What do you crave for when you crave Thai food? Sticky, savory with a slice of twang is what I want! And these Thai Meatballs are just that, because they hit all the right spots and keep on giving! It's on my top ten go to party appetizer list and it’s been there for a while and you’ll know why.
(This recipe was originally published in January, 2016 and has been revamped with new pictures, introduction and an improved recipe)
There’s something about Thai food that makes me weak in the knees. The earthy flavors, the sharp spices and lemony flavors that add that perfect twang to any meal. While the red panang curry and Thai green curry are big favorites, these sticky Thai meatballs have earned major brownie points on Denver and my Asian food favorites list. Just the juiciest meatballs with layers of thai flavors, these make for the perfect appetizer and I sometimes even sneak it in as a main with noodles or a bowl of fragrant sticky rice.
Okay before I tell you all the reasons why I love these sticky Thai meatballs, I need to tell you DON’T stress about the shape of the meatballs. Mine aren’t perfect either and besides once the flavors soak in, it's all you’ll see and savor. Trust me. So why do I love these sticky Thai meatballs? They are juicy with hints of basil, ginger, garlic, spicy and sticky soy, honey and vinegar, all in one bite. Oh and it takes all of 30 minutes from prep to plate. I mean does it get better than that?
Now don't think that you need a long list of ingredients here. The main flavor in these Thai meatballs comes from Thai green curry paste, which you can easily buy. Just get a brand that you already love or have in your fridge and go with it. I tried adding flavors to the meatballs from scratch but quickly realized that store bought paste is the way to go. Because the proportions are already perfect and it's a concentrated flavor bomb!
How to mix meatball mixture just right
The trick to making sure everything is well combined when you mix your meatballs mixture is to add all your condiments and seasoning first, mix it up and then add the ground meat. This way, you won't have pockets of flavor. I've demonstrated this in the recipe below.
These meatballs can be baked or pan fried. I prefer baking them because they can crumble or lose their shape while cooking on the pan. That's because these are really soft and juicy and that's what makes them so perfect really!
I serve it just as is or with a bowl of sticky rice topped with scraped spoonfuls of sauce. I’m warning you that these are really hard to stay away from. But meatballs usually are. I usually make a bunch and freeze some (before tossing them in the sauce) for top ups or emergency party appetizers. Because all good things should be loved and re-loved.
So go on, indulge that Thai craving with a magnificent bowl of sticky Thai meatballs, you’ll be a fan forever. I know I am!
More Meatball Recipes:
- Creamy Chicken Meatballs in Mushroom Sauce
- Baked Firecracker Chicken Meatballs
- Slow Cooker Teriyaki Meatballs with Pineapple
- Badass Lamb Meatball Burger with Whiskey Sauce
Sticky Thai Meatballs
Equipment
- Oven
Ingredients
For the Meatballs:
- 1 cup Bread Crumbs
- 1 Egg
- 1 tablespoon Thai Green Curry Paste
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Paste minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon Ginger Paste grated or minced ginger
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 1 tablespoon Fish Sauce
- 500 grams Ground Beef
For the Sauce:
- 2 tablespoon Soy Sauce
- 2 tablespoon Thai Sweet Chilli Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Rice Vinegar
- 2 Thai Chillies chopped (or ½ teaspoon chilli flakes)
- 2 tablespoons Honey
- ½ cup Water
- 1 teaspoon Cornflour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 220C/430F
- Combine all the ingredients for the meatballs except ground beef in a bowl and mix well. Once the aromatics are well combined with the breadcrumbs, add the ground beef and lightly mix together. Adding the beef right in the end ensures that the flavors are mixed well and don’t sit around in lumps.
- Form the mixture into 20-22 lime sized balls and place them on a baking tray. Bake for 20-25 minutes till they are cooked through, and slightly brown.
- For the sauce, whisk everything together in a bowl and add it to a wok. Heat for a few minutes till the mixture thickens. Toss the meatballs in the sauce and serve hot.
Notes
- You can swap the ground beef for pork or chicken. The baking time will not change
- To cook these meatballs on the stove, add some oil to a non stick pan and place the meatballs in the pan. Brown them on high heat on all sides and then let them cook on a low flame for 10-15 minutes while stirring occasionally to make sure they don't burn on one side.
- To store, you can half bake them and store in an air tight container in the freezer. Defrost and finish them in the oven or in a pan. This will finish the cooking and make it crispy.Â
Nutrition
Sabine says
Great and delicious...family loved it
Gina Balint says
These were delicious! I used gluten free bread crumbs and they turned out wonderful. I also lined the sheet pan with foil for easy clean up.
Elliott says
Great guide! I just finished it last night and the result was unexpected, my wife and daughter both liked it, which made me happy. Thanks for your recipe!
Richa says
Hey Elliot, I'm really happy you enjoyed these meatballs. Thanks for leaving a comment!
Elliott says
Great guide! I just finished it last night and the result was unexpected, my wife and daughter both liked it, which made me happy. Thanks for your recipe!!!
Jenni says
No doubt, this is so easy way to teach the recipe of sticky meat balls. I really enjoy this wonderful article reading. I will surely try this. Thank you for sharing this article.
Marina says
I haven't cooked meatballs for a long time. Simple is always the best, right.
Your recipe inspired me, tonight I will do my epic meatballs for my kids.
Thank you so much, Richa
Richa says
Thanks so much Marina! Really happy you liked the recipe
eric levine says
Taught my g-daughter this recipe to teach her how to read a recipe and cook it. Came out delicious.
Thank you, Richa!
Richa says
Fantastic Eric!! Thats such a fun activity to do with grandkids
Nyomie says
Hi there, this looks like a fantastic recipe that I'm hoping to cook for a special info night. I'm just wondering how many meatballs are in each portion?
Thanks 😊
Richa says
Its about 3-4 meatballs per portion
Neha says
Aw, this was a really nice post. Finding the time and actual effort to produce a really good article… but what can I say… I procrastinate a lot and don't seem to get anything done.
Richa Gupta says
Awww, these Thai meatballs deserve your time, Neha! 🙂
Angela Bordley says
Hello I'm trying this recipe for the first time and I was wondering could I use regular flour if i don't have cornflour?
Richa says
No regular flour wouldn't work the same way here. You can skip the cornflour, the only difference this will make is that the sauce will be slightly runny
Michelle says
These were really easy and tasted great. I'm always nervous with meatball recipes that they're going to be bland since you can't taste them until they're cooked, but the spices in these was perfect.
Richa says
Awesome! So glad to hear it
Bud says
If you want to see how it’s going to taste, pinch off a teaspoons worth, put it on a plate, pop it in the microwave for a minute and it will be cooked. That way you can modify away
Richa says
Thats such a good idea