Red Curry Chicken Meatballs
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.
Ingredients
For the Meatballs:
- 2 pounds ground chicken dark meat recommended (you can also use ground turkey, pork or beef)
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 3 medium scallions minced (about 1/4 cup)
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro plus more for garnish
- 1 tablespoon fresh minced or grated ginger (about 1-inch knob)
- 3 garlic cloves minced or grated
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
For the Curry:
- 1 tablespoon coconut or neutral oil
- 1 large yellow onion finely chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 3 garlic cloves minced or grated
- 2 tablespoons minced or grated fresh ginger (about 2-inch knob)
- 3 tablespoons red curry paste or more if you like spice
- 1 15oz can coconut milk
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon lime juice plus wedges for squeezing
- 3 cups baby spinach
- Roughly chopped fresh mint basil, 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.
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