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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.
The curry in this recipe is delicious! My family, including teenagers, loved it. Unfortunately, we found the meatballs to be quite bland. Next time I may add some traditional curry seasonings to the meatballs for flavor.
Oh I’m so sorry about the meatballs! Thanks for letting me know! xT
I’ve made this several times. Always a win. I make it with chicken thighs and it makes it super easy and delicious. Thanks for another week night winner ❤️
Awesome!! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed! Have a great week! xT
This was delicious. I doubled the sauce, which did not feel necessary. Because I was making this for my family, I subbed sweet curry powder for the red curry paste. For doubled sauce, one tablespoon was perfect.
Awesome!! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed! Thanks for trying it out 🙂 xT
A really delicious, approachable soup! My only tip would be that the meatballs fall apart fairly easily, so just be careful when you’re flipping them around in the pan. And if they do anyways, I’m sure meatball crumbles are just as tasty!
Hi there,
Amazing!! So glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Have a great weekend:)
I really wanted to like this recipe, but it was way too hot— almost inedible. I love most of Tieghan’s recipes, but this was by far my least favorite. I like medium to moderate heat when it comes to spicy food, but this recipe had to be an 8/10 on the heat scale. An absolute no-go. Plus no mention of when the lime zest gets added.
Hi Michaela,
Thanks for making this dish and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear it was so spicy. My guess is the Thai red curry paste that you used had a lot of heat! Next time you could reduce this or change the brand. I hope this helps! xx
Excellent dish Tieghan!
I had never used curry paste before but had just bought the yellow version last week so I had to sub it for the red paste. Oh & used ground pork as I was out of chicken lol I’m sure it’s even better with the red paste!!
I drizzled some of your chili oil that I had made for an other one of your recipes…added a little spicy kick… it was bomb!!
Hey there,
Fantastic!! 🌴🍌 I really appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad it turned out well for you! xT
Fabulous recipe!
The only thing i added was half ayablespoon of corn starch to thicken it up a bit. Recipe is a keeper!
Hi Dayel,
Happy Monday!!🌞 Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your review, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! xx
Such a beautiful dish! Added baby broccoli on the side in the large pasta dish I served it in and looked so beautiful. Was very tasty but as someone who is sensitive to spice and always orders a “1” on the spice level, I would cut the red curry sauce and a half. 😉
Hey Debbie,
Amazing!! Love to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, thank you so much for making it and your comment! xx
This is one of my favourite recipes, it’s so easy to make! My fiancé requests this at least once a month. I usually bulk it up by adding more chicken stock, more coconut milk, and curry. The sauce is to good not to have more !! 🤤
I also add bokchoy for some greens.. mhmm making it right now !
Hey Alyssa,
Perfect!! Thanks so much for making this recipe so often, I love to hear that it always turns out well for you! xT
I just made this! Super flavorful and way easy – and perfect for Friday night dinner in the winter. I didn’t have ground chicken so I cubed up some chicken breasts and marinated those in some curry powder, Worcestershire, and green onions as a substitute. I can’t wait to make this again!
Hey Amy,
Awesome!! So glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and thanks so much for making it! Have a great weekend:)
Five stars for the sauce, one star for the meatballs. I wondered how the meatballs would taste without an egg, or salt (Worcestershire added some but more was needed). Unfortunately, they lacked flavor and were on the dry side. I would not make them as written again. However, the sauce is amazing but added some cayenne for heat, and only did a teaspoon of honey. Was almost too sweet as is, so I wouldn’t do any more than a teaspoon. I skipped the corn as that really did not seem to fit with a Thai recipe (baby corn would, but I’m not a fan!). Instead added chopped bok choy.
Hi Shash,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback! So sorry to hear you found the meatballs to be dry. Next time, you could add an egg to the meatballs to see if that helps! xx
Just made this for dinner tonight, it was delicious. I’ve been following your recipes for a couple of weeks now and this is our third time cooking one of your recipes! All have been a hit! Thank you
Hey Kara,
Happy Monday!!⛄️ Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! xT
So funny thing, I had a package of ground turkey and a box of rice noodles, so I put in the search area Turkey, Rice noodles and this recipe came up, perfect recipe for a cold evening and because I know you love spicy I cut Thai paste in half, it was so delicious 😋, next time I will add the full amount..🤣 …
Hey Marcy,
I am delighted to hear that this recipe turned out well for you and appreciate you giving it a try! Have a great weekend:)
Loved this so much! Complex flavours and the corn adds an unexpected crunch. I pretty m!uch followed the recipe but added sweet potatoes and used vegan meatballs. This recipe will be on speed dial!
Hey Kathleen,
Happy Wednesday!!❄️ Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, I am so glad it was a hit! xx
This is absolutely delicious. Highly recommended.
Hey Robyn,
Awesome!! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I am so glad it turned out well for you! Have a great weekend!🎄⛄️