One-Pan Thai Chicken Meatballs

These Thai hen meatballs are bursting with taste, simmering in a creamy coconut curry sauce with recent veggies. It’s a one-pan meal, excellent for busy weeknights—serve it over rice or noodles for a satisfying dinner the entire household will love!
I’m all the time on the hunt for brand new dinner concepts to maintain issues attention-grabbing, and these Thai hen meatballs have rapidly turn out to be a go-to in our home! They’re simmered in a wealthy, creamy coconut curry sauce with recent veggies and daring Thai flavors. I like serving them over jasmine rice or cauliflower rice for a low-carb possibility. It’s the right weeknight meal—feels particular however is tremendous simple to whip up.
Should you love the sound of this recipe, you’ll want to strive my coconut shrimp curry and or hen curry with greens. Each are so good!
Why You Have to Make This Recipe
- One-pan meal – The meatballs, veggies, and sauce all prepare dinner collectively in a single skillet, which means much less mess and straightforward cleanup.
- Full of taste – From the garlic and ginger to the Thai pink curry and recent lime juice, these meatballs are bursting with daring, scrumptious flavors.
- Versatile – Serve them with rice, noodles, or wrap all the pieces in lettuce leaves for a enjoyable low-carb possibility.
- Nice for meal prep – These reheat superbly, making them excellent for lunches or dinners all through the week.
Elements Wanted
You solely want just a few easy substances to make this flavor-packed Thai-inspired dish. Every part cooks in a single skillet and comes collectively very quickly!
- floor hen – lean and excessive in protein, it’s the right base for these tender, juicy meatballs. You too can use floor turkey if you happen to desire!
- panko breadcrumbs – retains the meatballs comfortable and helps all the pieces stick collectively.
- egg – binds the meatballs in order that they don’t collapse when cooking.
- garlic and recent ginger – these two are important for daring taste in each chew!
- soy sauce or tamari – use tamari for a gluten-free possibility.
- lime juice – brightens all the pieces up and balances the richness of the coconut milk.
- cilantro and inexperienced onions – for a recent, herby end within the meatballs and on high.
- olive oil or avocado oil – for browning the meatballs and sautéing the veggies.
- coconut curry sauce – a creamy, flavorful mix of onion, carrots, pink bell pepper, snap peas, full-fat coconut milk, pink curry paste, tamari, lime juice, and extra ginger. It’s what makes this dish further scrumptious and comfy!
Discover the total ingredient record with measurements within the recipe card beneath.
Straightforward Recipe Substitutions
Wish to swap issues up or make this recipe work with what you could have available? Listed here are some simple swaps to strive:
- Protein possibility: Floor turkey or beef works nice instead of floor hen. Simply make sure that to not overcook the meatballs in order that they keep good and juicy.
- Veggie swaps: Be at liberty to make use of no matter veggies you’re keen on or have within the fridge. Broccoli, mushrooms, or zucchini would all be nice right here!
- Spice it up: Purple curry paste provides a gentle kick, however in order for you extra spice add some sriracha or some crushed pink pepper flakes to the meatballs and/or sauce.
- Make the meatballs gluten-free: Should you want this recipe to be gluten-free merely substitute an equal quantity of gluten-free breadcrumbs instead of common panko breadcrumbs. Almond meal or almond flour may also work in its place as a substitute of breadcrumbs. It will give the meatballs a barely completely different texture however nonetheless work nicely.
How you can Make Thai Hen Meatballs
Step 1: In a big bowl, mix all of the hen meatball substances. Combine till simply mixed.
Step 2: Utilizing your fingers or a cookie scoop, form the combination into 1-inch meatballs and put aside.
Step 3: Warmth a big skillet over medium warmth and evenly grease with oil. Add the meatballs and prepare dinner till browned on all sides, about 8-10 minutes. Take away from the skillet and put aside.
Step 4: In the identical skillet, add greens, salt and pepper. Sauté for 3-4 minutes till the greens are barely tender.
Step 5: Add coconut milk, soy sauce, pink curry paste and lime juice to the skillet. Stir to mix and convey to a simmer.
Step 6: Return the meatballs to the skillet and allow them to simmer within the sauce for 8-10 minutes, stirring often. Serve heat over rice or noodles and garnish with cilantro and inexperienced onions.
Brittany’s Recipe Suggestions!
Just a few fast tricks to make these Thai hen meatballs prove excellent each time:
- Don’t over-mix the meatball combination: Combine till simply mixed to keep away from powerful, dense meatballs. I like to make use of my fingers or a fork and cease as quickly as all the pieces appears to be like evenly distributed.
- Get a very good sear: When cooking the meatballs, allow them to sit within the sizzling skillet for a minute or two earlier than flipping. This helps them develop a golden-brown crust and provides further taste.
- Simmer gently: As soon as the curry sauce is within the pan, maintain the warmth on a low simmer. You need it to thicken barely with out boiling or decreasing an excessive amount of.
Methods to Serve Thai Hen Meatballs
These Thai hen meatballs are tremendous versatile and will be served in so many scrumptious methods. Listed here are just a few of my go-to concepts:
- Over rice – My favourite approach to serve these is over jasmine rice or brown rice so it soaks up all that creamy coconut curry sauce. You could possibly even do cauliflower rice for a low-carb possibility.
- With noodles – Strive serving them over rice noodles or soba noodles for a enjoyable twist. The sauce coats the noodles completely and turns this into extra of a noodle bowl scenario.
- Make it a bowl – Construct a grain bowl with the meatballs, cooked quinoa or rice, shredded cabbage, cucumber ribbons, and a drizzle of my yum yum sauce.
How you can Retailer, Reheat & Meal Prep
Obtained leftovers? Fortunate you! These Thai hen meatballs retailer rather well and would possibly even style higher the subsequent day. Right here’s tips on how to maintain them recent:
- Within the fridge: Let all the pieces cool fully, then retailer the meatballs with the sauce and veggies in an hermetic container for as much as 4-5 days.
- Within the freezer: Freeze the meatballs and sauce (veggies included!) for as much as 3 months. While you’re able to eat, thaw within the fridge in a single day and reheat in a skillet or microwave.
- How you can reheat: Gently reheat on the stovetop over medium-low warmth or microwave in 30-second increments till warmed by means of. If the sauce thickens an excessive amount of, add a splash of water or broth to loosen it up.
- How you can meal prep: These meatballs are excellent for meal prep. Simply portion out 4 meatballs with sauce and veggies into containers with rice or noodles for fast lunches all through the week.
Incessantly Requested Questions
Sure! You possibly can prep the meatballs and even prepare dinner them upfront. Simply retailer them within the fridge, then add them to the coconut curry sauce while you’re able to serve.
Coconut milk provides this dish its signature creamy texture and taste, however if you happen to’re in search of a substitute, you possibly can substitute it with one other creamy possibility like heavy cream, half-and-half, or perhaps a dairy-free various like cashew cream or almond milk (although the flavour and texture will differ barely).
The easiest way to make sure your meatballs are totally cooked is to make use of a meat thermometer. They need to attain an inside temperature of 165°F (75°C). Alternatively, you possibly can reduce one open to ensure it’s not pink within the heart and the juices run clear.
Sure! These meatballs freeze nicely. After cooking, allow them to cool fully, then retailer them in an hermetic container with the sauce and veggies. They are often frozen for as much as 3 months. To reheat, merely thaw within the fridge in a single day and reheat in a skillet or microwave till warmed by means of.
Completely! To make the meatballs gluten-free, merely swap the panko breadcrumbs for gluten-free breadcrumbs or almond meal.
Extra Straightforward Dinner Recipes
Should you loved this recipe, please think about leaving a ⭐ star score and let me know the way it went within the 📝 feedback beneath.