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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.
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 636 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
- 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.
This was delicious! Will definitely make this again! Perfect for a fall day!
Hey! Thank you so much for trying out this recipe, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Happy Monday ? xTieghan
“stir in the herbs”
What herbs the black pepper and chopped basil? I don’t see other herbs on the recipe to add prior to serving.
Hi there! The cilantro and basil 🙂 xTieghan
I love this recipe! I’ve made it twice and I’d like to make it again but I keep having an issue with the meatballs. They just kind of fell apart both times. Any suggestions? Would adding an egg to the chicken before separating into little meatballs help?
Hi there! I’m so sorry about that! Is there anything you’re doing differently in this recipe? xTieghan
You could have this issue if you turn them prematurely, or drop them in the oil too early!
I’ve learned to wiggle mine before committing to the flip to see if they’re ready!
(Can you tell I’ve had this same issue?)
Good luck!
I made this the other night and it was delicious! My boyfriend had 3 servings! The chili oil is a definite must. I had a question… do you happen to know if it freezes well (without the noodles)? It made quite a bit!
I read that coconut milk does not freeze well
It will freeze fine when mixed with other ingredients. I make curry sauce all the time and freeze it.
Hi there! Thanks so much for trying out this recipe, I’m so glad to hear it was enjoyed 🙂 As far as freezing goes, it should be just fine! I would reheat on the stove when wanting to serve again! xTieghan
I make this ALL the time and all my friends always ask for it. I add a lot more red curry paste than the recipe requires and add lots of veggies and it is to die for!! One of my favourite recipes of all time.
Hey there! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Have a lovely week! xTieghan
This recipe is amazing! So flavourful and delicious. I make it all the time. I’ve used ground turkey for the meatballs and it was still good. Add some salt to the meatballs as they don’t have much flavour.
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, so happy to hear you enjoyed it! xTieghan
It was boring and just didn’t have the same flavor as actual Thai recipes. The meatballs were bland and plain chicken would have been better.
Hey Jo,
So sorry you didn’t enjoy the recipe, please let me know if I can help in anyway! xTieghan
The meatballs need more flavor, what do you suggest?
The curry was very flavorful, we enjoyed
Hey Joyce,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try, was there anything you adjusted in the meatballs? You could always add more seasonings to your liking:) xTieghan
I thought I royally screwed this up because my chicken meatballs kinda came apart, I had 1 can of coconut milk and 1 can of coconut cream, and I ran out of chicken stock. I also subbed out bok choy with kale because I don’t really care for bok choy. Instead of layering the noodles in the bowl, then labeling soup, I mixed the cooked noodles in with the coconut curry sauce and ate it that way. OMFG!! SO delicious! And the chili oil is a MUST! When in doubt, ALWAYS make the chili oil!
Hey Autumn,
Happy Sunday! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! xTieghan
My boyfriend and I loved this recipe!! The flavor was excellent, but do you have any recommendations for making it a little spicier for next time?
Hey Shelby,
Awesome! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! I would add some chili oil. Have the best weekend:) xTieghan
This is SO GOOD! We’ve made this with both chicken and turkey and often toss in extra veggies we have on hand like red peppers. The chili oil at the end is a must!
Hey Nicole,
Happy Sunday! I am so glad this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! xxTieghan
Just gotta say I’ve made this weekly for the past 6-7 weeks. I add salt to the chicken meatballs.
Hey Dena,
Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a go! Have a great day! xxTieghan
I made this last night. The flavors were incredible and it’s such an easy dinner to make! I used ground pork and it was still delish!
Hey Vanessa,
Awesome! So so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! xxTieghan
This recipe was amazing!! My family devoured it. Definitely repeating this. Thank you Tieghan!
Hey Jeanne,
Fantastic! I am thrilled that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! xxTieghan
This recipe was amazing!! My family devoured it. Thank you Tieghan
Hey Jeanne,
Fantastic! I am thrilled that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! xxTieghan