remove the tray from the oven and set them aside.
While the meatballs are cooking, make the curry sauce. Heat the oil on medium-high in a deep, wide skillet or dutch oven. Add the onion and cook, stirrinq often, until the onion turns soft and translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the red curry paste and cook, stirring everything around, until the paste sizzles and turns a darker red, about 3 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk, chicken stock, fish sauce, sugar and peanut butter and bring sauce to a boil, then lower the heat and gently simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Add in the spinach and lime juice and stir until wilted, 1 minute. Transfer the meatballs to the sauce and gently toss until coated in sauce.
Serve on top of rice or rice noodles, with lots of fresh herbs and lime wedges for squeezing.