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Thai Green Curry Chicken Meatballs

These Green Curry Chicken Meatballs are a flavorful, protein-packed meal that works great for weeknight dinners and make-ahead meal prep. Lean ground chicken is combined with shredded sweet potato and wholesome binders, then browned and gently simmered in a creamy Thai-style green curry sauce. The result is tender, juicy meatballs with bright, aromatic curry flavor.

Chicken meatballs and vegetables simmering in a cast iron pan.

Green Curry Chicken Meatballs

If you love meatballs, these green curry chicken meatballs bring a fresh twist. They are quick to make, packed with vegetables, and simmer in a simple coconut-based curry that balances richness, spice, and citrus. This recipe is ideal for batch cooking and keeps well in the refrigerator.

Things We Love About This Recipe

Why this recipe stands out:

  • No oven required for browning — everything finishes on the stovetop or briefly in the oven if desired.
  • High in protein with added vegetables for balance and nutrients.
  • Perfect for meal prep: flavors develop over time and leftovers reheat well.
  • The green curry sauce is creamy, fragrant, and easy to customize.
  • Versatile serving options — rice, quinoa, noodles, or cauliflower rice.
All of the ingredients for these chicken meatballs in a mixing bowl.

Featured Ingredients

  • Ground chicken: a lean base that cooks up tender and soaks up the curry flavors.
  • Sweet potato: grated sweet potato adds moisture and acts as a natural binder so you can skip eggs if you prefer.
  • Oats and flour: rolled oats and a bit of flour help bind the meatballs and keep them tender.
  • Spices: a combination of garlic powder, ground ginger, turmeric, and cumin adds warmth and depth.
  • Coconut milk: full-fat coconut milk makes the curry sauce rich and silky, pairing perfectly with green curry paste.
  • Thai green curry paste: the core flavor for the sauce—feel free to adjust the amount to taste.
  • Vegetables: onions, bell pepper, and snow peas are sautéed in the sauce for color and crunch.

Easy Swaps

Need to adapt the recipe? These simple swaps work well:

Ground chicken → ground turkey, pork, or beef (or a mix)

White whole wheat flour → all-purpose flour or gluten-free oat flour

Thai green curry paste → Thai red curry paste for a different spice profile

Chicken meatballs browning in a cast iron pan.

Simple Instructions

  1. Mix the meatball ingredients. In a large bowl, combine ground chicken, rolled oats, flour, grated and squeezed sweet potato, garlic powder, ground ginger, turmeric, cumin, salt, pepper, and a tablespoon of olive oil. Gently mix until just combined—don’t overwork the meat.
  2. Form and brown. Shape the mixture into tablespoon-sized meatballs (a small cookie scoop helps). Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with a bit of oil and brown the meatballs on all sides for 4–5 minutes; they don’t need to be fully cooked through.
  3. Prepare the curry sauce. In a bowl, whisk together full-fat coconut milk, green curry paste, lime juice, a touch of hot sauce (optional), and salt and pepper to taste.
  4. Sauté the vegetables. In the same skillet, add a little more oil if needed and sauté sliced red onion, red bell pepper, and snow peas for 2–3 minutes until slightly softened.
  5. Simmer together. Pour the coconut curry sauce into the skillet with the vegetables, bring to a gentle boil, then nestle the browned meatballs into the sauce. Reduce heat and simmer until meatballs are cooked through (or place the oven-safe skillet in a 375°F oven for about 15 minutes to finish).
  6. Serve. Serve the meatballs and sauce over coconut rice, brown rice, quinoa, sticky rice, rice noodles, or cauliflower rice. Garnish with fresh herbs if desired.

Serve This With

Choose a grain or rice alternative to make the meal complete. Top recommendations:

Instant pot coconut rice
Instant Pot Coconut Rice — rich and fragrant, it complements the curry.
Brown rice in an instant pot with a wooden spoon.
Instant Pot Brown Rice — a wholesome, chewy option.
Sticky rice in a bowl
Sticky Rice — perfect for soaking up curry sauce.
A bowl of white rice with parsley and a spoon.
Cauliflower Rice — a low-carb alternative.
Quinoa on plate.
Instant Pot Quinoa — light and protein-rich.
Green curry and vegetables in a cast iron pan.

Chicken Meatball FAQ

How do you keep meatballs moist?

Adding moisture-rich ingredients like grated sweet potato helps keep chicken meatballs tender. The grated sweet potato releases moisture as it cooks, preventing the lean chicken from drying out.

How do I add moisture to meatballs?

Include some fat in the meat mixture, either by choosing a fattier ground meat or adding a small amount of oil. Work the mixture gently and avoid packing meatballs too tightly so they remain light and juicy.

What can I use instead of eggs in meatballs?

If you prefer to avoid eggs, try a flax egg or chia egg, or use grated sweet potato as a natural binder, as in this recipe.

What should I eat with these meatballs?

This green curry version pairs beautifully with rice, quinoa, rice noodles, or cauliflower rice. You can also serve it with steamed vegetables or a simple cucumber salad to refresh the palate.

Storage

Let the meatballs and curry sauce cool completely before transferring to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Keep the grains (rice, quinoa, etc.) stored separately and combine when reheating for the best texture.

Green curry chicken meatballs and vegetables in a cast iron skillet.
Kitchen conversion chart preview.
Make it easy: Keep common conversions handy (tablespoons to teaspoons, Fahrenheit to Celsius) to speed up prep.
Chicken meatballs, vegetables, and rice in a bowl.

More of our favorite recipes

Meatball Recipes

  • Turkey Meatballs
  • Italian Meatballs
  • Tikka Masala Meatballs
  • Kung Pao Chicken Meatballs

Ingredients

For the Meatballs

  • 1 pound ground chicken
  • 1/4 cup old fashioned rolled oats (gluten free if desired)
  • 1/4 cup white whole wheat or gluten-free oat flour
  • 1 small sweet potato, grated and squeezed (~1/2 cup)
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

For the Curry Sauce and Vegetables

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 15-ounce can full-fat coconut milk
  • 1 small red onion, sliced
  • 1 red bell pepper, sliced
  • 1 cup snow peas
  • 3 tablespoons green curry paste (adjust to taste)
  • 3 tablespoons lime juice (~1 lime)
  • 1/2 tablespoon hot sauce or green dragon sauce (optional)
  • Salt, to taste

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F if you plan to finish the dish in the oven.
  2. In a large bowl, combine all meatball ingredients except the olive oil. Mix gently until just combined.
  3. Heat a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil. Form the mixture into tablespoon-sized balls and place them in the skillet.
  4. Brown the meatballs for 4–5 minutes, turning to get color on all sides. They should be browned but not fully cooked. Remove and set aside.
  5. Whisk together coconut milk, green curry paste, lime juice, hot sauce (if using), and salt and pepper in a bowl.
  6. In the same skillet, heat another tablespoon of oil if needed and sauté the red onion, bell pepper, and snow peas for about 2 minutes.
  7. Add the coconut curry sauce to the skillet and bring to a gentle boil. Return the meatballs to the pan so they sit in the sauce.
  8. Place the skillet in the oven and bake at 375°F for 15 minutes, or simmer on the stovetop until the meatballs are cooked through. Serve over your chosen grain or rice alternative.

Nutrition (per serving)

Approximate values per serving: Calories 364 kcal, Carbohydrates 18 g, Protein 17 g, Fat 25 g, Fiber 3 g, Sugar 3 g. Nutrition information is an estimate and should be used as a guideline.

Photography credit: The Wooden Skillet