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The best simple weeknight Coconut Chicken Meatball Curry with Rice Noodles. Made with flavorful Thai curry paste, coconut milk, plenty of fresh herbs, and lime juice. Then toss in seared chicken meatballs and plenty of delicious rice noodles and it’s hard to beat this easy Thai-inspired coconut curry. It’s a delicious mix of cozy and healthy and a great way to use up those garden bell peppers and fresh basil.
If there’s one thing I used to say I didn’t like, it was meatballs. And to be honest, meatballs themselves still don’t really appeal to me. But put them in a red sauce with cheese? Or a creamy coconut curry sauce?
Wow, that I can get excited about. It’s all about taking something semi-boring and making it exciting and fresh!
Here are the quick details
Start by making the meatballs. I usually like to cook them in the oven, but it just made sense to sear these in a skillet instead. Much faster and no one wants to turn the oven on during these hot days. Using the skillet to sear the meatballs creates the perfect non-dry meatball that’s crisp and tender. I like to use a mix of ground chicken, green onions, salt, and pepper. The secret is a dash of Worcestershire sauce, which adds a really delicious, saltiness. You don’t really know it’s there, but it adds a special touch.
What’s different about these meatballs is that there are no eggs or bread crumbs. I wanted to keep this simple. Well, really, I just wanted them as a base for the coconut curry sauce. Meaning that the meatballs soak up the sauce instead of being the key flavor.
Roll the meat (you can use chicken, pork, or turkey) into balls, then sear them in a skillet with sides until crisp.
Pull the meatballs out of the skillet and finish the dish by making the sauce.
The sauce is pretty simple but made incredibly flavorful with onions, garlic, and ginger. I like to use bell peppers as my vegetable along with sweet summer corn. Then Thai curry paste to keep things spicy, and canned coconut milk for a super luscious and creamy sauce. I then add a splash of soy sauce and a big dollop of peanut butter for richness.
Next, add the corn and meatballs to the sauce. The dish is finished with lime juice, cilantro, and basil.
As soon as the curry is done, I spoon it overtop rice noodles and add fresh herbs. Simply a mix of cilantro, Thai basil, and mint.
Here’s what I will say, it’s important to eat the curry as soon as you put it over the noodles or the noodles will soak up all that amazing sauce. Just be sure to keep the noodles separate until you’re ready to eat.
A great fresh late summer dinner in under an hour. Kind of love that, especially for the busy back-to-school season we are entering!
Looking for other quick curries? Here are some favorites:
Coconut Curry Salmon with Garlic Butter
Saucy Coconut Curry with Rice Noodles and Garden Vegetables
Weeknight 30 Minute Coconut Curry Chicken Meatballs
20 Minute Red Curry Basil Garlic Oil Noodles
Lastly, if you make this Coconut Chicken Meatball Curry with Rice Noodles be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Coconut Chicken Meatball Curry with Rice Noodles
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 1112 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground chicken, pork, or turkey
- 4 green onions, chopped
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- kosher salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil or extra virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 orange bell pepper, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
- 1/4 cup Thai red curry paste
- 1 can (13.5 ounce) full fat coconut milk
- 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 1/4 cup peanut butter
- 3 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 2 cups yellow corn
- 8 ounces rice noodles
- juice and zest from 1/2 a lime
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro and basil
Instructions
- 1. Add the chicken, green onions, Worcestershire sauce, and a pinch of pepper to a bowl. Mix until just combined. Coat your hands with a bit of oil, and roll the meat into tablespoon-size balls (will make 15-20 meatballs).2. Heat the sesame oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and sear until crisp, about 4-5 minutes, turning them 2-3 times. Transfer everything to a plate. 3. To the skillet, add the onions and bell peppers. Cook until softened, 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the garlic, ginger, and curry paste. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the broth, coconut milk, tamari, honey, and peanut butter. Stir to combine. Add the corn and meatballs and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro and basil. 4. Meanwhile, cook the noodles according to package directions.5. Divide the noodles between bowls and ladle the curry over. Top each bowl as desired with basil, cilantro, lime juice, and sesame seeds.
This post was originally published on August 22, 2022
This one came out pretty good. There is no mention in the recipe of when to add the honey or lime zest. I just mixed the honey into the sauce before serving. It completely changed the flavor. I wonder if the lime zest would too….
Hey Jeff,
Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your review, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Sorry about the honey and zest, I will fix that:) xT
What do we do with the 2 teaspoons honey?
Hi Anne,
So sorry for any confusion, you are going to add the honey in step 3. Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you! xx
Made this dish tonight, Wednesday. I read and re read the recipe… where is the honey??
Next time I’d add a bit more chilli. It was super delicious.
Hi Lorraine,
Awesome!! So glad to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! So sorry, the honey is added in step 3. xT
Yum!! I cheated on the meatballs and used frozen. Didn’t take away from the perfect blend of amazing flavors. Another saved recipe for many future makes.
Hi Sheila,
Happy Wednesday! Thanks so much for making this dish, I love to hear that it was tasty! xTieghan
Which rice noodles do you use? Thanks,,,mine are always mushy
Hi Heidi,
I really like the Lotus Foods brand of rice noodles. Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
I’ve made this dish last night and it came out delicious. I added a bit of sambal oelek to make it slightly spicier but otherwise everything else was as directed. Thank you Tiegen it will be repeated many times.
Hey there,
Fantastic!! I love to hear that this dish was a hit, thanks a bunch for making it! xT
This was delicious and comforting! The peanut butter really added some beautiful flavor & depth to the curry. My local store was out of rice noodles so I made Tieghan’s coconut rice to serve with it instead.
Definitely adding this one to the rotation!
Hi Megan,
I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Have a great day:)
It’s dishes like these that can alter a meal into a tasteful journey of flavors. Thanks for the recipe, wow it looks fabulous and probably the same results when tried at home. Kudos
Thanks so much! I hope you love the dish! xT
Delicious. I added some cherry tomatoes I had in the fridge. PLEASE DON’T TELL TIEGAN THAT I USED FROZEN MEATBALLS FROM THE GROCERY
Hey there,
LOL whatever is easiest right?! Thanks for giving the recipe a try, so glad to hear it was enjoyed! xx
This was meh. It had the ingredients that made me believe it could be great, but my family all agreed. Needs too much tweaking. It’s pretty, but it’s just not very complex. I have some left over, and I might add chili paste and possibly crisp to heat it up. I feel like it could have used lemongrass as well. However it wasn’t something that I feel like I want to spend time on.
Hi Mary Anne,
Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear it was not enjoyed! xx
We have enjoyed and made hundreds of your recipes, so 1 that wasn’t hitting it for us is not so bad!
Where is the honey supposed to be added?
Hi Jessica,
The honey is going to be added in step 3. Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
Phenomenal!!! Family loved it. Made it as directed and was perfect. Thank you!
Hey Natalie,
Happy Tuesday!! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for trying it out! xTieghan
This looks great! Do you think I could make the meatballs ahead and freeze them?
Thanks,
Colette
Hey Colette,
Totally, that would work well for you! Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope it turns out amazing for you! xx
Would you freeze the meatballs raw or is it best to cook them first and then freeze it.
You could freeze them raw:)
Hello Tieghan
Thank you for all your recipes, I’ve been tring them out, one by one. We all love them.
In this recipe, do you pre-cook the corn?
Thank you Helene
Hi Helene,
Thanks so much for reaching out and your kind message! The corn will cook in the dish so you do not need to pre-cook it. I hope this dish turns out amazing for you, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
Any sub for the peanut butter that might work? Looks delicious but we have a peanut allergy in the house.
I was just wondering the same thing. Would Almond butter work?
Yummy! Next time I would add some salt to the meatballs and extra soy sauce to the soup. Just wondering – when does the honey get added?
Hey Alannah,
Wonderful! Thanks so much for making this dish and sharing your feedback, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Sorry for any confusion, the honey gets added in step 3. xTieghan
Thanks for clarifying! I realized after the fact, I added too much chicken broth! Would have given a higher rating and wouldn’t need the extra soy sauce ?
I have made this with tahini or sunflower seed butter instead of peanut butter, as I have a nut allergy, and it is delicious
Thanks so much Lisa!!
Totally!
Looks delish! Is honey added at the end with the lime juice?
Hi Carolyn,
The honey is added in step 3, so sorry for any confusion! I hope you love the recipe!! xTieghan
Hey Raisa,
Sunflower seed butter would also work well for you! Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT