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Weeknight Thai Chicken Meatball Khao Soi. This northern Thai inspired noodle soup is the simplest weeknight dinner. Made with flavorful Thai curry paste, coconut milk, and plenty of fresh herbs and lime juice. Toss in seared gingery chicken meatballs and plenty of delicious egg noodles, it’s hard to beat the easy Thai inspired soup. It’s the perfect any night of the week dinner that’s made in 30 minutes, hearty, cozy, and healthy too.
Say hello to my personal favorite recipe of the week. This soup is a combination of everything I love most. It’s colorful, hearty, full of so many vegetables, has crispy (flavorful) chicken meatballs, noodles, and truly the most delicious soup broth. If I wasn’t making a million other things every single week I would be making this soup on repeat. It’s one of my favorites…probably should have saved it for a possible future cookbook but I simply had to share.
Sooo, hopefully, that lets you know just how excited I am. I know this soup is different, but I beg you to try it.
The background + inspiration.
First, I want to share the background on Khao Soi, in case you’re unfamiliar with it. It’s a soup from Northern Thailand made with very specific Thai curry paste giving the soup its unique rich flavor. Additionally, it’s made with creamy coconut milk, which makes this more like a curry…but yet it’s still soup. Well actually, it’s somewhere in between the two!
After reading up on Khao Soi, I discovered there are actually a few variations throughout different parts of Thailand. Some parts of the country will use rice noodles, while others use egg noodles. However, the broth remains the same…curry paste and coconut milk. You can read up on the history here, if you’d like.
So the inspiration? Of course, it’s once again my brother, Brendan. He’s traveled to Thailand a few times now and each time he brings me curry paste and noodles. It’s like winning the lottery, I love him so much for it. Praying he and Lyn’s head back soon because my stash is currently gone.
Anyway, this is their favorite soup. I’ve made a couple versions of it now, one you can find in the Half Baked Harvest Super Simple Cookbook. But I think today’s version might just be my favorite…
My point is, I just love the meatballs in this version, they’re such a fun twist.
Here is how you make Thai Khao Soy.
Going to put this right out there before getting into details, this is not an authentic Khao Soi. This is just my take, it’s similar but different.
Moving along, aside from cooking the noodles, this soup is made entirely in one pot. The meatballs are the exact same mix that I used for my ginger sesame meatballs…ground chicken, green onions, garlic, and ginger. Roll this all together, then pan-fry the meatballs in a bit of olive oil to get them nice and crispy on the outside. Toss in some baby bok choy, or other greens of your liking, and sear them until they are crisp. At this point, you’ll remove everything from the pot so that the meatballs and greens don’t overcook or lose their crispness.
Next, you’ll want to sauté the Thai red curry paste for a minute or two before adding in the liquids. This will activate the flavors in the curry paste and give you a richer tasting broth. Now, just add in all the liquid, stir back in the meatballs and bok choy, and simmer everything together for a few minutes. You want the meatballs to cook fully through and the flavors in the soup to meld together.
While that’s happening, boil some egg noodles (or use rice noodles if you are gluten free). By the time the noodles are ready, the soup will be too!
Let’s talk about the toppings.
Because they are the best part! Well, maybe not the best part, but they contribute so much to this soup.
I am not shy with my toppings, I really like to layer them on. Use ingredients you love most, but here are my recommendations…plenty of fresh Thai basil, a generous handful of thinly sliced green onions, some very thinly sliced shallots (bonus points if you fry the shallots in oil first), lots of fresh-squeezed lime juice, and lastly – chili oil…lots and lots of chili oil.
For the chili oil, I simply make up a quick homemade batch, but you can easily use store-bought too. And if you can’t find any Thai basil, regular Italian basil works as well.
And that’s it, simple, so much flavor, quick, easy, extra color, and insanely good!
I really can’t begin to express just how good. If you loved my Thai ramen or my coconut milk braised chicken, I think you’ll also greatly enjoy this. Similar(ish) flavors, but very different dishes.
The broth, the crispy meatballs, the noodles, the toppings…everything all together. It is the BEST. Creamy, hinted with ginger and garlic, a touch spicy, a touch sweet, herby, salty, so perfect. Yeah, I think that pretty much sums this up. So how about a cozy bowl of Khao Soi tonight? You only need thirty minutes.
You can do it!
If you make this Weeknight Thai Chicken Meatball Khao Soi, 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!
Weeknight Thai Chicken Meatball Khao Soi.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 2 green onions, finely, chopped, plus more for serving
- 1 inch fresh ginger, grated
- 1 clove garlic, minced or grated
- black pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 baby bok choy or 1 bunch kale, chopped
- 1/4 cup Thai red curry paste
- 2 (14-ounce) cans full-fat coconut milk
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce, (or low sodium soy sauce)
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/4 cup each fresh cilantro and Thai or regular basil, chopped, plus more for serving
- 8 ounces egg or rice noodles
- sliced limes and thinly sliced shallots, for serving
- chili oil, for serving
Instructions
- 1. Add the chicken, green onions, ginger, garlic, 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 a large pot over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil shimmers, add the meatballs and sear until crisp, about 4-5 minutes, turning them 2-3 times. Toss in the bok choy and cook 2 minutes more, until just charred on the edges. Transfer everything to a plate.3. To the same pot, add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, and the curry paste. Cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk, chicken broth, fish sauce, and honey. Slide the meatballs and bok choy back into the soup. Simmer over medium heat until the meatballs are cooked through, 5-8 minutes. Stir in the herbs. 4. Meanwhile, cook noodles according to package directions.5. Divide the noodles between bowls and ladle the soup over. Top each bowl as desired with basil, green onions, shallots, lime juice, and chili oil.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Made this for dinner tonight and it was easy and amazing! Husband asked if we could have it regularly! Week night win! ??
Hey Mariah,
Thanks for making the recipe, I am so delighted that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xTieghan
I made this tonight and it was amazing! I do have trouble getting your chicken meatballs to stay together when I’m browning them but who cares? I didn’t have any red curry paste so used a TBS of curry powder and couldn’t get Thai basil so used regular. Also used wide low mein noodles, perfect. Seriously, this is so delicious and I get extra points for crisping up shallots in OO! I’m going to try it using shrimp next.
Hey Jane,
I am so thrilled that you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for trying it out!! xTieghan
Tieghan
I made this for supper last night and it was very good! The first time I tasted it was in Thailand (Chiang Mai) and I must say, yours tastes very authentic! The only change I had to make, was that I didn’t have ground chicken (and neither did the grocery store) , so I just cooked a couple of chicken breasts and cut them up and then threw them in with the garlic, ginger and black pepper. Delicious! For anyone trying it for the first time, don’t be afraid if adding the full 1/4 cup of Thai curry paste. It isn’t spicy at all and the coconut milk will tame it down anyways. I did add some dried chili flakes because I needed some more heat. I used rice noodles in mine. I always have a good supply of them! And “do” squeeze some lime juice over the top too! It really brings out the flavours! Thanks Tieghan. Five stars for you!
Hey Colleen,
I am so glad this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! Have the best week. xTieghan
Delicious, rich, yet delicate broth. I love the flavor of the fresh herbs. I used one can of full fat coconut milk and one can of lite and it was plenty rich. Added bamboo shoots and mushrooms for a few more veggies, and a heavier rice noodle. I wasn’t sure it would need three full tablespoons of fish sauce, but that was just the right amount. I added a bit of soy sauce and sriracha along with a lot of lime juice for some extra kick at the end.
The meatballs were tasty but next time I think I may make it with cubes of chicken or tofu, and just add the green onion, ginger, and garlic to the broth — or cook the meatballs all the way and put them on the top at the very end, so they don’t soak up so much of the soup. Their flavor was really good but they got quite soft. I’ll definitely be making it again though!
Thank you for another great recipe!
Hey Holly,
I am so glad this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! Have the best week. xTieghan
I made it again and fried the meatballs all the way cooked (plus added an egg and some breadcrumbs) then just put them on the soup as I served it. perfection! Thanks again for all the amazing recipes — I use your site all the time.
Hey Holly,
Happy Sunday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks bunch for giving it a go! xxTieghan
Just made this last night and received rave reviews from my family. My mom and I were in Chiang Mai last year at this time, and at the first taste, my mom said she was transported back there.
So simple and easy to make! Will make it again.
Hey Alison,
I am so glad this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving them a try! xTieghan
Loved this recipe! Subbed lite coconut milk for full fat and still loved the end result!
Hey Lisa,
I am thrilled you liked the recipe, thanks so much for giving it a go! Happy Sunday:) xTieghan
The BEST recipe I’ve made from HBH! Perfect for a Thai fix, a cold night, or to cure a cold!! DELICIOUS
Hey Avery,
I am thrilled you liked the recipe, thanks so much for giving it a go! Happy Sunday:) xTieghan
Delicious! But my meatballs fell apart :-(. Would an egg help me? What did I do wrong. Thanks for the delicious recipe!
Hey Jessica,
Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I am delighted that it was enjoyed! So sorry about the meatballs, you can definitely add an egg, or pop your meatballs in the fridge before cooking so the meat is super cold. Happy Friday:) xTieghan
Made this last night for us and kids and was delicious. Would add a bit more ingredients to the chicken meatballs to bring out some flavor and will add more kale or greens to the soup since I had a lot of broth. Thank you for a great family recipe 🙂
Hey Massi,
Thank you so much for giving the recipe a go, I am so glad you loved it! xTieghan
I made this for supper last night and it was incredible! I substituted the chicken for pork and kale for bok choy. I already can’t wait to make this again!
Hey Reanna,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try. I am so glad that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
Another great recipe! I haven’t made much Asian food and I really enjoyed this. Do you think this would freeze okay?
Hey Taylor,
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe! I would freeze this without the noodles:) xTieghan
If I could give this 10 stars I would…so delicious & easy. The flavor combo was delicious! I’m already looking forward to making it again.
Hey Charlotte,
Thanks so much for trying out this recipe, I am thrilled that you liked it! I hope you have a great week:) xTieghan
I have been dying to make this for a while. I had all the ingredients and I happened to be simmering a giant pot of tonkotsu pork broth on the stove so it was time to use the broth for this soup! It was perfect! So balanced, sweet with coconut, slightly spicy and savory. Thanks so much for the inspiration! I always love your recipes.
Hey Jackie,
Thanks so much for trying out this recipe, I am thrilled that you liked it! I hope you have a great week:) xTieghan
I can see how this would be good but when I made it the meatballs tasted a little bland and I needed to add a fair amount of salt overall to the dish. Wondering if I missed something!
Hey Corey,
Sorry you did not enjoy the meatballs, was there anything you adjusted? Let me know how I can help! xTieghan
Can you mix the rice noodles in the soup? I’m thinking about leftovers…..will the noodles get soggy if I store it all together?
Hey Molly,
I like to keep the noodles separate to prevent them from getting soggy. I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan