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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
This was so yummy. It took me about an hour. My only issue was that my meatballs fell apart when i was searing them.
Hey Courtney,
I am thrilled that you enjoyed the recipe, thanks for making it! I hope you have an awesome weekend:) xTieghan
Wow, this is one of the best things I’ve ever cooked. Super easy and so flavorful. My pot had some brown bits left behind after I took out the meatballs & bok choy, so I deglazed it with some cooking sherry, but that’s the only change I made. Thank you for another fabulous meal! Love your recipes & blog!
Hey Katie,
I am thrilled the recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Have a great weekend:) xTieghan
Simply amazing! Made this tonight and it will definitely become a regular in my rotation. This has the perfect summer colors and flavor to warm you up on a cold winter night. Easy to make but the complex flavors will wow your dinner guests!
Hey Nicolle,
I am so glad the recipe worked out for you! Thanks for making it:) Happy Friday! xTieghan
What is the brand of red curry paste you use?
Hey Ashley,
I like the Thai Kitchen brand red curry paste. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This was simply incredible!!! While easy to execute, the flavor was very deep and complex- probably a benefit of using the fish sauce- and the sauce itself tasted just like sauce found in Laksa, the classic Singaporean dish. I imagined myself right back in Asia eating this, happy as a clam. Thanks for the awesome recipe!
Hey Sierra,
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
Very tasty recipe!! I think it would be great too by omitting the meatballs and making it meatless! Thanks again for another great recipe!
Hey Mackenzie,
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
So easy to make and comes together in 30-40 min (just started trying to cook more, so I’m definitely a beginner) also, I swapped out the Bok choy for spinach and threw some onions in the cook and it turned out awesome!
Hey Sommer,
Thank you so much for making the recipe. I am thrilled that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Amazing!! Made this for the family tonight and we all thoroughly enjoyed it ❤️ couldn’t even manage to get a picture it was gone so fast ? Thanks for sharing your love of fresh food with us!
Hey Rachelle,
Thank you so much for making the recipe. I am thrilled that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Made this for dinner this evening. It was delicious! Even my 4-year-old twins ate it! One question: When I added the bok choy to the meatballs, it did not char: I had more of a watery, steaming situation. Still tasted great…just wondering how to avoid that next time.
Hey Sarah,
Thank you so much for making the recipe. I am thrilled that it was enjoyed! I really am able to get a good char using my cast iron skillet! xTieghan
Meatballs were delicious and who knew bok choy was so good!
Hey Kathy,
Thanks so much for trying the recipe. I am glad you enjoyed it! xTieghan
Made it last night at my daughter’s insistence. It was fabulous!!!
Hey Trina,
Thanks so much for trying the recipe. I am glad you enjoyed it! xTieghan
I came across this recipe and decided that I needed to make this. I was a little worried since I have never made Thai food before and was concerned that it was not going to taste like Thai food. I was wrong… this recipe came out amazing! I made this for my husband and mother-in-law and they were amazed. The meatballs were absolutely amazing and the soup tasted just like a thai restaurant. I saw another comment saying that they doubled the ingredients and the meatballs had more flavor, so I did that as well. Honestly, I can no wait to make this again. Quick, easy and tasted exactly how I thought it would. I would change anything else in the recipe. I also made thai iced tea with this meal and it complimented this dish so well. Thank you for this incredible recipe!
Hey Kristen,
Thanks so much for trying the recipe. I am glad you enjoyed it! xTieghan
Made this last night, absolutely delicious! As I do with any chicken/turkey meatball I make, I add a grated zucchini to it to lighten it up and add more veg. Other than that, followed this to a T.
Hey Nicola,
I am thrilled that you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
Made this tonight and the broth and bok choy were all very tasty. The one idea I would suggest is to finish the meatballs before adding the bok choy. I had a fairly large dutch oven but after adding the bok choy I couldn’t find the meatballs I had worked so hard to make round and then the bok choy wasn’t cooking as quickly through the meatballs on the bottom of the pot. Also the meat balls needed salt and if I make again would use rice in the soup instead of meatballs.
Hey MJ,
Thanks for trying the recipe, I am sorry you had issues, let me know how I can help! xTieghan
This was so good! I was nervous about ground chicken because I’m not usually a fan, but was pleasantly surprised. I doubled the amount of noodles and had many servings of leftovers and didn’t get sick of it! My toddler even gobbled it up.
Hey Lauren,
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for giving it a try! Have a great week:) xTieghan