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The best simple weeknight Coconut Chicken Meatball Curry with Rice Noodles. Made with flavorful Thai curry paste, coconut milk, plenty of fresh herbs, and lime juice. Then toss in seared chicken meatballs and plenty of delicious rice noodles and it’s hard to beat this easy Thai-inspired coconut curry. It’s a delicious mix of cozy and healthy and a great way to use up those garden bell peppers and fresh basil.
If there’s one thing I used to say I didn’t like, it was meatballs. And to be honest, meatballs themselves still don’t really appeal to me. But put them in a red sauce with cheese? Or a creamy coconut curry sauce?
Wow, that I can get excited about. It’s all about taking something semi-boring and making it exciting and fresh!
Here are the quick details
Start by making the meatballs. I usually like to cook them in the oven, but it just made sense to sear these in a skillet instead. Much faster and no one wants to turn the oven on during these hot days. Using the skillet to sear the meatballs creates the perfect non-dry meatball that’s crisp and tender. I like to use a mix of ground chicken, green onions, salt, and pepper. The secret is a dash of Worcestershire sauce, which adds a really delicious, saltiness. You don’t really know it’s there, but it adds a special touch.
What’s different about these meatballs is that there are no eggs or bread crumbs. I wanted to keep this simple. Well, really, I just wanted them as a base for the coconut curry sauce. Meaning that the meatballs soak up the sauce instead of being the key flavor.
Roll the meat (you can use chicken, pork, or turkey) into balls, then sear them in a skillet with sides until crisp.
Pull the meatballs out of the skillet and finish the dish by making the sauce.
The sauce is pretty simple but made incredibly flavorful with onions, garlic, and ginger. I like to use bell peppers as my vegetable along with sweet summer corn. Then Thai curry paste to keep things spicy, and canned coconut milk for a super luscious and creamy sauce. I then add a splash of soy sauce and a big dollop of peanut butter for richness.
Next, add the corn and meatballs to the sauce. The dish is finished with lime juice, cilantro, and basil.
As soon as the curry is done, I spoon it overtop rice noodles and add fresh herbs. Simply a mix of cilantro, Thai basil, and mint.
Here’s what I will say, it’s important to eat the curry as soon as you put it over the noodles or the noodles will soak up all that amazing sauce. Just be sure to keep the noodles separate until you’re ready to eat.
A great fresh late summer dinner in under an hour. Kind of love that, especially for the busy back-to-school season we are entering!
Looking for other quick curries? Here are some favorites:
Coconut Curry Salmon with Garlic Butter
Saucy Coconut Curry with Rice Noodles and Garden Vegetables
Weeknight 30 Minute Coconut Curry Chicken Meatballs
20 Minute Red Curry Basil Garlic Oil Noodles
Lastly, if you make this Coconut Chicken Meatball Curry with Rice Noodles 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!
Coconut Chicken Meatball Curry with Rice Noodles
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 1112 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, pork, or turkey
- 4 green onions, chopped
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- kosher salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil or extra virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 orange bell pepper, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
- 1/4 cup Thai red curry paste
- 1 can (13.5 ounce) full fat coconut milk
- 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 1/4 cup peanut butter
- 3 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 2 cups yellow corn
- 8 ounces rice noodles
- juice and zest from 1/2 a lime
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro and basil
Instructions
- 1. Add the chicken, green onions, Worcestershire sauce, and a pinch of pepper to a bowl. Mix until just combined. Coat your hands with a bit of oil, and roll the meat into tablespoon-size balls (will make 15-20 meatballs).2. Heat the sesame oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and sear until crisp, about 4-5 minutes, turning them 2-3 times. Transfer everything to a plate. 3. To the skillet, add the onions and bell peppers. Cook until softened, 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the garlic, ginger, and curry paste. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the broth, coconut milk, tamari, honey, and peanut butter. Stir to combine. Add the corn and meatballs and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro and basil. 4. Meanwhile, cook the noodles according to package directions.5. Divide the noodles between bowls and ladle the curry over. Top each bowl as desired with basil, cilantro, lime juice, and sesame seeds.
My husband loved this! I doubled the red curry paste, but otherwise made it exactly like the instructions. It took me 3 hours start to finish, don’t know how u did it in 40 minutes!
Thanks so so much for trying out this recipe! Have a lovely day! xT
Love this recipe — perfect for a quick weeknight dinner! The meatballs were moist and tender and were delicious with the spicy curry sauce. I’ll definitely be making this again.
Thank you so much for trying out this recipe! Hope you enjoyed it 🙂 xT