Creamy Coconut Gochujang Chicken Meatballs
A quick, cozy meal that delivers big on flavor? Say hello to these lovely coconut gochujang chicken meatballs. Juicy, golden meatballs (bake, air fry or pan-fry, it’s up to you) are tossed with a creamy, spicy, sweet coconut sauce that’s pure comfort in a bowl. And the best part? It takes less than 30 minutes.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 630kcal
Ingredients
For the meatballs -
- 1 lb (500g) ground chicken
- 3 garlic cloves crushed
- 1- inch piece of ginger grated
- 2 scallions finely chopped
- A handful of cilantro leaves (coriander), finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon gochujang paste
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup ricotta or an egg
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
For the coconut gochujang sauce -
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1- inch piece ginger grated
- 3 scallions finely chopped
- 1.5 tablespoons gochujang paste
- 1 can coconut milk (12oz/400g)
- 1 teaspoon light soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce
To serve -
- 1 lime juiced
- 2 tablespoons sweet chili jam
- A handful of cilantro leaves (coriander)
- 2 scallions (spring onions), finely sliced
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Instructions
- Mix the meatballs. Add the ground chicken to a mixing bowl, along with 3 crushed garlic cloves, the grated ginger, 2 chopped scallions, the chopped cilantro, 1 tablespoon of gochujang paste, 2 teaspoons of fish sauce, 2 teaspoons of sesame oil, 1/2 cup of panko breadcrumbs, 1/2 cup of ricotta, 2 tablespoons of sesame seeds and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Mix very well so that all the ingredients are combined with the ground chicken evenly.
- Form the meatballs. You can bake, air fry, or pan fry the meatballs. If you're baking them, heat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Lightly wet your hands (this will help to prevent the mixture sticking to them), then use a spoon to scoop up a heaped tablespoon of the mixture. Roll into a ball and place on the prepared tray. Repeat with the rest of the mixture.
- Cook the meatballs. If you're baking the meatballs in the oven, pop them in and cook for 20 minutes, until golden brown. If you're air frying the meatballs, pop them into your air fryer basket and cook at 400°F (200°C) for 12 minutes. And if you're pan-frying them, drizzle the olive oil into a large, high-sided (ideally) non-stick pan or skillet. Add the meatballs and cook, turning occasionally, for about seven minutes, until they've got a lovely golden crust. They don't have to be completely cooked at this point. Remove them from the pan and set aside on a plate.
- Start the sauce. Set a large, high-sided (ideally) non-stick pan or skillet over medium-high heat (if you've pan-fried the meatballs, use the same pan). Add the sesame oil, then add 3 crushed garlic cloves, the grated ginger, and the 3 chopped scallions. Stir for a couple of minutes, then add 1.5 tablespoons of gochujang paste. Stir the paste through the aromatics for a couple of minutes.
- Add the coconut milk. Pour in the coconut milk, 1 teaspoon of soy sauce, and 2 teaspoons of fish sauce, stir, and bring to a simmer. Lower the heat, and simmer the sauce for five minutes to thicken it slightly.
- Add the meatballs. At this point, add the cooked meatballs to the sauce, stirring them through. Cover the pan and cook on low for another five minutes.
- Garnish and serve. Finish by squeezing the lime juice over the meatballs in the pan, then dollop with the sweet chili jam. Scatter with the remaining cilantro leaves, sesame seeds, and chopped scallions. Serve over rice or noodles, with fresh bread or straight from the pan.
Notes
INGREDIENT NOTES: Use full-fat coconut milk without any stabilizers, with at least 60% coconut extract, for the best flavor. Light coconut milk does work, but it will be a lot more watery and won't be as creamy. Make sure it's canned coconut milk and not coconut milk in a bottle or carton that's designed for drinking (much too thin for this recipe). You'll find gochujang paste in the international or Asian aisle at large grocery stores, or you can pick it up from Amazon.
SUBSTITUTIONS: You can swap the ground chicken for ground turkey, pork, beef or a plant-based alternative. I love using ricotta because it makes the meatballs SUPER light and juicy, but you can use an egg if you prefer. If you don't want to use fish sauce (I promise it doesn't make the meatballs taste fishy!) use a little light soy sauce instead. You could use ginger and garlic paste instead of fresh if you like (though the flavor won't be quite as good).
SERVING SUGGESTIONS: I love serving these over fluffy steamed rice (or even this life-changing baked rice would be great), or noodles with a smacked cucumber salad, but they're also great spooned into lettuce cups for a low-carb option, or just served up with fresh bread (this no-knead rosemary parmesan bread or chili cheese focaccia would be excellent), or you could spoon them into fluffy steamed bao buns. Enjoying them straight from the pan with a spoon is also an excellent option!
STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS: The meatballs and the sauce keep well for at least three days, and you reheat them in the microwave until piping hot, or gently on the stovetop. You can also make the meatball mixture and store in the fridge for a couple of days until you're ready to form and cook them.
FREEZING INSTRUCTIONS: There are a couple of ways to do this. Either make the whole thing, then portion it (I like to use ziplock bags) and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge, then reheat in a pan over low-medium heat until hot (or in the microwave until piping hot). You can also freeze the uncooked meatballs. Pop them on their lined tray into the freezer for a couple of hours until they're solid, then pop them into ziplock bags (this step will prevent them from sticking together to create one giant meatball in the freezer). You can then cook them straight from frozen - air fry them for 15 to 20 minutes at 400F/200C or pop them into the oven for 25 minutes at 400F/200C.
Nutrition
Serving: 250g | Calories: 630kcal | Carbohydrates: 29.7g | Protein: 31.8g | Fat: 45.4g | Saturated Fat: 25.8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 16.6g | Cholesterol: 123.3mg | Sodium: 888.9mg | Fiber: 2.4g | Sugar: 11.9g