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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.
Delicious— with some extras! I had to add more salt, spices, acidity, and a bit of honey to get the flavor just right.
Thank you so so much! I appreciate you giving the recipe a try! xT
Thank you for a great recipe. Doubled and made for company and it got rave reviews from everyone. Changes made for meatballs – used venison, 2 eggs and no shallots since I didn’t have any on hand. Also, baked them at 400 for 20 minutes then broiled for 5 minutes as you suggested as an alternative to stovetop. The only change made for the coconut curry sauce was to add double the peppers. Next time I’ll add julienned carrots and zucchini for extra nutrition and color.
Sounds like you nailed this recipe! Thanks for trying it out! xT
We were not fans of this one. I did bake my meatballs which was the only difference I believe. There was very little flavor. I tried adding fish sauce and peanuts and tons of cilantro after the fact. I have never made chicken meat balls. They turned pithy after a couple days in the fridge as well. I’ll keep trying other recipes though. Kids loved the creamy garlic corn chicken!
Hey Caralee! Thank you so much for the feedback, I’m sorry this recipe didn’t turn out! Thank you for letting me know!
Could this be made ahead and then reheated?
Definitely!
This was so incredible. Probably in our top 10 HBH recipes! Easy enough for a weeknight meal, super cozy and yummy. It’s a must try!
Thank you so much Korin! So glad you loved this curry! xT
This was wonderful and it was all I could go to not lick the plate! So much flavor in the meatballs and the sauce. Thank you for another amazing recipe!
Yayyy! Love to hear this! Thanks for trying out the recipe Jill! xT
I’m anxious to try the recipe but I wonder if you could tell me the difference (if any) between the small 4 oz Thai Kitchen red curry paste and the 35 oz Thai Kitchen red curry paste. The small bottle I use quite a bit but it is really hot and I can’t imagine using 3-4 tbsp. That’s why I’m wondering if you use the larger container which might be less hot.
Hi Linda! I haven’t found any difference between the two, but if you’d like it less spicy you could definitely add a little less curry paste! Hope this helps! xT
Excellent recipe! Will add to our family’s dinner rotation for sure. Fed my husband and 17 yr old son plus myself. I will bump the recipe up to 1.5 lbs of ground chicken as we just had enough but I could have had few more meatballs myself ☺️
Thank you so so much for giving the recipe a try! Love to hear that it was enjoyed! xT
This was my first time cooking with a curry paste so I was a little nervous but OMG!! This recipe is amazing! It did take me longer to make but I did double the recipe. So worth it! Everyone loved it. I made with jasmine rice and next time I will make naan to soak up that sauce. So delicious!
Yay!! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! xR
Absolutely delicious, I made this recipe as it is different to the recipes I usually make with a Thai red curry sauce. I am really glad I did. The zucchini in the chicken meatballs made them moist and full of flavour. Thank you for the recipe.
Love to hear that!! Thank you so much for giving the recipe a try! xT
Yum – Delicious recipe! It was a lighter meal and satisfying. My husband loved it. Also tasted great as leftovers at work the next day. Will be making it again soon.
Love to hear that!! Thank you so much for giving the recipe a try! xT
We made this last night and it was DELICIOUS! It’s perfectly light but also filling at the same time. Incorporating veggies in the meatballs is a fantastic idea. We added a side of broccoli and it went so well with that yummy sauce. We will definitely make this again!
Hi there! Thank you so much for trying out the recipe! So glad you enjoyed it! xT
WOW, this dish is incredible! The meatballs were easy to make and so moist, and then the sauce that they simmer in is lick the bowl good. It was so easy and an absolute flavor bomb. This is going into my recipe rotation.
Hi there! Thank you so much for trying out the recipe! So glad you enjoyed it! xT
These look amazing, Tieghan! What kind of rice would you recommend, long grain like a basmati or a short/medium grain that’s stickier?
I love using jasmine or basmati! xT
Delicious meal – definitely worthy of serving to company. Beware though it does take about one hour start to finish. And makes a mess in the kitchen. But worth it! I followed the recipe as written with the exception of a few swaps based on ingredients I already had at home (green curry paste instead of red paste, green bell pepper instead of red, and kaffir lime leaves instead of lime juice). If I were to make this again I would use either the butter or oil at the time you add the bell pepper and shallot to the pan. I didn’t think both were necessary and it was a tad too rich. But all in all a really fantastic recipe. Thanks!
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Have a great week! xT
Wondering if I wanted to bake them how long to put them in the oven for? I am thinking to make a big batch and freeze for fast prep
I would bake for about 20 mins at 400 and then maybe broil them!