One Pot Saucy Satay Chicken Meatballs

Chicken meatballs in a satay sauce, topped with cilantro and scallions.

5 from 4 votes

One Pot Saucy Satay Chicken Meatballs

The only thing better than juicy chicken meatballs is juicy chicken meatballs simmered in a gorgeously nutty peanut satay sauce, that only takes 30 minutes to make AND uses just one pan. A perfect speedy weeknight recipe that's easy to prep ahead of time.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: asian

Keyword: chicken meatballs, one pot, satay meatballs

Servings: servings

Calories: 579kcal

Author: Kate Phillips

Ingredients

For the meatballs -

1 lb (500g) ground chicken
2 scallions finely chopped
1- inch piece of ginger grated
4 garlic cloves crushed
Handful of cilantro leaves chopped
2 teaspoons fish sauce
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 egg
⅓ cup panko breadcrumbs

For the satay peanut sauce -

1/3 cup peanut butter
1 tablespoon gochujang paste
2 teaspoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sweet chilli jam
14 oz can of coconut milk (400g)
1/2 cup water

To serve -

2 scallions finely chopped
A handful of cilantro leaves chopped
1/4 cup crushed peanuts
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 red chili finely chopped
1 lime sliced into wedges

Instructions

Mix the meatballs. Add the ground chicken, chopped scallions, ginger, crushed garlic, cilantro, 2 teaspoons of fish sauce, 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, 1 egg and 1/3 cup of panko breadcrumbs to a large bowl. Use a spatula (or clean hands) to mix the ingredients together well.
Form the meatballs.
Set a clean tray, or plate on your work surface and wet your hands (this will stop the meatballs from sticking to them). Scoop up a spoonful of the chicken mixture and roll into a golf ball-sized ball in your hands. Place on the prepared plate or tray and repeat with the rest of the ingredients.

PRO TIP: If you have time, I recommend popping the meatballs into the fridge for about 30 minutes to firm up before cooking them. They'll hold their shape better this way.

Brown the meatballs. Place a large, high-sided pan or skillet you (ideally) have a lid for over medium-high heat, then add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Once hot, add the meatballs and cook until browned all over. This will take about five minutes and you may need to cook them in batches, depending on the size of your pan. The meatballs don't need to be fully cooked through at this point as you'll simmer them in the sauce later. Remove the meatballs from the pan and set aside for now.
Make the peanut sauce. Wipe any excess oil from the pan, then reduce the heat to medium. Add 1/3 cup of peanut butter, 1 tablespoon of gochujang paste, 1 tablespoon of sweet chili jam, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, 2 teaspoons of fish sauce, coconut milk and 1/2 cup of water. Use a wooden spoon or whisk to mix the ingredients into a smooth sauce. Bring to a simmer.
Simmer the sauce. Once the sauce is simmering, add the meatballs into the sauce, then pop the lid on (or use aluminum foil, a plate or a wooden board) and leave to simmer for 10 minutes.
Garnish and serve. After 10 minutes, remove the lid and sprinkle with the chopped scallions, cilantro, crushed peanuts sesame seeds and red chili. Finish with a squeeze of lime. Serve over steamed rice, quinoa, two-ingredient dough flatbreads to mop up the sauce or with a big crunchy Asian-style slaw.

Notes

INGREDIENT NOTES: Swap ground chicken for ground turkey, pork, beef or a plant-based alternative. If you can't find gochujang paste, use red curry paste or sriracha. I recommend using good quality natural peanut butter (that only lists peanuts and salt in the ingredients) for the best flavor.

PREP AHEAD: You can form the meatballs and pop them into the fridge, covered, for up to 2 days before cooking them. You can also make the sauce, and pop it into the fridge for 3 - 4 days before reheating and adding the meatballs. It will thicken up as it sits, so you'll want to add more water to loosen it up.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS: I love these meatballs served over steamed rice, quinoa, rice noodles or flatbreads to mop up the sauce. You can also serve them alongside a salad - try this crunchy Asian-style slaw, smacked cucumber salad or green goddess soba noodle salad.

OPTIONAL ADDITIONS: You can easily add veggies into the recipe - just throw in edamame beans, green beans, broccoli, spinach or peas once your sauce is simmering and continue with the recipe.

Nutrition