Thai chicken meatballs in peanut sauce. Tender, juicy meatballs simmered in a rich, ultra creamy peanut butter sauce enlivened with ginger, garlic and red curry paste. This easy weeknight dinner is loaded with sautéed bok choy and served over creamy coconut rice. Top with fresh cilantro and toasted peanuts for a crowd-pleasing dinner.
Why you’ll love this chicken meatballs recipe
The most amazing thing about this recipe is that it’s a one skillet kind of dinner. Chicken meatballs are also a leaner alternative to beef or pork meatballs, with a mild flavor that perfectly pairs with any herb, sauce or vegetable. Here, we combine ground chicken with soy sauce, ginger, garlic and cilantro to create a tiny flavor explosion.
How to make chicken meatballs in peanut sauce
Let me guide you through the recipe with this step-by-step VIDEO.
First, we sear the meatballs, then create an irresistible pan sauce by sweating the garlic and ginger. We add bok choy to this flavorful mixture, but you could use bell pepper or green beans. Then red curry paste goes in, followed by chicken broth.
Next we add coconut milk to create that creamy touch and stir in the peanut butter. It’s traditional to use fish and soy sauce, but brown sugar too, however since I wanted this sauce to be less sweet, I just used a small amount of honey.
There’s also a generous splash of lime juice to balance the flavors and add some tang to the sauce. For that extra kick, I love to use sambal oelek, the heat really mellows out as it cooks in the sauce, adding just the right amount of spice. Not too spicy, but just right.
At the end the meatballs get simmered in this flavorful sauce, and while this is happening, we make the coconut rice. It’s creamy and with just a small amount of coconut flavor that pairs really well with this kicky dish.
We serve the meatballs over rice and top with chopped cilantro and toasted peanuts for a nice finishing touch. It’s creamy and comforting with a little bit of spice, perfect for any night of the week.
Recipe tips
- Pair your dish with naan, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, or a refreshing cucumber salad for a complete meal.
- Swap out bok choy for peas, edamame, bell peppers, or spinach for a different twist.
- You can easily substitute ground turkey, beef or pork for chicken, depending on your preference.
- Trade peanuts for cashews to switch up the flavor and texture.
- Adjust the spice level to match your heat tolerance.
- For the best peanut sauce, use plain, crunchy peanut butter that isn’t too oily to keep the sauce smooth and prevent separation.
- When making coconut rice: jasmine, basmati, long grain, or brown rice works best for a fluffy texture.
- Full-fat coconut milk brings the richest coconut flavor, so opt for that over low-fat for a more flavorful dish.
Storage tips
- Fridge: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: Coconut milk and peanut butter can sometimes separate or become grainy when frozen and thawed. To help prevent this, make sure the sauce is well-emulsified before freezing. After thawing, reheat in a saucepan over medium heat, adding a splash of water if needed, and stir thoroughly to bring the sauce back together. Leftovers can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Try these next
- Coconut Gochujang Chicken Meatballs
- Easy Peanut Butter Chicken
- Thai Coconut Shrimp Curry
- Firecracker Chicken Meatballs
- Thai Coconut Salmon Curry
Thai Chicken Meatballs in Peanut Sauce
Ingredients
Chicken Meatballs
- 1.1 pounds ground chicken
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- 1 tsp garlic cloves - grated
- 1 tsp low sodium soy sauce
- ½ tsp sambal oelek - or chili paste
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tbsp corn starch
- 1 tbsp cilantro - chopped
Thai Peanut Sauce
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 5 garlic cloves - grated
- 2 tbsp grated ginger
- 1 bok choy - chopped
- 1 tbsp Thai red curry paste
- 1 tsp sambal oelek - or chili paste
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 1 can (14 oz/400 ml) unsweetened coconut milk - full fat
- ½ cup peanut butter
- 1 tsp honey
- 2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- ½ lime - juiced
Coconut Rice
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup jasmine rice
Toppings
- toasted peanuts
- fried onions
- chives
- cilantro
- chili pepper
Instructions
- Get all the prep done before you start cooking. Chop the cilantro and bok choy. Grate the garlic cloves and ginger.
- Add ground chicken and the ingredients for the meatballs to a bowl. Mix with your hand, just until combined. Roll into 2-tablespoon sized balls.
- Heat oil and butter in a nonstick skillet over medium. Add meatballs, brown all over, about 3 minutes. Remove from skillet onto a clean plate.
- Add garlic and ginger, cook for 1 minute. Add bok choy, cook for 1 minute more. Stir in red curry paste and sambal oelek. Deglaze the skillet with chicken broth, simmer for 2 minutes while stirring and scraping up the brown bits on the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon.
- Add coconut milk and stir in peanut butter. Add honey, lime juice, soy and fish sauce. Add meatballs back to the skillet and simmer for 15 minutes. Add more chicken broth, if needed.
- In the meantime, make the coconut rice. Bring coconut milk and chicken broth to a simmer. Add rice, cover and cook over low for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. Remove from heat, and rest, undisturbed and covered, for 10 minutes more. Fluff the rice with a fork.
- Serve chicken meatballs and peanut sauce over rice. Sprinkle with your favorite toppings, enjoy!
Video
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