Thai Curry Meatballs with Carrot Noodles
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When a craving for bold and vibrant flavors meets the need for a quick a simple recipe, these Thai curry meatballs are the answer you’ve been looking for! Juicy, tender chicken balls burst with flavor. Add a velvety and easy coconut satay sauce and some carrot noodles, and you’ve got a flavor-packed dinner that’s ready in no time!
Need a quick, flavorful, and simple weeknight dinner recipe? Thai red curry meatballs are made from familiar ingredients and are straightforward to make – but don’t let their simplicity fool you: they pack some serious flavor! Infused with onion, garlic, and ginger alongside Thai flavors, they are sure to please your taste buds. Plus, with a total time of only 35 minutes, it makes for a great go-to weeknight recipe.
Is this an authentic Thai meatball recipe?
Authentic Thai meatballs are called look chin moo and are made with pork and some of the spices that are in this recipe. For an authentic recipe, try this one by Thai Cookbook TV.
Our recipe is influenced by all the wonderful Thai flavors that we love, such as ginger, fish sauce, and Thai curry paste. It’s not authentic, but it makes a delicious dinner!
Ingredients needed
These tender thai curry meatballs are singing with flavor and made from a handful of simple ingredients. This is what you need:
- Onion, garlic cloves and ginger: Adds an aromatic base to the meatballs.
- Fish sauce: Adds umami-rich flavor and depth.
- Red Thai curry paste: Adds a complex and rich flavor. You can substitute green or yellow curry if that’s what you have.
- Soy sauce: Contributes a savory and salty element.
- Ground chicken: Our protein base, making these meatballs juicy and tender. Try turkey or pork to switch things up.
- Coconut satay curry sauce: Serve your Thai coconut curry meatballs over a creamy, luscious sauce made from coconut milk, fish sauce, soy sauce, red Thai curry paste, and almond butter.
- Carrot noodles: Veggie noodles that add the perfect bit of sweetness. You can use rice noodles if you prefer. Or skip the noodles and serve this with rice!
How to serve Thai curry meatballs
These flavorful coconut curry chicken meatballs are versatile to work in an array of recipes! Keep them as they are, adding a sprinkling of fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice. Otherwise, seize the opportunity to clear the fridge out from any leftover veg. Some other ideas include:
- Appetizer: Serve the meatballs by themselves with the coconut satay sauce on the side as a dipping sauce.
- Noodles: Swap out the carrot noodles for some rice noodles.
- Extra veg: Add some charred peppers and sprinkle over some fresh herbs like Thai basil.
- Curry: Mix the rest of the red Thai curry paste with some coconut milk to make a red curry sauce, letting the meatballs swim in a curry-style dinner.
- Lettuce wraps: Wrap the meatballs up in some lettuce leaves with a drizzle of the sauce for a light and refreshing meal.
What to serve with Thai curry meatballs
These Thai curry meatballs are great as they are for a light meal, or bulk it out by adding coconut rice or cauliflower rice. Serve beside other Asian-inspired side dishes, like a Thai cucumber salad, mango black rice salad, or an Asian salad with carrots, sesame, and ginger.
Recipe FAQs
Can I use any other meat?
Chicken works well in this recipe because it becomes juicy and tender, but any other ground meat will taste great. Our top pick would be ground turkey or ground pork.
Can I keep leftover Thai coconut curry meatballs?
Sure thing! Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. If you make a double batch, you can keep some for an encore dinner, or to use in another recipe, like lettuce wraps.
Can I adjust the spice level?
Heat in the meatballs comes from the Thai red curry paste. You can use more or less, depending on your taste.
Thai Curry Meatballs Recipe
Ingredients
The Meatballs
- ½ medium onion (chopped)
- 1 inch piece of ginger (peeled)
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon EACH: fish sauce, red Thai curry paste, and soy sauce (gluten-free or coco aminos if needed)
- 1 lb ground chicken
- Oil (for the pan)
The Curry Sauce
- 1 15-ounce can coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon EACH: fish sauce and soy sauce (gluten-free or coco aminos if needed)
- 1-3 tablespoons red Thai curry paste (depending how flavorful or spicy you like it)
- ¼ cup almond butter
The Carrot Noodles
- 10 large carrots (cut into strips with a julienne peeler or spiralized)
Instructions
- Put a large pot of water on to boil. Add the onion, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, fish sauce, and curry paste to a small food processor and blend until smooth. Transfer the paste to a large bowl, add the chicken, and mix well. Divide into 16 meatballs.½ medium onion, 1 inch piece of ginger, 3 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon EACH: fish sauce, red Thai curry paste, and soy sauce, 1 lb ground chicken
- Heat a splash of oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the meatballs, brown them on all sides, and let them cook through.Oil
- While the meatballs are cooking, add all the curry sauce ingredients to a small pot over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer so the sauce thickens and then remove the pot from the heat.1 15-ounce can coconut milk, 1 tablespoon EACH: fish sauce and soy sauce, 1-3 tablespoons red Thai curry paste, ¼ cup almond butter
- When the pot of water begins to boil, add the carrot noodles. Let them cook for 4-5 minutes, or just until they soften. Drain the pot and divide the noodles between 4 plates. Top with the meatballs and the curry sauce.10 large carrots
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
This was so good! I used ground beef instead of chicken just because it is what I was craving and it was delicious. I will most definitely be making this again!
I’m so happy to hear that you love the recipe!!
This will be going in rotation!! Very good!! Because it is what we had, used oyster sauce and tahini instead of fish sauce and almond butter. Finely minced onions and garlic since I don’t have a small food processor, baked meatballs and served over black rice with green onions and sesame seeds.
Made this today with chicken meatballs kitchen smells divine 😋 I open a can of baby corn and roasted some fresh carrots with jasmine rice it’s really good, wasn’t sure about the almond butter but I am keeping it in rotation,thank you
These were so flavorful and AMAZING!! I did have to add about 3/4c of panko because the mixture was too wet and made small meatballs using a 1 TBS cookie scoop. We also used brown rice ramen since I couldn’t find carrots large enough for noodles, but we’ll be making these again soon with the carrot noodles. Adding veggies such as scallions, sweet red peppers, etc would go great with the dish.
These meatballs are SOOO good! My only complaint is that they didn’t hold up well to cooking in the pan. They completely fell apart as they cooked, so I put my second batch in the air-fryer instead. They didn’t fall apart, but they looked a little strange.
Wow Kristen, thank you for sharing. Made this for the first time and it is now on my favorites list. The husband is NOT a poultry lover. He absolutely devoured this dish. Even my finicky teen ate the remaining meatballs while hunkered over the kitchen island. Thanks for the recipe.
Love it! Thanks for sharing the story!