Thai Chicken Meatball Tom Kha Recipe
Prep Time:
10 minutes
Cook Time:
40 minutes
Servings:
4 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 pound ground chicken
  • 1 teaspoon minced lemongrass, plus 2 trimmed stalks
  • 1 teaspoon minced ginger
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic, divided
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro, plus more for serving
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce, divided
  • ¼ teaspoon white pepper
  • 1 egg
  • ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 2 tablespoons red curry paste
  • 1 (13 ½-ounce) can coconut milk
  • 4 cups chicken stock
  • 4 slices dried galangal
  • juice of 1 lime, plus wedges for serving
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
  • 1 tablespoon palm sugar
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 400 F.
  2. Combine the chicken, minced lemongrass, minced ginger, 1 teaspoon of minced garlic, cilantro, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, white pepper, egg, and breadcrumbs in a bowl. Using your hands, mix together until completely combined.
  3. Roll the meatballs into balls roughly the size of a golf ball. Place on a foil-lined sheet tray.
  4. Bake the meatballs for 20 minutes, until slightly browned.
  5. While the meatballs are cooking, begin the soup. Sauté the remaining teaspoon of garlic in a lightly oiled pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Once fragrant, about 1 minute, add the curry paste and coconut milk. Whisk to combine until smooth.
  6. Add the chicken stock, galangal, trimmed lemongrass stalks, lime juice, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, fish sauce, and palm sugar. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes. The palm sugar will dissolve and the soup will develop a strong flavor.
  7. Remove the meatballs from the oven and add to the soup to finish cooking. Simmer the meatballs with the soup for 5 to 10 minutes.
  8. To serve, remove the lemongrass and galangal. Ladle the meatballs into bowls and pour soup over top. Garnish with cilantro leaves, peanuts, and lime wedges, if desired.