How to Make Thai Meatballs with Curry Sauce

These Thai meatballs are inspired by the Firefly Grill's chicken curry meatball appetizer.  They have them on the menu from time to time.

You can make these with either ground turkey for Thai turkey meatballs or ground chicken for Thai chicken meatballs. Either one is a great choice.

Actually, this recipe is a little more than inspired.  Firefly's sous chef, Corey, shared his recipe for Thai chicken meatballs with me and I kept this recipe as close to the original as possible. 

I adjusted the quantities since most of us cooking at home find it easier to use recipes that serve 4-6 people rather than 92-100.

These meatballs capture the delicate Thai flavors really well. Serve them over rice with the following curry sauce recipe or splash them with a little soy sauce if you're in a hurry. I've also served them with toothpicks and a side of peanut sauce on Superbowl Sunday.

How to Make Thai Meatballs

Most meatball recipes call for panko breadcrumbs. This recipe does not. It uses oats instead, making this a wonderful gluten-free dish.

Ingredients For the meatballs~ 

• 3 lbs. ground chicken
• 3 eggs
• ⅓ cup dried parsley
• ⅓ cup dried cilantro
• 10 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons dried thyme
• 1 ½ tablespoons red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons ground coriander
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 teaspoons ground pepper
• 2 cups oats

Instructions

1. Pour 1-inch chicken broth (about 3 cups) into a slow cooker, cover, and turn on high. 
2. Put the ground chicken, eggs, parsley, cilantro, garlic, thyme, red pepper flakes, coriander, salt, pepper, and oats in a large mixing bowl.
3. Use your hands or a wooden spoon to mix the ingredients together until everything is completely incorporated.
4. Portion the meatballs into the desired size.  Place meatballs in the slow cooker, cover, and steam until they are cooked through, approximately 25-40 minutes.

Meatball Recipe Notes: To add a little more depth of flavor, brown the meatballs in a skillet before steaming them in the slow cooker.

If you don't have a slow cooker or crock pot on hand, arrange the meatballs on a baking sheet and bake them in the oven at 350F until they are 160F in the middle. This usually takes about 30-40 minutes depending on the size of the meatballs.

Curry Sauce Ingredients

• 6 ounces of fresh spinach
• 2 medium onions, diced
• 2 cups carrots, chopped
• 2 cups celery, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 teaspoon white pepper
• 2 tablespoons green curry paste
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 cans of coconut milk, full fat, and unsweetened
• 1 lime, cut into wedges

Instructions

1. Mix together the spinach, onions, carrots, celery, red bell pepper, cilantro, fish sauce, salt, white pepper, green curry paste, curry powder, red pepper flakes, and coconut milk in a soup pot over medium heat.
2. Bring the sauce to a boil, then immediately reduce heat to a simmer, and cover.
3. Simmer for 1 hour. 
4. Puree with a hand immersion blender until smooth.
5. Strain through a fine sieve for an extra smooth sauce. (Optional)
6. Server over white rice and finish with a squeeze of fresh lime juice.

Serve the Thai meatballs over rice and liberally pour sauce over them.  Enjoy!

Not only are these Thai meatballs delicious but they're easy to make too!  I've pared down the recipe to make 12-14 very large meatballs.  I find that 1 or 2 are just right for serving one person. 

If you have a hearty appetite, like our son and two sons-in-law, 4 meatballs over a huge mound of rice with plenty of sauce are just about right.

When to use fresh herbs and when to use dry herbs?

Nothing brings a meal to life than fresh herbs.  They are a chef's secret weapon.  Not only do their flavors enhance a dish, but fresh herbs also add vibrant color and a wild array of olfactory elements to the party. 

So why not always use fresh herbs?  Why should you ever use dried herbs?  Keep reading or check out my little 1 Minute with Madalaine video:

Dried herbs are best used when they are added in the beginning and cooked or simmered for a length of time.  Heat and time unlock their flavors and allow them to fully realize their potential. 

To really get the most out of your dried herbs and seasoning, toast (or bloom) them in a dry skillet until they are fragrant and lightly toasted.

Fresh herbs are best utilized at the end with little to no heat.  A little heat is great, but too much heat can break down and destroy the essence of fresh herbs.

Can you Freeze Thai Meatballs?

If you don't think you'll be devouring all these Thai meatballs in one sitting, not to worry, they make great leftovers!  They keep beautifully for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.  You can also freeze both the sauce and the meatballs for up to 5 months. 

I recommend freezing the meatballs in a ziplock freezer bag and the sauce in a separate air-tight container. 

For a quick and tasty dinner, take them out of the freezer and warm the meatballs and sauce in the microwave or steam them until they're hot all the way through.  Steaming is easy to do and it keeps the meatballs from getting tough.

Variations

• Use a combo of green & red bell peppers
• Switch out the green curry paste for yellow or red curry paste

I used green curry paste instead of yellow because as much as I love our small town, our culinary resources are quite limited.  The sauce was excellent with green curry paste and, quite frankly, it's excellent with red and yellow curry paste too.

• Instead of serving with white rice, try pairing the Thai meatballs and sauce with zucchini noodles, soba noodles, rice noodles, brown rice, or riced cauliflower.
• Use ground turkey or a combo of pork, turkey, and chicken
• Make smaller meatballs and serve with the sauce on the side with toothpicks for a fun appetizer

Lately, the Firefly has been offering chicken curry meatballs as an appetizer.  If you're passing by, definitely pop in and give them a try!  Then give this recipe a go and let me know what you think.

Other EASY Asian Dishes You'll Love

Moo Goo Gai Pan

Red Curry Soup

Teriyaki Sauce

Ramen