A quick and easy recipe for broiled ground chicken meatballs that combine with creamy coconut milk, Thai red curry paste and lots of fresh herbs to finish. Serve over rice or noodles for a fantastic weeknight dinner.
Prep Time20 minutesmins
Cook Time25 minutesmins
Total Time45 minutesmins
Servings: 8
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
½cuppanko breadcrumbs
1/4cupmilk
2large eggs
1teaspoon garlic powder
1teaspoononion powder
4scallions, minceddivided
2teaspoonskosher salt
freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
2poundsground chicken(or ground turkey)
For the Curry
215ozcans full-fat coconut milk(do not shake the cans befpre opening*)
1/4cup torn basil leaves (preferably Thai)for garnish
1/4 cup chopped cilantrofor garnish
1lime, sliced in wedgesfor squeezing
Steamed jasmine rice or rice noodlesfor serving
Instructions
Place an oven rack about 7-10 inches from the broiler unit and preheat the broiler. Drizzle a little oil on a baking sheet and use your hands to evenly coat the bottom. Do not use parchment paper for broiling or it will burn.
Place panko breadcrumbs in a large bowl and add 1/4 cup milk. Using a fork, mix to combine. Add the eggs, garlic and onion powder, scallions, salt and pepper. Mix well until you have a paste. Add the ground chicken and using the fork, or your hands, mix until well combined. Don't overwork the mixture. Use a cookie scoop to form the mixture into 2-inch meatballs, this should make about 30 meatballs. Grease your hands with a little oil and roll each meatball between your palms to smooth them out. Arrange them on the baking sheet with a little space between each ball.
Place the baking sheet in the oven and broil the meatballs for 5-6 minutes. No need to flip. Check, and if the top of meatballs are golden-brown remove them from the oven. If they are still a bit pale, leave them in 1-2 minutes longer. Watch them closely because the meatballs can overcook quickly. They will continue to cook in the curry sauce or when reheated from frozen (if making extra).
Meanwhile make the curry sauce. Spoon the thick cream from the top of the can (about 1/2 cup from each can) into a medium-sized saucepan and heat over medium-high heat. Add the curry paste and fry until the sauce is bubbly and fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. The oil might separate from the cream and this is a good thing (but don't worry if it doesn't). Add the rest of the coconut milk along with the chicken broth and stir a few times until sauce is smooth.
Reduce heat to medium-low and add sugar, fish sauce, and kaffir lime leaves (if using) and simmer for about 3-5 more minutes. Add the meatballs and toss to coat well in the sauce. Simmer for 5-8 minutes until meatballs are cooked through and the sauce has slightly thickened. Serve over white rice or rice noodle, and garnish with remaining scallions, fresh basil, cilantro, and lime wedges.
Notes
Recipe and ingredient guidance from Leela Punyaratabandhu's blog.*DO NOT shake the can before opening it. You want to start your sauce by cooking the red curry paste in the thick cream from the top of the can which has more fat.**I find 3 tablespoons of red curry paste for 2 cans of coconut milk to be the right heat for us - spicy, but not too spicy that you can't taste the food. If you prefer less heat, start with 2 tablespoons. Once your meatballs have cooked in the sauce, taste it and if you need more heat mix another tablespoon of the paste with 1/4 cup of water then add it to the sauce. Pro Tip! Double the meatball recipe, cool slightly, then freeze in a tight-lid storage container. Because the meatballs aren't very large, you can add them to the warm curry sauce semi-frozen (best to thaw for a bit on the counter) and they will take only a few minutes to thaw.