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Simple Thai Chicken Zucchini Meatball Curry. Meatballs made with ground chicken, shredded zucchini, ginger, herbs, and spices. Each meatball is pan seared, then mixed with a creamy, spicy Thai red curry sauce. It’s the perfect any night of the week dinner that’s made in under 30 minutes. Serve these meatballs and creamy curry sauce over bowls of steamed rice. Yum!
Meatballs are something I make a lot these days. Which is kind of funny since just a couple of years ago I really hated making and photographing meatballs. They’re not the prettiest subject, you know?
But one of my oldest brother Creighton’s favorite foods is a really good meatball. It can be Italian, dressed up in an Asian sauce, or tossed with buffalo sauce. As long as they’re done well, he loves them all. He’s always asking me for meatballs!
Today I am delivering, and he was not disappointed. These crispy, saucy meatballs are delicious and check off all the yummiest boxes!
Slightly inspired by my favorite Thai Chicken Meatball Khao Soi, I created these meatballs with shredded zucchini. Because these are the days when we have SO MUCH zucchini on hand.
The zucchini really helps keep the chicken from drying out. So we all love that!
Plus, added veggies are always a good idea!
Details
Step 1: make the meatballs
These really aren’t fancy, but they are so flavorful. I used ground chicken, but ground pork could possibly be even better if you’d like to test that out. Or use a mix of chicken and pork. Next, add shredded zucchini, green onions, ginger, garlic, and a pinch of cayenne and black pepper. Then add in tamari or use soy sauce if you prefer.
Mix the meat to combine all those flavors, then scoop and roll into meatballs.
Step 2: cook the meatballs
I usually love to bake my meatballs. Or sometimes I’ll make them in the crockpot. But for this recipe, we’re sticking with one pan and searing each meatball until crisp. Simply cook the meatballs in oil until each one becomes a golden color and has a nice crispy outside.
At this point, they should be smelling really delicious!!
Step 3: make the curry sauce
Now that the meatballs are crispy, make the coconut curry.
This is simply canned coconut milk mixed with Thai red curry paste. The curry paste is key as it adds the flavor and the spice! Mix the meatballs into the sauce to warm them through, then serve!
My favorite way to serve these meatballs and curry sauce is over top of rice. I then finish with fresh basil or cilantro, green onions, and a good squish of lime juice.
Simple, simple, but extra saucy and one of those dinners you’re (hopefully) going to have on repeat. Creighton happily enjoyed this dinner and is already asking me to make it again soon!
Looking for other simple recipes? Here are some favorites
20 Minute Thai Basil Beef Rolls
30 Minute Garlic Butter Chicken Pad Thai
Coconut Popcorn Chicken with Sweet Thai Chili Lime Sauce
Better Than Takeout Garlic Butter Shrimp Pad Thai
Better Than Takeout Sweet Thai Basil Chicken
Lastly, if you make this simple Thai Chicken Zucchini Meatball Curry, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Thai Chicken Zucchini Meatballs in Coconut Curry
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 357 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1/2 cup shredded zucchini (about 1 small)
- 2 green onions, chopped
- 2 shallots, chopped
- 2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon grated, ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- black pepper
- 2 teaspoons tamari/soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1-3 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
- 1 can (14-ounce) coconut milk
- 3 tablespoons tamari/soy sauce
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- basil and limes, for serving
Instructions
- 1. Add the chicken, zucchini, green onions, 1 shallot, 2 teaspoons ginger, 1 clove garlic, cayenne, a pinch of pepper, and 2 teaspoons tamari/soy sauce to a bowl. Mix to combine. Coat your hands with oil, and roll the meat into tablespoon-size balls (will make 15-16 meatballs). 2. Heat a large skillet with sides over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the meatballs. Sear until crisp, 4-5 minutes, turning them 2-3 times. Move to a plate.3. To the same skillet, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, 1 shallot, 1 garlic clove, 1 tablespoon of ginger, the bell peppers, butter, and curry paste. Cook until fragrant, 2 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk and 3 tablespoons of tamari or soy sauce. Slide the meatballs into the curry sauce. Simmer over medium heat until the meatballs are cooked through, 5 minutes. Stir in the cilantro4. Serve the meatballs and sauce over rice with a squeeze of fresh lime, some fresh basil, and/or green onions.
love the recipe, Tieghan, so tasty and all around yummy. I have made so many of your recipes. I noticed there are a couple errors in the ingredient list based on the instructions. It also would be SUPER helpful to have the list broken out by meatballs vs sauce. If 2 people are prepping it is confusing to what goes where. Have made twice, and while making we had to stop and add more ingredients to the meat balls. Makes it a little hard to make sure you have every dived correctly. Would love to see the recipe re-written, I would love to have the measurements by meatballs / Coconut Curry sauce. Prep time does not work out when you are trying to double & triple check and still get it messed up. Thank you so much for your fabulous recipes and cook books!!! love getting the emails to see new dishes to try.
Thank you for this feedback Mary Kay! xT
Quick question…. I intend to make this recipe in the next few days. Would it still work if I used reduced fat coconut milk? Thanks!
Yes, definitely! xT
Fantastic!! I used a combination of pork and chicken. I also added an egg and a bit of panko to help make the meatballs. The splash of lime and ciliantro at the end seal the deal. Delicious!
Thank you so so much for giving this recipe a try! Hope you’re having a lovely week! xT
Tieghan,
The Thai Chicken Zucchini Meatball In Coconut Curry was fantastic. My husband and I enjoyed it to the fullest! I will make this dish again and invite relatives. I used brown rice as the base and that was the only thing I changed. The zucchini made the chicken meatballs very tender.
Thank you and keep creating these great recipes!
Thank you so much for trying out the recipe! Have an awesome weekend! xT
So delicious and the best leftovers. This was really easy to put together and super flavourful. I used ground pork instead of chicken but everything else was exactly as recipe called for. Will definitely make again.
Thank you Mandy!
This dish is absolutely delicious. My first time ever making Thai curry and I will be making this very often. The meatballs are the most perfect combination pf ingredients you can ever think of.
Thank you so much Val! So glad you enjoyed this curry! xT
This was one of my favorite recipes I’ve tried so far!! 10/10 recommend!! Sooo good. I baked my meatballs instead of in the skillet cause I just hate that process and it still worked great!
Awesome!! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed! Have a great week! xT
Sorry to ask, but just to be sure, the recipe calls for 12 cloves of garlic? or is it 2 cloves of garlic?
So sorry for the confusion, it’s 2 cloves! I’ve fixed the recipe now! 🙂
Could you bake instead?
Hey Bridget! Yes, you could bake the meatballs for this recipe! xT
I love the flavors of this recipe. There are a few things I would alter for the future, though. First, I would puree the vegetables for the meatballs before incorporating into the ground meat and add a binder, such as an egg. Second, I felt that the flavor needed just a little something extra when I was tasting it as it simmered, so I highly recommend just a little bit of fish sauce. You don’t taste it, but can taste the difference after it’s added. Then, of course, with the fresh cilantro, green onions and lime, it comes together prefect. I also added about a cup of vegetable broth and extra veggies because I love the extra textures and flavors it adds.
Thank you for the feedback Ashlee! xT
We made this over the Labor Day weekend. Sensational flavor! I did have a hard time turning the ground chicken into meatballs as the texture was very flimsy. When I fried in the skillet, the meatballs fell apart trying to turn. Any suggestions on how to firm up the meatballs? We just browned the ground chicken and put into the curry sauce to simmer. It was delicious even without the meatball shape.
Thank you sooo much for giving the recipe a try! I am so glad you enjoyed it! xT
Hi, I had the same issue. I cracked an egg and threw in some panko and that did the trick.