These Thai chicken meatballs are so unbelievably flavorful and make a wonderfully healthy and nutritious mid-week meal, especially paired with an Asian-style salad. Made with ground chicken, Thai spices, and breadcrumbs, they can be baked or fried to perfection, and they are 100% customisable to your own taste preferences.
I tend to serve them with a sweet chili dipping sauce as an appetizer or pair them with rice or noodles and something fresh on the side as a main course, but however you serve them, I can guarantee that you’ll be making these again and the kids are going to love them!
Why I make this again and again
I never thought I’d say this, but I genuinely LOVE meatballs; they are now a go-to mid-week staple in our household. Super-delicious, oh-so-versatile and incredibly easy to make! I actually find myself craving them, which for something so healthy, is truly a win in my book! I also love them because they are just so affordable, especially when you’re trying to keep the cost of your weekly shopping down.
I haven’t personally done it, but in theory, you could also very easily substitute in pork mince instead of chicken just to mix it up, and there’s no shortage of sides to experiment with. Serve with rice or noodles, veggies cooked or raw, add a Thai-style peanut sauce or leave them with the sweet chilli glaze in this recipe.
These are delicious, you definitely need to make these again!
Hugo Beuzeboc
No doubt you will be thinking about trying them for yourself by now, so read on for tips and tricks on how to keep incorporating them into your dinner rotation and never get bored!
Also Read: Out-of-this-world flavourful Korean chicken skewers
Choose your own meatball adventure!
Find it hard to stick to the recipe that’s in front of you? Never fear! These delightful little meaty balls are one of the most versatile dishes around.
- Go get-it citrus: Like citrus? Simply add 1 tbsp of lime zest, or powdered kefir lime leaf for an extra zesty kick.
- Like it hot, hot, hot!: I’ve left this recipe without chilli because I am making it for kids and parents who don’t come from a culture where chilli is front and centre, but whether you add the chilli to the meatball mix or into the dipping sauce/glaze – these little gems will definitely pair brilliantly with a little extra kick.
- Fayncy coatings: Especially if you’re inclined to roast them, you can totally jazz up your meatballs with a funky outer coating, sesame seeds and breadcrumbs both lend themselves well.
It’s so easy to make these incredible little flavour packets to your own personal preferences!
Ingredients: Fresh is best!
Sometimes you can get away with pre-packaged ingredients and sometimes you can’t. I find with a recipe as simple as this, it’s best to keep your ingredients as fresh as possible.
Don’t use pre-made pastes for your garlic and ginger. Fresh is 100% best in this case and these particular ingredients should not be skimped on because they are major contributors to the overall flavour of your meatballs!
- Don’t use pre-made coriander paste, always use fresh. You just won’t get the same flavour otherwise.
Side note! If you happen to be one of those people who doesn’t like coriander you can always substitute in Thai basil or “Asian mint” instead and have a relatively similar effect on the flavour.
Fresh lime juice is always best, but actually in this case, the store-bought ones aren’t actually that bad.
Hot tips: A Few Secrets
Rolling your meatballs can be a bit of a gloopy job, so I find it helps to pour a little bit of sunflower oil on my hands before I start to roll them, that way they don’t stick to my hands.
And if you happen to have yourself an ice cream scoop, this is also a decent method for the shaping part of your prep. Just make sure your scoop size isn’t too big, the meatballs shouldn’t be larger than 3cm wide.
Thai chicken meatballs in the making, ready for frying or to go straight into the oven for baking!
Whether you’re prepping for a party and looking for a quick and easy fail-proof crowd pleaser or you’re making the family dinner, you’re sure to find yourself licking your fingers and going back for seconds.
I’d love to hear about your experience with this recipe and also what you do to make it your own. Stay in touch with us on our socials, details below the recipe!
Tasty Thai Chicken Meatballs
Ingredients
For the meatballs
- 500 grams chicken mince
- 5 spring onions (chopped finely)
- 1/2 cup fresh coriander (chopped finely)
- 100 gram bread crumbs
- 1 tbsp ginger (grated)
- 2 cloves garlic (grated or finely chopped)
- 2 tbsp lime juice ((1 whole lime and zest if you want))
- 1 tbsp fish sauce ((optional))
For the glaze
- 120 ml sweet chilli sauce
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce (or Tamari if you are gluten-free)
- 1 tbsp water
Instructions
For the meatballs
- If baking, preheat the oven to 180C, otherwise get your non-stick pan ready.
- Combine all the meatball ingredients in a bowl and roll the mixture into small balls approx. 3cm in diameter.
- Place the balls on a sheet of baking paper on a baking tray and roast in the oven for 30 min or until the internal temperature is 75°C OR Fry the balls in a medium hot pan for approximately 15 minutes, being sure to turn frequently so the balls brown (and cook) on all sides.
For the glaze
- Combine all ingredients
- Pour over cooked meatballs if serving as a main or leave glaze on the side as a dipping sauce if serving as an appetiser
Did you make this recipe?
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Until next time. Keep following, liking, sharing, commenting and cooking, and may your every spoonful be tastier than the last!
1 Comment
Tried this recipe earlier this week and it was a HUGE success. Exactly as tasty and flavoursome as you might expect and super easy to pull together. Popped them in the oven, so they could cook away while we were watching the Matilda’s! Served with stir fried veggies and steamed rice. Yum!