Description
These Basil Ginger Meatballs are jam-packed with rich + robust flavor while enrobed in a fragrant, Thai-inspired Coconut Red Curry Sauce. The meatballs are super tender and blend with the likes of sautéed peppers, onions, green beans, authentic Thai curry paste, aromatic spices, and much more. Serve these saucy meatballs with jasmine rice for an easy weeknight meal that everyone will love!
Ingredients
For the basil ginger meatballs:
- 2 lbs ground chicken
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- ½ cup plain panko breadcrumbs
- 1 shallot, finely diced
- 2 tablespoons ginger paste
- 1 tablespoon garlic paste
- ¼ cup fresh chopped basil
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Kosher salt & fresh ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed
For the coconut red curry sauce:
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips
- 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced into strips
- ½ medium yellow onion, sliced into half moons
- 1 tablespoon garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon ginger paste
- 2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
- 1 (4-ounce) can red curry paste- we love Maesri Red Curry Paste for this recipe!
- 1 (14-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, plus lime wedges for squeezing
- 1 cup trimmed green beans
- Chopped scallions and/or fresh chopped cilantro, for garnishing- optional
- Cooked jasmine rice, for serving
Instructions
- Make meatball mixture. In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground chicken, eggs, breadcrumbs, shallot, ginger paste, garlic paste, chopped basil, dried basil, allspice, paprika, and salt/pepper- to taste. Mix the meatball ingredients until just combined- careful not to overwork the meat mixture to prevent tough meatballs.
- Shape meatballs. Set aside a large plate/platter. Use a medium spring-loaded scooper to scoop the mixture into golf ball-size meatballs. Then roll the meatball in the palm of your hands just until a smooth shape is formed. Place the formed meatballs on the plate/platter and repeat this process until all meatballs are shaped, you should end up with about 20-23 meatballs.
- Brown meatballs. In a deep, large nonstick skillet over medium heat, warm up the oil. Once the oil is shimmering, gently swirl the skillet to evenly coat the bottom. Add the meatballs into the skillet in a single layer, careful not to overcrowd the skillet, work in batches. Brown the meatballs on the bottom until a nice sear appears, about 3-4 minutes. Then carefully turn them onto the other side to brown, about 3-4 minutes. At this stage, the meatballs may not be fully cooked but will finish in the pan sauce later; use a slotted utensil to transfer the browned meatballs to a clean plate/platter. Repeat the process with the remaining half of the meatballs- if your pan looks dry, add a slick more oil into the skillet, only if needed.
- Build the red curry sauce. With all browned meatballs set aside, add the bell peppers and onion into the same pan and cook, stirring often, until tender and translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Then add in the garlic, ginger, brown sugar, and red curry paste and continue cooking until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
- Stir in the coconut milk, broth, fish sauce, and lime juice, scraping up any bits on the bottom of the pan. Let the sauce come up to a simmer, stirring every so often, about 5-7 minutes.
- Bring it all together & simmer. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting, add in all the browned meatballs with any residual juices that have been collected along with the green beans, and gently toss to coat with sauce. Let the meatballs + green beans continue cooking with pan sauce for 10-15 minutes, gently swirling the skillet every few minutes. The sauce will reduce a bit, the meatballs will finish off and meld with the pan sauce, and the green beans should be tender. Then remove from heat.
- Serve these meatballs in red curry sauce over fluffy jasmine rice with a garnish of chopped scallions and/or fresh chopped cilantro + lime wedges for squeezing, if desired. A little naan/pita bread on the side is also clutch for sopping up the coconut red curry sauce, too. Enjoy!
Notes
- Gluten-free needs? Swap the breadcrumbs for superfine almond flour (just don’t pack it in the measuring cup- spoon/scoop and level flour) as a 1:1 ratio for a gluten-free alternative.
- Please read blog post in its entirety for more tips + tricks.