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Weeknight Thai Chicken Meatball Khao Soi. This northern Thai inspired noodle soup is the simplest weeknight dinner. Made with flavorful Thai curry paste, coconut milk, and plenty of fresh herbs and lime juice. Toss in seared gingery chicken meatballs and plenty of delicious egg noodles, it’s hard to beat the easy Thai inspired soup. It’s the perfect any night of the week dinner that’s made in 30 minutes, hearty, cozy, and healthy too.
Say hello to my personal favorite recipe of the week. This soup is a combination of everything I love most. It’s colorful, hearty, full of so many vegetables, has crispy (flavorful) chicken meatballs, noodles, and truly the most delicious soup broth. If I wasn’t making a million other things every single week I would be making this soup on repeat. It’s one of my favorites…probably should have saved it for a possible future cookbook but I simply had to share.
Sooo, hopefully, that lets you know just how excited I am. I know this soup is different, but I beg you to try it.
The background + inspiration.
First, I want to share the background on Khao Soi, in case you’re unfamiliar with it. It’s a soup from Northern Thailand made with very specific Thai curry paste giving the soup its unique rich flavor. Additionally, it’s made with creamy coconut milk, which makes this more like a curry…but yet it’s still soup. Well actually, it’s somewhere in between the two!
After reading up on Khao Soi, I discovered there are actually a few variations throughout different parts of Thailand. Some parts of the country will use rice noodles, while others use egg noodles. However, the broth remains the same…curry paste and coconut milk. You can read up on the history here, if you’d like.
So the inspiration? Of course, it’s once again my brother, Brendan. He’s traveled to Thailand a few times now and each time he brings me curry paste and noodles. It’s like winning the lottery, I love him so much for it. Praying he and Lyn’s head back soon because my stash is currently gone.
Anyway, this is their favorite soup. I’ve made a couple versions of it now, one you can find in the Half Baked Harvest Super Simple Cookbook. But I think today’s version might just be my favorite…
My point is, I just love the meatballs in this version, they’re such a fun twist.
Here is how you make Thai Khao Soy.
Going to put this right out there before getting into details, this is not an authentic Khao Soi. This is just my take, it’s similar but different.
Moving along, aside from cooking the noodles, this soup is made entirely in one pot. The meatballs are the exact same mix that I used for my ginger sesame meatballs…ground chicken, green onions, garlic, and ginger. Roll this all together, then pan-fry the meatballs in a bit of olive oil to get them nice and crispy on the outside. Toss in some baby bok choy, or other greens of your liking, and sear them until they are crisp. At this point, you’ll remove everything from the pot so that the meatballs and greens don’t overcook or lose their crispness.
Next, you’ll want to sauté the Thai red curry paste for a minute or two before adding in the liquids. This will activate the flavors in the curry paste and give you a richer tasting broth. Now, just add in all the liquid, stir back in the meatballs and bok choy, and simmer everything together for a few minutes. You want the meatballs to cook fully through and the flavors in the soup to meld together.
While that’s happening, boil some egg noodles (or use rice noodles if you are gluten free). By the time the noodles are ready, the soup will be too!
Let’s talk about the toppings.
Because they are the best part! Well, maybe not the best part, but they contribute so much to this soup.
I am not shy with my toppings, I really like to layer them on. Use ingredients you love most, but here are my recommendations…plenty of fresh Thai basil, a generous handful of thinly sliced green onions, some very thinly sliced shallots (bonus points if you fry the shallots in oil first), lots of fresh-squeezed lime juice, and lastly – chili oil…lots and lots of chili oil.
For the chili oil, I simply make up a quick homemade batch, but you can easily use store-bought too. And if you can’t find any Thai basil, regular Italian basil works as well.
And that’s it, simple, so much flavor, quick, easy, extra color, and insanely good!
I really can’t begin to express just how good. If you loved my Thai ramen or my coconut milk braised chicken, I think you’ll also greatly enjoy this. Similar(ish) flavors, but very different dishes.
The broth, the crispy meatballs, the noodles, the toppings…everything all together. It is the BEST. Creamy, hinted with ginger and garlic, a touch spicy, a touch sweet, herby, salty, so perfect. Yeah, I think that pretty much sums this up. So how about a cozy bowl of Khao Soi tonight? You only need thirty minutes.
You can do it!
If you make this Weeknight Thai Chicken Meatball Khao Soi, 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!
Weeknight Thai Chicken Meatball Khao Soi.
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 636 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 2 green onions, finely, chopped, plus more for serving
- 1 inch fresh ginger, grated
- 1 clove garlic, minced or grated
- black pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 baby bok choy or 1 bunch kale, chopped
- 1/4 cup Thai red curry paste
- 2 (14-ounce) cans full-fat coconut milk
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce (or low sodium soy sauce)
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/4 cup each fresh cilantro and Thai or regular basil, chopped, plus more for serving
- 8 ounces egg or rice noodles
- sliced limes and thinly sliced shallots, for serving
- chili oil, for serving
Instructions
- 1. Add the chicken, green onions, ginger, garlic, 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 a large pot 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. Toss in the bok choy and cook 2 minutes more, until just charred on the edges. Transfer everything to a plate.3. To the same pot, add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, and the curry paste. Cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk, chicken broth, fish sauce, and honey. Slide the meatballs and bok choy back into the soup. Simmer over medium heat until the meatballs are cooked through, 5-8 minutes. Stir in the herbs. 4. Meanwhile, cook noodles according to package directions.5. Divide the noodles between bowls and ladle the soup over. Top each bowl as desired with basil, green onions, shallots, lime juice, and chili oil.
This post was originally published on January 22, 2020
Very flavorful! My husband loved the broth and that is not something he usually likes about soups. I did not do the noodles or honey to keep it lower carb but it was great! My meatballs were a little on the dry side but I think that is because I used all chicken breasts when I ground my own. These definitely needed a little dark meat in the mix. I will certainly keep this one in my quick dinner arsenal! I can’t wait to try making my own chili oil. One question…. Can you use another oil besides peanut to make the chili oil? Thank you!
Hey Cyndi,
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for making it! Yes, you can use sesame oil in place of the peanut oil. Happy New Year! xTieghan
So good and easy to make! My husband loved it!
Hey Katie,
I am so thrilled that you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for giving it a try! Happy New Year! xTieghan
The broth was so good! It took me about 45 mins from start to finish. Not bad! I do wish the chicken meatballs had a bit more flavor themselves, but overall it was a great dish and I’d make it again. My meatballs didn’t fall apart totally but just a small amount would come off some of them whilst cooking. I used kale instead of bok Choy. Thank you for making another yummy dish!
Hey Keri,
I am so thrilled that you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for giving it a try! Happy New Year! xTieghan
Made this last night and it SO good! My meatballs stuck to the pot and fell apart a bit but it was still very delicious and satisfying on a cold night!
Hey Laurel,
Thanks so much for trying the recipe, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Happy New Year! xTieghan
We made this for dinner last night. It was very good and easy to make. The chicken meatballs were so tender!
Hey Angelina,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it worked out for you! Happy New Year! xTieghan
Could I use lite coconut mile instead? Trying to make this dish lower calorie. Ideas???
Hey Christine,
Yes, lite coconut milk would work here! I hope you love the recipe. If you have any other questions, please let me know! Happy New Year! xTieghan
All of your recipes look incredible. Are the calories listed kcal? X1000? or are they calories?
Hey Sarah,
The calories listed are regular calories. I hope you love the recipe. If you have any other questions, please let me know! Happy New Year! xTieghan
Amazing recipe. I am so grateful to have found your blog!
I love to spice things up with Korean chili garlic sauce!
Hey Melissa,
Thank you so very much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it worked out for you! Happy New Year! xTieghan
We didn’t have bok choy so made it with kale and it tasted wonderful! This recipe is definitely going in our weekday rotation.
Hey Mary,
Thank you so very much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it worked out for you! Happy New Year! xTieghan
I made this tonight and it was amazing! I used turkey instead of chicken and it worked very well. Thanks for creating and sharing such a great recipe! 🙂
Hey Ashley,
Thank you so very much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it worked out for you! Happy New Year! xTieghan
Excited about this! Any chance we can sub the ground chicken for ground tofu to make these meatballs? If so, do you suggest any subs to that recipe to make sure it holds?
Hey Siri,
So sorry I’ve never tried making tofu meatballs, but you could just skip the meatballs and add pan fried tofu! I hope you love the recipe. Let me know if I can help in any other way! Happy New Year! xTieghan
So happy to see a recipe from you for my favorite Thai dish! If this is on the menu at a restaurant I always order it. One suggestion is that traditionally it is served with chopped pickled mustard leaves and they are SO TASTY!! Sometimes you can find them at Asian grocery stores and if you do you’ve got to try it that way!! Can’t wait to try this recipe!! Happy New Year!!
Thanks so much Binky! Happy New Year! xTieghan
This recipe looks amazing & can’t wait to try it out. Is it possible to bake the meatballs in the oven & then add to the soup or will that take away flavor?
Hey Jenn,
That would be fine to do. I hope you love the recipe. Please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy New Year! xTieghan
I am addicted to pretty much any HBH recipe I make but this one was ESPECIALLY good. It was super easy and quick to make. I made it on a Friday but could easily put it together after work during the week. It had a ton of flavor and generally very healthy and simple ingredients. This will for sure become a weekly rotation, it was so, so good.
Hey Mary Kate,
Thanks so much for trying the recipe, I am thrilled that it worked out for you! Happy New Year! xTieghan
This recipe saved my life today! Wanted to start the year with something healthy and heartwarming, but my fridge was empty after holidays. But somehow I found all the ingredients needed for this soup in my pantry and freezer. Just swapped the bok choi with some frozen kale. It turned out delicious. Thank you for making your recipes so simple, quick balanced and yet extremely delicious.
Hey Agnes,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am thrilled it was a hit! Happy New Year! xTieghan