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Thai Green Curry Meatballs

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
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Thai Green Curry Meatballs

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Tender and flavorful baked chicken and pork meatballs get a Thai-inspired twist with fresh garlic, ginger, Thai basil, and cilantro simmered in a flavorful green curry broth.

I’m always looking for ways to add Thai flavors to my food and these meatballs are so good. A quick blitz in the food processor, and all the ingredients readily folded into a flavorful mix of pork and chicken. The best part? The meatballs are baked. No fussing with searing them in a pan and making a mess. This recipe couldn’t be easier and it’s perfect for getting your Thai flavor fix. 

thai green curry meatballs

Baked Thai Meatballs in a Green Curry Sauce

Meatballs are one of my favorite things to meal prep or make for dinner. It’s easy to make a large batch, bake them, and freeze for a quick and easy weeknight dinner recipe. A mix of chicken and pork makes these meatballs tender and moist and full of flavor! 

So how do we take humble meatballs to the next level? Plop them into a flavorful coconut milk green curry sauce, of course! I love how easy it is to customize this recipe. Bulk up the sauce with your favorite veggies for a hearty and balanced meal. I love toppings and throwing some crushed peanuts, cilantro, Thai basil, and chili oil on top really makes these Thai-inspired meatballs amazing. Here’s how to make this easy, flavor-bomb dinner recipe!

How to Make Thai Green Curry Meatballs

There are two components to this recipe—the meatballs and the sauce. You can make the meatballs and freeze them, or you can make the sauce while you bake the meatballs. 

Tools Needed

Ingredient’s You’ll Need

  • Ground meat. This recipe uses both ground chicken and pork but you could easily swap in turkey, all chicken, or all pork.
  • Aromatics. Shallots, garlic, and ginger add tons of flavor to the meatballs. 
  • Fresh herbs. Cilantro and Thai basil are Thai flavor staples.
  • Bread crumbs. I always love using fresh bread crumbs, but you can use whatever you have on hand. 
  • Egg. Egg acts an a binder here to keep the meatballs from falling apart. 
  • Fish sauce. Fish sauce in the meatballs and sauce adds tons of umami. 
  • Curry paste. Green curry paste is readily available in most well-stocked grocery stores or at your local Asian market.
  • Coconut milk. Opt for full fat canned coconut milk here. My favorite brand is arroy-d!
  • Palm sugar. Palm sugar is a staple in Thai cooking and adds balance to the sauce. You can substitute brown sugar if you can’t find palm sugar. 

Tips for Making the Perfect Meatballs

I have a couple of tips for making the perfect Thai green curry meatballs. They’re perfectly tender without ever drying out. 

  1. Mix well, but don’t over work the meatballs. Over-mixing meatballs can make them tough and chewy. Mix the ground meat gently with the other ingredients and the beaten egg just until everything holds together. 
  2. Use a scoop for even cooking. I love using a cookie scoop so that I can ensure the meatballs are all the same size and that they cook evenly. 
  3. Use damp hands to roll the meatballs. Using damp hands keeps the meat from sticking and keeps them nice and smooth. 
  4. Bake, then broil. Baking the meatballs at 400 degrees until almost cooked through and then switching to broil cooks them quickly and gets them perfectly golden brown. 

Freezing Thai Green Curry Meatballs

This is a perfect freezer-friendly meal. To freeze the meatballs, cook according to the instructions below and then cool to room temperature. Transfer to a clean baking sheet lined with parchment and freeze for 1 hour. Transfer the frozen meatballs to a freezer-safe ziplock bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 6 months. 

To defrost: transfer the meatballs to the refrigerator and defrost overnight. Simmer the meatballs in the curry sauce and serve.

While the meatballs are easy to freeze, I don’t recommend freezing the curry sauce. Coconut milk gets a bit funny if frozen and then defrosted. 

Other Thai-Inspired Recipes To Try Now

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thai green curry meatballs
Main Dishes

Thai Green Curry Meatballs

Tender and flavorful baked chicken and pork meatballs get a Thai-inspired twist with fresh garlic, ginger, Thai basil, and cilantro simmered in a flavorful green curry broth.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Makes: 4 -6 servings

Ingredients

Meatballs

  • 2 small shallots roughly chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 2 Thai birds-eye chilies
  • 1/2 " piece of fresh ginger peeled and sliced
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
  • 1/4 cup chopped Thai basil
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 lb. ground chicken dark meat
  • 1 lb. ground pork 90/10
  • 1/2 cup bread crumbs
  • 1 egg lightly beaten

Curry Sauce

  • 2 tablespoons neutral oil
  • 1/4 cup Thai green curry paste
  • 3-4 makrut leaves also known as Kaffir lime leaves
  • 2 - 15 oz. cans full fat coconut milk
  • 2 teaspoons fish sauce
  • 1 oz palm sugar or dark brown sugar

Toppings

  • Thai basil leaves
  • Cilantro leaves
  • Crushed Peanuts
  • Thinly sliced shallots
  • Chili oil
  • Steamed jasmine rice

Instructions

  • Preheat an oven to 400 F. In a food processor, combine the shallots, garlic, ginger, cilantro, Thai basil, and fish sauce. Pulse until a finely chopped mixture forms. Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl with the chicken, pork, egg, bread crumbs, and salt. Mix well.
  • Using a cookie scoop, portion the meatballs out onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Roll into smooth balls. Bake for 12 minutes and then broil on high for 5, until golden brown.
  • While the meatballs are cooking, make the sauce. In a large skillet or braiser, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the curry paste and lime leaves and cook, stirring often, for 2-3 minutes until very fragrant. Add the coconut milk and season with the fish sauce and palm sugar. Bring the sauce to a simmer for 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  • Add the meatballs to the sauce and simmer for 5 minutes. Serve over steamed rice with Thai basil leaves, cilantro, peanuts, shallots, and chili oil for additional spice.

Nutrition

Calories: 500kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 30gFat: 38gCholesterol: 100mgSodium: 1600mgFiber: 1gSugar: 7g

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  1. 5 stars
    Oh my god this was SOOOO good. I made some substitutions based on what was available in my area, but wow this going to the top of my rotation. I couldn’t find Thai red chiles but used fresh cayennes, lots of lime zest instead of the leaves and regular basil. Would love to try this again as written next time I make it out to the Asian markets. But even with those changes this was truly spectacular and really easy. Definitely recommend squeezing fresh lime on top of each plate, takes it to another level. Going to freeze half the meatballs and… probably thaw them later this week because I’ll be craving this again.

    • Sarah,

      SO happy you loved it! It’s one of my favorites too. Your substitutions made perfect sense and I’m glad it still turned out well.