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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.
First, the sauce was sooo yummy. We loved it. For all the people concerned about the amount of curry, I really think this was a good amount to make a mild curry dish. It was not spicy; the peanut butter rounds out the flavor.
I had some trouble with the meatballs – they seemed to lack salt (although once they’re in the sauce, you don’t really taste them I guess), they stuck to the pan, and they didn’t bind well. I needed to double the recipe because we needed at least 6 servings so I made the meatballs in batches and I think I should have just baked them. I added the lime zest to the sauce at the end because I wasn’t sure where it was intended. If I make it again I’ll bake the meatballs, add more curry and maybe some crushed red pepper, and add some salt to the meatball mix. Overall we really liked it. Thank you!
Hi Jenny,
Happy Tuesday! Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback! Sorry to hear you had some trouble with the meatballs! xTieghan
This is amazing!!! Everyone, including my kids, LOVED it. I have a quick question for you about the curry paste you use. I have a small jar of red curry which is the same brand that you have linked in your recipe. I can’t imagine using a whole 1/4 a cup of it though, I think it would be inedibly hot. The kind you linked is a much bigger container, is it more mild than the small 4 oz jar or am I just a wimp when it comes to heat? You’ve used it in other recipes and I always just use less, but am curious. Thanks!
Hey Mira,
Fantastic!! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks for trying it out! You only want to use 1/4 cup, not the whole jar. It does have a nice kick but you can always just reduce to your liking:) xTieghan
Can I make the meatballs ahead of time? The dish looks delicious!
Hi Anna,
Totally! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
Truly an awesome recipe! The meatballs were a bit tricky to make, but the sauce was bomb ?
Hey Morgan,
Wonderful!! Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xT
Really tasty! My kids LOVED it and they are super picky. I used half the amount of red curry paste because we aren’t big on heat. I thought it was a bit dry with chicken, I may try turkey or a different meat next time. Great dish, super flavorful
Hi Abby,
Fantastic!! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks for trying it out! xTieghan
Hi:)) Do you mind suggesting a brand you like for the rice noodles?
Hi Liz,
I really like the Lotus Foods brand! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Is there any curry paste that I can use to make this not very spicy? All of the red curry paste that I find says it’s really spicy!
Hi Laura,
You could use a sweet Thai Chili paste, that should reduce the heat for you! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Do you recommend a particular brand of red curry paste?
Hi Sue,
I like the Thai Kitchen Brand. I hope you love this dish, let me know if you give it a try! xx
Making this tonight, in the UK…..is chicken broth just chicken stock??
Hi Wendy! I just got done making this and used stock instead of broth. I almost always use stock as a replacement because that is what I usually have on hand, and I think it is more flavorful. Good luck!
Hi Wendy,
Yes:) I hope you love the recipe! xx
is there a substitute for the peanut butter that would be good? we have a peanut allergy in the family
Hey Marie,
Sunflower seed butter would also work well for you! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
Wow. So good. The whole family loved it. Didn’t put the corn in to keep carbs down- but sooooo much flavor. Definitely making it again.
Hi Melissa,
Wonderful! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks for trying it out! Have a great weekend:)
My daughter came home from the hospital with her newborn baby yesterday. I made them Coconut Chicken Meatball Curry with Rice Noodles for dinner. Everybody loved it. Even their toddler was a fan!
Hi Linda,
Awe that is so amazing! Thanks for making the recipe and congrats on your family’s newest addition! xTieghan
making right now and looks delicious… where do you out in the honey?
Hi Shannon,
The honey is added in step 3. Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love the recipe! xx
What can I substitute for the tamari and coconut milk?
Hi Vanessa,
You can use soy sauce and another milk that you enjoy. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Made this tonight , Turned out amazing ! My girls are picky eaters and they also loved it.
Thank you for this and all the amazing recipes !
Hi Alma,
Fantastic!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks for making it! xx
This was a delicious weeknight dinner, but I wouldn’t necessarily call it simple given the long ingredient list. If you frequently cook with Asian-inspired flavors, you’ll likely have many of the ingredients on hand, but if not, some of them may be bit pricey. Regardless, our family really enjoyed this! We used 1-2 Tbsps rather than the recommended 1/4 cup of peanut butter and 1 Tbsp of honey (added with the tamari + PB), and the resulting sauce was more than rich enough with the coconut milk. We also agreed it probably would have been better over jasmine or basmati rice. Will try that next time!
Hi Wendy,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback! I’m glad to hear it was enjoyed overall:) xx
Hi, the honey isn’t shown in the directions.. when should that be put in?
Hi Michelle,
So sorry for any confusion, I fixed the directions, you are going to add the honey in step 3! I hope you love the recipe!! xx