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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.
Best thing I’ve cooked in a long while. My picky kid loved it, too. Thanks so much!
Hey Sarah,
LOL so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for trying it out! Hope you’re off to a great Friday! xx
Made this tonight. It was delicious. I used ground chicken. The meatballs were simple but flavorful. Unlike others, I did NOT have any problem with them holding together. The texture when cooked was light and fluffy. My husband even commented how much he enjoyed them. I did add extra garlic and ginger. My husband would have liked a little more heat, so I might add some chili flakes in the future. I would also probably add just a bit more lime. Overall a definite keeper
Hi RuthAnn,
Happy Friday!! Thanks a lot for trying this recipe out, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Have a great weekend:)
So so delicious! I saw other comments that the meatballs weren’t binding so I added 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs and a beaten egg. I highly suggest this as my meatballs didn’t fall apart at all! The sauce was so yummy with the rice noodles. I’m so glad I branched out a little from my typical flavors and tried this because it’s amazing!
Hi Danielle,
Happy Friday!! Thanks a lot for trying this recipe out, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Thanks for sharing what worked well for you! Have a great weekend:)
Do you have a recipe for DIY curry powder with all the flavor but zero heat?
Hi Gary,
So sorry I don’t. Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
My favorite thing to do when I work overnight is browse HBH and decide what I am going to make when I wake up the next day. This was my first time making a curry dish like this and it was SO easy. It came together in under an hour. The flavor profile is unfreaking real, so delicious between the slight spice from the curry paste, creaminess of the peanut butter and freshness of the lime juice/zest. I followed recipe to a T and it came out perfect. Definitely a keeper recipe!! Thank you Tieghan!! xoxo
Hi Alyssa,
Amazing!! I love to hear that this recipe was tasty, thanks so much for making it sharing your review:) Thanks for making so many recipes! xTieghan
Made this last night and it was so delicious! They sauce was so rich!
Hi Hailey,
Amazing!! I love to hear that this recipe was tasty, thanks so much for making it sharing your review:) xTieghan
What are the pretty orange flowers in the photos?
Hi Quinnlyn,
So sorry, I’m really not sure of the name! Let me know if you give the recipe a try:) xx
Could you make this with green curry paste?
Hi Kesa,
You bet, that would work for you. Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
This recipe is so good. The sauce is amazing. We just kept dipping pita bread (my own addition). Meatballs were simple to make, and delicious. This is a keeper.
Hi Emily,
Happy Wednesday! I love to hear that this recipe was tasty, thanks for making it! xxT
This is pretty yummy! I used pork and had the same problem as someone else:. The meatballs didn’t stick together very well and stuck to the pan despite the sesame oil.
I used panang curry because that’s what we had, and added a little brown sugar to cut the smokiness.
Hi Kelli,
So glad to hear you enjoyed the flavor. Sorry to hear about your meatballs, let me know if there is anything that I can help with! xTieghan
Oh my gosh! This was so so good! I added a bit of broccoli because I had some in the fridge. Also used Krema’s spicy peanut butter (yes, that’s a thing!) in addition to the curry paste. Absolutely delicious!
Hi Sara,
Awesome!! I love to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, thanks so much for trying it out! xTieghan
Wow! This was so delicious! Easy to make and I can’t wait for leftovers for lunch tomorrow! I used frozen corn and forgot the lime but there was so much happening we didn’t miss it. Used the Lotus Foods rice ramen noodles- best gluten free noodles ever!
Hi Cheryl,
Amazing!! I love to hear that this recipe was tasty, thanks so much for making it and sharing your review:) xTieghan
Literally one of the best meals I’ve ever made or eaten! Thank you ☺️
Wow, thanks so much Emily! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! xx
LOVED it! Not sure where the honey was supposed to go but my husband and I didn’t miss it!
Hi Molly,
Thanks so much for making this dish, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! Sorry about the honey, it’s in step 3. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
This was genius! The only thing I didn’t have on hand is as fresh corn which I grabbed at the farm stand down the street. I used turkey because that’s what I had.
So good! And so easy!!
Hi Francesca,
Happy Wednesday! I love to hear that this recipe was tasty, thanks for making it! xxT
Oh my heavens! We used pork thinking the flavors would be a little more interesting . This was amazing!!!! The sink you thank you thank you! Betsy
Hi Betsy,
Happy Wednesday! I love to hear that this recipe was tasty, thanks for making it! xxT