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30 Minute Sticky Thai Meatballs with Sesame Noodles: A new take-out made at home favorite. Pan-seared gingery chicken meatballs tossed with plenty of spicy Thai-style chili sauce, bell peppers, peanuts, and basil.

Serve these sticky chicken meatballs over toasted sesame rice noodles and top with mango chili sauce plus fresh herbs. Every bite is sweet, spicy, and hinted with basil. Major bonus? This comes together in no time at all, just about 30 minutes. Weeknight-easy, big takeout flavor, and simple swaps to fit your pantry.

overhead photo of 30 Minute Sticky Thai Meatballs with Sesame Noodles

Why you’ll love this recipe

  • The sweet and spicy glaze and nutty sesame noodles make for the best takeout flavor made at home
  • This recipe is flexible! Use what protein and noodles you have.
  • Meal-prep friendly recipe with easy reheat option

Ingredient Notes

  • Choose your protein: This recipe works well with ground chicken, turkey, or pork. Fattier blends will lead to better tasting meatballs.
  • Thai flavor: garlic, ginger and green onion build that Thai-style base, grate finely for even flavor
  • Sauce: balance sweet (honey/brown sugar) + salty (soy/tamari/ fish sauce) + acid (rice vinegar/ lime) + heat (chili paste/ flakes). Taste and adjust.
  • Noodles: ramen, rice noodles, or soba; cook just to tender, then rinse (if using rice noodles) to prevent clumping
  • Sesame: a mix of toasted sesame oil (for flavor) and neutral oil (for sauteeing)
  • Fresh herbs: cilantro, Thai basil mint, and lime brighten the sticky glaze.

The story behind the recipe

I didn’t mean to share two Thai chicken recipes in one week but I’m just very into the Thai recipes right now. Well, actually, what’s really got me going is my oldest brother, Creighton. As I’ve been saying on repeat, Creighton has been quarantining with my parents for weeks. He loves Thai, meatballs, and really anything saucy, so I’ve been making a lot of his favorites.

And these meatballs? They have his name written all over them. If you don’t love meatballs, or you’re not into Thai, I am so sorry. Maybe check out yesterday’s cauliflower gnocchi? Or last week’s crockpot carne asada tacos? Plenty of other options for you!

So yes, Creighton may have influenced this recipe, but that doesn’t mean I don’t love it. Because you guys, I really love this recipe. It’s quick, it’s easy, and it feels very fresh, springy, and even kind of summery with all those fresh herbs. So with that, I’m jumping right into the process.

overhead photo of 30 Minute Sticky Thai Meatballs in skillet after cooking

First, let’s talk about the sauce.

You all know how strongly I feel about sauces, a flavorful sauce adds so much to a dish. And when it comes to Asian style recipes, sweet, spicy, and extra sticky are my favorites. Today’s sauce is a mix of pantry staples…soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, sambal oelek (chili sauce), and fresh lime juice and zest. While the lime is not technically a pantry staple, they’re a produce that many people often stock in their fridge.

To help thicken up the sauce I added a bit of cornstarch. You can omit this if you’d prefer, but your meatballs will be just a little less sticky.

Once the stir fry sauce is made, I also like to make a quick mango chili sauce. I use all of the same ingredients, minus the water and cornstarch, and plus some diced mango. I LOVE this extra sauce for serving, but some may feel it’s not needed. So, I’ll leave that up to you…but if it was up to me…I’d make the extra sauce.

overhead photo of 30 Minute Sticky Thai Meatballs with Sesame Noodles and chopsticks in bowl with noodles

The sticky Thai Meatballs.

Now that the sauce is all ready to go, make the meatballs and finish up this recipe.

The meatballs are a pretty simple mix of ground chicken, garlic, ginger, and lots of black pepper. Roll this all together, then pan-fry the meatballs in a bit of olive oil to get them nice and crispy on the outside. At this point, add in the shallots, bell peppers, and peanuts. Let this cook a bit, then pour in that stir fry sauce and simmer away until thickened.

This doesn’t take long at all, so watch the sauce closely. You don’t want it to thicken up too much.

While all that is cooking, prepare the noodles. Then toss with a little olive oil and toasted sesame seeds for crunch. By the time the noodles are done cooking, the meatballs should already be finished, and yes, dinner is complete.

Spoon the noodles into bowls, then spoon the sticky meatballs over and add the sauce from the skillet. Finish each bowl off with all the fresh herbs you can find. I used lemon mint, basil, and cilantro, but you can use your personal favorites. If I had to pick just one, I would go with cilantro, second choice basil.

Enjoy. Immediately.

Yes, this is that simple and that quick-cooking. Honestly, this will take you no more than thirty minutes to make. I know it feels like a lot of ingredients, but promise, this comes together quickly!

overhead close up of 30 Minute Sticky Thai Meatballs with Sesame Noodles

Notes and substitutions…

For the bell peppers, you can really use whatever vegetable you have on hand. Broccoli would be my top pick, then asparagus. But you could also use bok choy, carrots, and even toss in some cabbage. Really, use whatever you’ve got or whatever you love most.

I like to use vermicelli rice noodles, but you could use any variety of rice noodles or even Italian-style pasta. And while I love serving these meatballs over noodles, I’m sure steamed rice would be equally great.

And well, that’s kind of it! Simple, simple, but extra saucy, extra sticky, and one of those dinners you’re (hopefully) going to have on repeat.

overhead photo of 30 Minute Sticky Thai Meatballs with Sesame Noodles with chopsticks in bowl
Can I bake the meatballs instead of pan-searing?

Yes, baking yields hands-off cooking. Brown in a skillet afterward or brush with reduced glaze to get that shiny, sticky finish.

How do I keep meatballs tender, not dense?

Mix gently and stop as soon as everything comes together. A binder and a touch of moisture (both in the recipe) help keep them juicy and yummy.

What noodles work best?

Rice noodles for a lighter, gluten-free option; ramen or udon noodles will work well too. Cook to tender then toss with sesame oil so they don’t clump.

Too salty or too sweet? How do I fix the sauce?

Add lime or rice vinegar to cut saltiness. A splash of water will work to dilute. Chili or a pinch of sugar will balance bitterness or heat. Taste, adjust, then glaze.

Looking for other Asian recipes? Here are some favorites…

Coconut Popcorn Chicken with Sweet Thai Chili Lime Sauce

Better Than Takeout Garlic Butter Shrimp Pad Thai

Better Than Takeout Sweet Thai Basil Chicken

Lastly, if you make these 30 Minute Sticky Thai Meatballs with Sesame 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!

30 Minute Sticky Thai Meatballs with Sesame Noodles

Author: Tieghan Gerard
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 847 kcal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

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Ingredients

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

  • 1. In a glass jar, whisk together 1/3 cup cold water and the cornstarch. Add the soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, chili paste, lime zest, and lime juice.
    2. Add the chicken, ginger, garlic, and a pinch of pepper to a bowl. Mix until combined. Coat your hands with a bit of oil, and roll the meat into tablespoon-size balls (will make 15-20 meatballs).
    3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil shimmers, add the meatballs and sear until crisp, about 4-5 minutes, turning them 2-3 times. Remove the meatballs from the skillet. To the skillet, add the shallots, peppers, and peanuts, cook another 2-3 minutes, until the peppers begin to char. Pour in the honey/soy sauce mix. Add back the meatballs. Bring the sauce to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until the sauce thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the basil.
    4. Meanwhile, cook rice noodles according to packaged directions. Drain and toss with a couple drizzles of olive oil and the sesame seeds.
    5. To serve, divide the noodles among bowls and top with meatballs. Serve with additional herbs, limes, and mango chili sauce (if desired). Enjoy

Notes

Mango Chili Sauce: combine 1/4 cup honey, 2-3 tablespoons sambal oelek, 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, zest and juice of 1 lime, and 1 cup diced mango. 
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overhead horizontal photo of 30 Minute Sticky Thai Meatballs with Sesame Noodles

This post was originally published on May 7, 2020
4.26 from 346 votes (288 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. 4 stars
    Made this for dinner tonight, and it was so good! My only problem was the meatballs. They fell apart!! I definitely think you should bake them instead. I also almost made the decision to make your coconut noodles instead but decided against it and I was glad that I did because the sesame noodles were a hit! Otherwise, great recipe overall!

    Reply

    1. Hi Addie! I am sorry about that! I am really glad this turned out well still! Please let me know if there are any questions I can help you with! xTieghan

      Reply

  2. 5 stars
    Excellent as always. Used Beyond Meat for the meatballs to make it vegan, and it worked very well.

    Reply

  4. 3 stars
    Love HBH’s recipes normally, but this one turned out way too sour for me. Not sure, as I followed the recipe closely (no mango sauce) and even only used juice of 1/2 a lime (and zest of a full, albeit small, lime), and it was way, way too sour. The lime dominated.

    Would repeat, but only squeeze a spritz of lime and/or use less zest.

    Reply

    1. Hi Rach! I am really sorry to hear that! I hope you enjoy this more with less lime! Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help! xTieghan

      Reply

  5. 5 stars
    I am learning to cook during the pandemic — and this was easy but impressive — and so so delicious!

    Reply

  6. 5 stars
    I made this the other night and it was amazing! Skipped the peanuts and served it over white rice. I thought 2 tbsp of chili paste was good for me but I like spicy foods. I’d suggest 1tbsp if you don’t like things too spicy.

    Reply

  7. 5 stars
    My fiance and I really enjoyed this recipe! Since there are two of us, we split the bag of vermicelli noodles and used half when we made the dish and then boiled the rest when we had leftovers. The meatballs and sauce reheated just fine, and we actually thought the meatballs tasted better for round two, since the sauce flavors had gotten to mix in a bit more. We only made the mango sauce to go with the leftovers and it definitely was an improvement (the first time, we just added a bit more chili sauce and soy to our noodles).

    Reply

    1. I am so glad this recipe turned out so well for you Abby!! Thank you so much for trying this one! xTieghan

      Reply

  8. 4 stars
    Thank you for sharing this recipe. The flavor was really good. We loved the sauce. Two suggestions: consider using brown sugar instead of honey & the meatballs need something to bind together (an egg or breadcrumbs).

    Reply

  9. Delicious. A big hit with my son. He’s a big fan of asian cooking. I couldnt get the sambal so i just used some green chillies instead.

    Reply

  10. 5 stars
    I made this recipe for dinner tonight. I had no mangoes on hand so I omitted the mango chili sauce but it was still delicious! For the veggies, I used red bell peppers, carrots, and bok choy. I think I’ll make it with broccoli next time. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply

  11. 5 stars
    Once I saw the Instagram video and post for this, I knew I HAD to make it! I have never cooked with sambal oelek, so that was a first. It definitely added a lot of flavor in the sauce. I did have to thicken my sauce with more cornstarch (in my case arrowroot). Once I did, I added the peppers in and poured the sauce over the meatballs, which I baked. The garlic and ginger in the meatballs is really so simple but adds so much flavor to this dish! Combined with the sauce over some rice topped with some mango…thank you for this recipe! Amazing!!

    Reply

  12. 5 stars
    Mmmmm! I doubled it for my family of 6 and it was the perfect amount. We ate over rice instead of noodles (and coconut rice would be delicious too). Otherwise we made exactly as written. The mango is a must. Thanks!

    Reply

  13. 5 stars
    I just made these! I used things I had in the kitchen so took some liberties here and there (haha). I did ground turkey. broccoli instead of the peppers, and massaged kale instead of the noodles because that’s all I had, and everything still came out delicious!! It was SO easy to put together, and the sauce is amazing. Definitely will try mixing up more veggies next time 🙂 thanks for another great recipe <3

    Reply

    1. Thank you so much for trying this one, Adria! I am so glad it turned out so well for you! xTieghan

      Reply