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    Home » Appetizers » Thai Chicken Meatballs with Dipping Sauce

    LAST UPDATED: September 25, 2020 • FIRST PUBLISHED: October 1, 2017 By Toni Dash 41 Comments

    Thai Chicken Meatballs with Dipping Sauce

    Jump to Recipe

    This post may include affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Thai Chicken Meatballs are a versatile recipe perfect for an appetizer with dipping sauces, on rice (or zucchini noodle) pasta, in soups and sandwiches. Loaded with familiar Thai flavors of cilantro, basil, ginger, garlic, lemongrass and more, the recipe is simple and easy to make. These made with a quick trick for homemade gluten-free breadcrumbs too!Thai Chicken Meatballs with vintage Buddha cocktail sticks and Sweet-Spicy dipping sauce

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    This post is sponsored as part of Boulder Locavore’s ongoing partnership with Udi’s Gluten Free. All opinions are my own.

    At this time of year having versatile recipes that can be used in multiple ways is always welcome in my kitchen. Thai Chicken Meatballs are a great example of that. This simple recipe is packed with familiar Thai food flavors and are perfect for many dishes.

    Thai Chicken Meatballs are great to serve as cocktail meatballs with a wonderful tangy sweet-spicy dipping sauce (I’ll be sharing my favorite). They can be added to your favorite pasta or zucchini noodles (‘zoodles’). Drop them in a delicious homemade chicken soup recipe or let them star in sandwiches (as in the case of these Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Meatball Mini Sandwiches) on a dinner roll, hot dog bun or regular bread. The sky is the limit!


    Two blue plates of gluten-free Thai Chicken Meatballs with fresh Sweet-Spicy Dipping SauceMeatballs always need a binding agent which is usually breadcrumbs. This can be tricky for those gluten-free but it’s super easy to make homemade breadcrumbs with either gluten-free or gluten bread. For these meatballs I used one of my favorite gluten-free breads, Udi’s Gluten Free White Sandwich Bread. It has a flavor that works wonderfully in all recipes.

     Udi\'s Gluten Free White Bread

    How To Make Homemade Breadcrumbs Fast!

    There are multiple ways to make homemade bread crumbs. Stale bread can be used and processed through a mini chopper or food processor to the desired size breadcrumb. We generally gobble up all our Udi’s Gluten Free bread (sometimes I save the heels in the freezer and then make crumbs from them later) so my usual method includes toasting fresh bread, processing it in to crumbs then flash broiling it to ensure it’s fully toasted and dry. Here are the details of how to make homemade breadcrumbs. For these meatballs I processed the crumbs twice to ensure they were very fine as shown in the photo above.

    Thai Chicken Meatballs on a teal appetizer plate with vintage Buddha cocktail skewers and dipping sauce

    A Quick Recipe Prep Trick

    As I was making this recipe it struck me that I’m a lazy food prepper. I have had a mini chopper for years (in fact I’m on my second one) and I use it for everything I can. If you aren’t familiar with them they are like a mini food processor and are great for smaller tasks. Anything I need to chop or dice I put in the mini chopper versus doing it by hand; and again it’s perfect for making these breadcrumbs. For a recipe like Thai Chicken Meatballs, with all ingredients being combined in the end, there is no reason to even clean it out between ingredients. It saves a huge amount of time!

    These Thai Chicken Meatballs are light but full of flavor. Cilantro, basil, lemongrass, lime, Thai curry, and more. They are not spicy on their own making a slightly spicy dipping sauce a perfect partner when serving them as an appetizer.

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    How to Make Thai Chicken Meatballs:

    Recipe

    Thai Chicken Meatballs with vintage Buddha cocktail sticks and Sweet-Spicy dipping sauce

    Thai Chicken Meatballs with dipping sauce

    Thai Chicken Meatballs are great for an party appetizer, as an addition to rice noodle pasta or in sandwiches.  The prep time may be reduced by using a mini chopper which doesn't need to be rinsed between ingredients since they will all be mixed together in the meatballs!  Maybe be made gluten-free as directed or with gluten bread crumbs depending on your needs.
    5 from 8 votes
    Print Save Recipe Recipe Saved! Pin Rate
    Course: Appetizer
    Cuisine: Thai
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 22 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 37 minutes minutes
    Servings: 18 (2 meatballs per serving)
    Calories: 94kcal
    Author: Toni Dash
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    Ingredients

    • 2 pounds ground Chicken
    • 1 cup regular or gluten-free breadcrumbs (4-5 slices)
    • 1/4 cup chopped fresh Cilantro
    • 1/3 cup chopped fresh Basil
    • 4 Scallions diced (white and green portions)
    • 2 Garlic Cloves diced
    • 2 inch piece fresh Ginger Root peeled and diced
    • 1 tablespoon Lemongrass Powder
    • 2 tablespoons Lime Juice
    • 1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
    • 1 tablespoon Fish Sauce
    • 1 tablespoon Thai Red Curry Paste

    Suggested Dipping Sauces:

    • Sweet-Spicy Dipping Sauce homemade
    • Sweet Chili Sauce

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Fit a large (17 inch by 13-inch) rimmed baking sheet with foil (dull side up) and a cooling rack sprayed with non-stick spray.  Note: recipe may be adapted to use a smaller baking sheet/rack combination.
    • In a large bowl combine all ingredients.  Work together with hands until all ingredients are incorporated (be sure to wash hands afterwards). Scoop heaping tablespoon and roll between the palms of your hands into balls.  Place on the prepared rack leaving space between all the meatballs.
      Thai Chicken Meatballs on rack - BoulderLocavore.com
    • Cook for 20-25 minutes, until the internal temperature of the meatballs registers 165 degrees with an instant read thermometer.  Allow to rest for a few minutes before serving.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 94kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 43mg | Sodium: 174mg | Potassium: 275mg | Fiber: 0g | Sugar: 0g | Vitamin A: 195IU | Vitamin C: 1.3mg | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 0.5mg
    Did you make this recipe?Mention @boulderlocavore or tag #boulderlocavore!
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    ABOUT THE AUTHOR

    TONI DASH
    Toni Dash head shot

    Toni Dash, is a Certified Nutrition Coach and the writer/blogger, photographer, recipe developer and creator of Boulder Locavore®. She has been developing easy to make, well-tested recipes since 2010. Her seasonal recipes bring excitement to the dining table for both gluten-free and gluten diners. Toni has been featured in numerous publications and on culinary websites for her creative, delicious recipes and travel features. For more details, check out her About page.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Hali says

      October 03, 2017 at 3:30 am

      Sounds delicious, and your photos are great too! Never tried making bread crumbs before, we just skip the bread crumbs but love this.

      Reply
    2. Jocelyn @ Hip Mama's Place says

      October 02, 2017 at 10:01 pm

      My boys love meatballs and it would be nice to make this for them. I can’t believe you found a way to make it gluten free! Thanks for the recipe!

      Reply
    3. Crystal says

      October 02, 2017 at 9:26 pm

      Those sound ahh-mazing! My daughter is my meatball master. She’s always a great helper in the kitchen, but especially when it’s making meatballs. She’s going to love making these with DIY breadcrumbs for a few extra minutes in the kitchen.

      Reply
    4. Kristi says

      October 02, 2017 at 8:56 pm

      YUM! My family would love these!!!

      Reply
    5. krystal says

      October 02, 2017 at 7:25 pm

      MMMM yum! I have never made chicken meatballs before but you have inspired me. A fun party appetizer.

      Reply
    6. Theresa says

      October 02, 2017 at 7:19 pm

      I like the idea of using your own homemade breadcrumbs. I have never attempted to make my own, but it sounds so easy, I wonder why I haven’t done it before. The meatballs look delish!

      Reply
    7. Amy Desrosiers says

      October 02, 2017 at 7:16 pm

      These meatballs look and sound amazing!! I totally need to make some with Udis. We are eating much cleaner so these are perfect.

      Reply
    8. Wendy Polisi says

      October 02, 2017 at 7:12 pm

      I was trying to think of an appetizer for an upcoming party. These actually sound perfect!

      Reply
    9. Angela Milnes says

      October 02, 2017 at 7:10 pm

      I’ve never thought about making my own bread crumbs before. What a great idea especially to make these delicious meatballs!

      Reply
      • Toni Dash says

        October 02, 2017 at 7:36 pm

        It’s so easy but somehow until you make them you never think to (that was me at least)!

        Reply
    10. Kelly Hutchinson says

      October 02, 2017 at 6:53 pm

      5 stars
      I could eat meatballs all day long. Make them Asian and I am in heaven!

      Reply
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    About Toni Dash

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    Welcome! I’m Toni. I’m a Certified Nutrition Coach and my goal is to MAKE YOUR LIFE EASIER with delicious, well-tested recipes and travel tips! More About Me …

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