Thai Curry Chicken Meatballs

There's Rice (and Chicken) at Home Ep 7 - the last episode!

Hello and happy Tuesday! Welcome back to There’s Rice (and Chicken) at Home – a series where I share easy, flavour-packed chicken and rice recipes inspired by some of my favourite cuisines. This week, it’s my Thai Curry Chicken Meatballs, which I like to serve with coriander & lime rice.

Everyone has their own idea of what constitutes the perfect meatball. For me, it has to be juicy, very well seasoned and tender enough that a spoon can glide through it with ease. With fattier meats like beef or lamb, achieving this texture is fairly straightforward. Supermarkets usually stock 15 to 20% fat varieties, which keeps things moist and flavourful.

Chicken mince is a bit more of a challenge. Most of what’s available in supermarkets is made with breast meat, which is much leaner – usually 5 to 6% fat. This makes it great for lean cooking, but not so great for meatballs, where that fat content plays a key role in keeping things juicy.

To compensate, I add a couple of tablespoons of full-fat coconut milk to the mixture. It not only brings richness and moisture, but also hydrates the breadcrumbs (I use panko for its coarse, airy texture). As they soak up the coconut milk, they soften and swell just enough to bind everything together without making the mixture dense. The result is a meatball that holds together well but stays soft and juicy once cooked.

My favourite Thai red curry paste brands!

That’s texture taken care of. From a flavour perspective, it’s all about the Thai red curry paste. Quality really matters here. Look for one made with natural Thai ingredients like chillies, lemongrass, galangal and lime leaves, rather than something overly sweet or artificially coloured, bulked out with additives and preservatives. Mae Ploy and Thai Taste are both fantastic options.

My go-to coconut milk. I also really like Kingfisher and Thai Taste but they’re more expensive (and the latter is much harder to source).

Speaking of quality, the coconut milk you use is just as important – it’s the base of the broth, so it needs to be good. Always check the label and opt for one containing 70% or more coconut extract. You’d be surprised how watered down some brands are – I’ve seen tins with as little as 24% coconut! At that point, is it even coconut milk?! My go-to is Aroy-D – it’s rich, thick and perfectly creamy.

I really hope you give this recipe a go – it’s comforting, bright and full of flavour. And if you do, I’d love to hear what you think.

Thai Curry Chicken Meatballs

Serves 4 to 6

For the meatballs:

• 50g panko breadcrumbs

• 2 tbsp good-quality coconut milk (70% or more coconut extract)

• 1 large egg, beaten

• 1 tbsp good-quality Thai red curry paste (see Notes below)

• 1 tsp ginger paste

• 1 tsp garlic paste

• ½ tsp salt

• 500g chicken mince

• 2 echalion shallots (or 1 onion), very finely chopped

• vegetable oil (or any neutral oil), for shallow frying

For the sauce:

• 1 heaped tbsp good-quality Thai red curry paste

• 1 tsp ginger paste

• 2 x 400ml tins good-quality coconut milk (minus the 2 tbsp used for the meatballs)

• 1 tbsp fish sauce

• 1 tsp palm sugar or light brown sugar

• 1 tsp ground turmeric

Method

1. In a large bowl, mix the panko, coconut milk, egg, Thai red curry paste, ginger, garlic and salt until a thick paste forms.

2. Add the chicken mince and shallots, then use your hands to combine thoroughly (try not to overwork the mixture as this will result in dense meatballs). Roll the mixture into 20 balls and refrigerate for 15 to 30 minutes to firm up slightly.

3. Heat a tablespoon or two of vegetable oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Sear the meatballs until golden on the top and bottom, around 1 minute per side, then transfer to a plate.

4. Lower the heat to medium. Add the Thai red curry paste and ginger paste and stir-fry for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until fragrant.

5. Add the coconut milk, fish sauce, sugar and turmeric, stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes.

6. Add the meatballs to the sauce, turn the heat up to medium and bring back to a simmer. Cover again, reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes, or until the meatballs are tender and cooked through.

7. I like to serve these with coriander lime rice (cooked white jasmine rice tossed with finely chopped fresh coriander and lime zest) and steamed greens on the side.

Notes:

• Good-quality Thai curry pastes are made with fresh, natural ingredients like Thai chillies, lemongrass, galangal, lime leaves and shrimp paste. Where possible, opt for brands that use a high percentage of these ingredients and steer clear of those bulked out with additives or preservatives. I highly recommend Mae Ploy and Thai Taste.

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This is the final recipe in my There’s Rice (and Chicken) at Home series. I hope you’ve enjoyed it! I have lots more exciting recipes coming your way, but if there’s anything in particular you’d really like to see, let me know!

Big love and happy cooking,

Zena x