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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.
This was THE BEST!!!!!! Everyone in my family absolutely loved it. All of the flavors in this dish are just incredible… Thank you for posting!!!! (I used ground beef, and peas instead of corn, because that’s what I had on hand and it still turned out great!)
Hey Sarah,
Wonderful!! I appreciate you taking the time to make this recipe, I am so glad it was a hit! Happy Wednesday:)
I am allergic to coconut. Could I add heavy whipping cream instead?
Hey Nicole,
Totally, that will work well for you! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
Incredible flavors. I used pork for the meatballs and added some ginger to them. Amazing!!
Hi Nicole,
Happy Sunday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks a lot for making it! xT
So good and easy!!!! Definitely will make again. I used chili oil instead of sesame oil which gave it a little extra kick!
Hi Emily,
Happy Friday!? Thanks a bunch for testing this recipe out, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! xx
This was delicious!! Love the rice noodles and all the veggies with the very tasty broth.
I love the red curry flavor, so I did a 1/3 cup instead of a 1/4, and it was perfect!
Also, learn from my mistake, remember to season your meatballs ? they’re bland on their own but still tasty in the broth.
Hi Cecelia,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try and sharing your review, I love to hear that it was a hit! xxT
Love the flavors! It really made the weeknight seem lively.
One thing I would note is home ground chicken breasts make for a dry meatball, even in the sauce. I’m going to just do ground pork next time 🙂
Hi Kat,
Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your review. Sorry to hear your meatballs were dry! Let me know how it works with pork:) xT
The whole family loved this dish!
Hi Amber,
Happy Thursday!! I love to hear that your family enjoyed this dish, thanks so much for making it! xx
The ingredients call for zest of lime but I don’t see where it’s used in the directions. Is it a topping with the lime juice? It’s very good, btw! Eating it now. Just wondering what to do with this zest, haha.
Hey Trisha,
Fantastic! I truly appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, I am so glad it was tasty for you! Sorry about the zest, you can add that in step 3. xT
Obsessed with this! It’s definitely different than some other Thai inspired dishes and it was so good. 10/10 on the roster of favorite recipes. Thanks Tieghan!
Hi Abbey,
Perfect! I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, I love to hear that it was a hit! xxT
Do you have a substitute suggestion for the peanut butter?
Hi Taylor,
Sunflower seed butter is a great option to use for the peanut butter. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
This was a hit in our home! Picky husband + 3 kids with discerning palettes.
Unfortunately my regular grocery stores don’t carry red curry paste, so I did some googling and substituted some of the flavors sometimes used in it that I did have on hand (lime zest, fish sauce, red pepper flakes, cumin, garlic, cinnamon, ginger, and tumeric) and also a bit of regular curry powder. I’m not sure how it would actually compare with yours but it had what I consider to be a Thai flavor! My family sometimes struggles with pepper flavor so it probably turned out for the best for us.
Thanks for sharing all of your recipes. I love being inspired to cook by you!
Hey Susan,
Fantastic! I truly appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, I am so glad it was tasty for you! Thanks for sharing what worked well for you! xT
This was unlike anything I’d ever made before & was so good. Instead of bell peppers, I added snow peas, Napa cabbage, shiitake mushrooms & canned baby corn. I will definitely make this again for my family.
Hi Stephanie,
Happy Labor Day! Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback! Thanks for sharing what worked well for you! So glad it was enjoyed:)
Leaving a review before I even finish my bowl. DUDE! This is soooooooooo good!!!!! Thanks for another heeeeeater meal!!!!
Hey Bri,
Happy Sunday!! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks for making it! xTieghan
would def make it again
So glad to hear this Sidney, thanks for making the recipe!
Made this last night and it was pretty good! It was thicker & less soupy than your photos and I would probably add a couple jalapenos next time to add increase the heat, but my husband went back for seconds!
Hi Alyssa,
Awesome!! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks for making it! Hope you’re off to a great Saturday! xT
This was a hit! Next time, I think I will double it and have some for the freezer – minus the noodles, I would do those fresh as they only take three mins!
Hi Shannon,
Fantastic! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it:) Happy Friday! xx