Epic THAI MEATBALLS!!! Made with pork or chicken, the brilliant Thai flavour of these will have everyone convinced you picked them up from one of those posh Thai restaurants.
Served with a Sweet Chilli Dipping Sauce, these are seriously tasty!! If you’re in the mood for a Thai Banquet, try these Thai Meatballs with a side of Chicken Satay and Thai Fried Rice!
Thai Meatballs
You can mix together mince with coriander/cilantro, garlic and a dash of soy and get away with calling that Thai. And they will be ok(ish). But if you want some Thai Meatballs that are seriously delicious, and really truly do taste real-deal Thai, then you’re going to need the help of a few more things.
I think you’ll be familiar with most of the ingredients in these meatballs, except perhaps this one – Kaffir Lime Leaves.
Now, before you run around town trying to hunt these down in an Asian store, let me just stress this fact: yes it adds a little something-something that is so authentically posh-Thai-restauranty, but it isn’t mandatory!!
These are still smashing meatballs even without kaffir lime leaves. 🙂
Kaffir lime leaves aren’t from normal lime trees, they are different. They smell limey but more earthy. They are plonked in whole into curries / soups / coconut rice to infuse with flavour, or finely chopped as pictured above. Cut out the stem, roll it up like a cigar, then finely slice (cause they are kind of tough, got to chop ’em finely).
They cost a few dollars for 20 or so, and they freeze so well! I use them in a handful of recipes and I’ve linked them in the notes for you.
What goes in Thai Meatballs
In addition to the optional Kaffir lime leaves, these Thai Meatballs have all the other usual Thai-flavour suspects:
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plenty of garlic, ginger, chillies
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coriander/cilantro
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lemongrass
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fish sauce (or soy, if you really insist)
Just give them mix and you have yourself some seriously tasty meatballs.
How to cook them – because they’re so lovely and soft, they are kind of hard to pan fry. So I bake these. They hold their shape and are golden on the outside, and juicy on the inside!
Make a meal out of it – serve these on the side!
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Steamed Jasmine rice, Thai Fried Rice, Pineapple Fried Rice or Coconut Rice
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Crunchy Asian Slaw on the side – great all rounder Asian salad that goes with all Asian foods
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Asian Sesame Dressing for any fresh salad or steamed vegetables
Sweet Chilli Dipping sauce for Thai Meatballs
I totally cheat with the dipping sauce. I just doctor up sweet chilli sauce with some garlic and lime juice.
In case you really want to go all out, I’ve included the recipe for a homemade Sweet Chilli Dipping Sauce (which is pictured in the photo right at the top). But I don’t usually bother, if I’m really honest. 🙂
Because…. well, want to know the truth? I figure the meatballs themselves are impressive enough as it is and people don’t really notice the dipping sauce. 😉
Make these for dinner or serve them at a party. Either way, you will be a hero! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
Be warned of close encounter with Baby Hands. Also – Dozer fans – don’t miss his little cameo at the end of the recipe video. I swear, one day a pelican is going to turn around and give him a big peck!!
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Thai Meatballs
Ingredients
Meatballs:
- 500 g / 1 lb pork mince (ground pork, or chicken)
- 1 tbsp lemongrass paste (or finely chopped fresh) (Note 1)
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- 3 cloves garlic , minced
- 3 kaffir lime leaves, stem removed and very finely shredded, optional extra (Note 2)
- 3 Thai or birds eye chillies , seeds removed and finely chopped (Note 3)
- 1/4 cup coriander/cilantro , leaves and stem finely chopped (Note 4)
- 1 tsp sugar (any)
- 1 tbsp fish sauce (can sub with soy sauce if required)
- 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs (+ extra 1/4 cup if needed)
- 1 small egg
- Oil spray
Sweet Chilli Dipping Sauce:
- 1/2 cup / 125 ml sweet chilli sauce , store bought (Note 5)
- 1 garlic clove , minced
- 2 tbsp lime juice , plus more to taste
Optional garnishes & serving:
- Coriander/cilantro leaves , finely sliced large red chillies
- Steamed jasmine rice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 220C/430F (standard) or 200C/390F (fan / convection).
- Place a rack on a tray (optional, rack keeps balls slightly rounder).
- Place Meatball ingredients in a bowl (except oil spray), mix well with your hands. Only use extra breadcrumbs if necessary - sometimes, chicken mince can be quite wet. Scoop up 1 slightly heaped tablespoon and roll into a ball (about 3cm / 1.25" diameter). (Note 6 for my way)
- Spray rack well with oil and place the meatballs on the rack.
- Spray meatballs generously with oil, then bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until a bit browned. They should be beautifully soft - see video!
- Serve warm with Sauce, garnished with coriander and chillies if desired.
Sauce:
- Place ingredients in a bowl and mix. Set aside for at least 10 minutes before using.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
More Thai food recipes
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Pad Thai and Pad See Ew
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Starters – Chicken Satay and Thai Fish Cakes
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Browse the Thai recipe collection
Life of Dozer
He’s really looking forward to tomorrow (Halloween).
Really.
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Making these for dinner tonight with some chicken mince. Somehow have misread the amount of sugar and put 1Tbsp…ooops! I’m sure they’ll be yum anyway once cooked, they smell so good already!
Hi
I can’t get lemongrass or it’s paste. What’s a good alternative? Please advise.
Thank you
Nagi
another winner!
made these little beauties last night as a starter, cooked half and half in the freezer as there was only 2 of us. They were so good that I wished we had cooked the lot.
ps your tip on rolling out meatballs really makes it so easy.
I have not been on the site for a while – since I got your cookbook in February when it was available in the UK – the oven baked meatballs were better than some Italian restaurants
love Andie
I have been cooking your recipes for years and this is the first one I have felt the need to comment on. Cooked exactly to recipe and they were amazing and delicious thank you
Fabulous recipe.
If you don’t have Kaffir lime leaves, but DO have a lemon tree/plant, I have successfully used lemon leaves in place of Kaffir lime leaves. Obviously, it’s not the exact same flavor, but it does complement Thai flavors in the same way, and I have successfully used them in Thai curries as well.
I love your recipes!
Made these for poker night with friends, a huge hit. Thank you for another amazing recipe
OMG, I had chicken mince which I know can be very bland. I did this recipe, had only some fresh coriander and threw in some dried coriander seeds. Pulled out some frozen lemongrass which cut out finely quite well. A taste sensation, and I will definitely do again.
These are easy but the taste of mine came out very mild. So I have a question: the recipe says 1 Tbsp Fish Sauce but the video shows you using a measuring cup. Is it 2 Tbsp (1/8 cup)?
Oh geez … I used real lemongrass (won’t do that again), ground turkey, and parsley because cilantro tastes like soap. Served with steamed rice with sesame oil and the recommended tomato and cucumber. Incredible.
If you love thai fishcakes you will absolutely love these. Fabulous flavour and ideal they can be made ahead and frozen. Definitely one to add to my party nibbles list 😋 Thanks Nagi
Great recipe! So easy and baked not fried – even easier! I doubled this recipe (1kg pork mince) for a family dinner but had no lemongrass so I added 2 drops of Doterra Lemongrass oil instead. Served the meatballs with steamed rice, basic salad (shredded carrot, cabbage, shallots and snow peas) with sweet chilli sauce. Master teenager doused his with Greek yoghurt and was happy. Honestly I could’ve just eaten the meatballs by themselves; they were so tasty! Enjoyed by all! I will definitely make these again. Thanks Nagi 😁
I was a little paranoid by how juicy they looked so I ended up overcooking them 😀 They were delicious nonetheless and I’ll definitely make them again but this time stick to the cooking time written. Easy and delicious even without the kaffir and lemongrass. Thanks for yet another awesome recipe.
Thanks again for a wonderful recipe! Bought pork mince by mistake – which lead to this recipe. I made a Thai green curry with cauliflower and used the meatballs with that. Partner + mum were very impressed. Thanks so much Ü
Can I brush oil on the meatballs instead of using oil spray? is peanut oil ok?
Thank you!!
Myriam
Yes Myriam – that will be fine! N x
Hi Nagi. Just made these Thai Meatballs and they were delicious! I used ground turkey and made them into hamburger patties! Browned them in a skillet on the stovetop for about 4 minutes on each side and finished them off in a 350F degree oven for about 10 minutes on each side and they were perfectly juicy!
Oh that sounds so good Barbara!! Thanks for that feedback! N x
Wish me luck. 🍀… my oven door shattered the day before Easter holiday started..
I am planning on steaming my meatballs on Saturday and reheat by pan frying on Sunday…. I will test it out on Saturday 🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼
I want to make and freeze these! Should I freeze them before or after baking?
Hi Mary – see Note 7 in the recipe for freezing! N x
I have made a large batch for a party and stuck them in the freezer. How do I reheat them?
There are too many to do in a microwave
Thanks for the recipe Nagi! These were really tasty and easy to make, but turned out a bit dry for me. Any suggestions on how to improve for next time – should I use fewer breadcrumbs, or cook for a few minutes less? Thanks very much!
Hi Lisa – most likely cook a few minutes less. Ovens vary a bit. N x
Hi Nagi!! I absolutely love this recipe! I’m wondering if I can pull them together and fridge for a few hours before baking? Or will the panko get too mushy? Thank you for upping my cooking game xo❤
Yes Lizzy they should be fine rolled on a tray and covered in the fridge for a few hours before cooking. N x