Thai-Inspired Chicken Meatball Soup
Updated Aug 31, 2025, Published on Dec 27, 2024
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I’m a big fan of noodle soups, and this Thai-Inspired Chicken Meatball Soup is no exception! It’s bursting with flavor from the tender chicken meatballs and the rich, aromatic coconut Thai red curry broth.
The chicken meatballs are so flavorful on their own that you could easily serve them with your favorite dipping sauce as a tasty appetizer, skipping the coconut milk broth and noodles.
Want to try another Thai-inspired noodle soup? Check out my Thai-Inspired Shrimp Coconut Noodle Soup recipe!
Watch how to make it here!
Why You’ll Love This Thai‑Inspired Chicken Meatball Soup
- Bold, layered flavors in one bowl: A fragrant coconut curry broth paired with garlic-ginger meatballs brings spicy, sweet, savory, and umami together seamlessly.
- Comforting yet balanced: With rice noodles and crisp baby bok choy, it’s a hearty soup without feeling heavy.
- Meal-prep friendly: Meatballs can be made ahead, then tossed into warm broth for a speedy dinner.
- Versatile & customizable: Swap in gluten-free noodles or double the veggies. This recipe adapts to your dietary needs.
- Crowd-pleaser for any season: Cozy enough for winter, yet brightened with lime and cilantro for spring or summer meals.
Recipe Ingredients
See the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients with exact quantities.
- Ground Chicken: swap in whatever ground meat you prefer, but make sure to keep an eye on the meatballs while baking to make sure they aren't over or under cooked!
- Thai Red Curry Paste: I used this brand from Whole Foods (see link). I found that 2 tablespoons achieved the perfect flavor for this recipe. Depending on the brand you use, you may need to adjust the amount, as some curry pastes are milder and may require more to reach the desired taste.
- Thai Lemongrass Bone Broth: I used half Thai Lemongrass Bone Broth from Whole Foods and half regular chicken broth. If this broth isn’t available, you can substitute it by using 4 cups of regular chicken broth instead.
What is palm sugar?
Palm sugar is a natural sweetener derived from the sap of palm trees. It has a rich, caramel-like flavor with hints of molasses and is commonly used in Southeast Asian cooking. Palm sugar is typically sold in solid blocks or cylinders, and it dissolves easily when cooked. I usually chop it roughly to help it dissolve more quickly. If you don’t have palm sugar, you can substitute it with brown sugar.
Thai-Inspired Chicken Meatball Soup (Step-by-Step Instructions)
See the recipe card below for the full list of instructions.
- Add garlic, ginger, Thai chili, palm sugar, cilantro, and lime zest to a food processor. Blend until finely chopped and well combined.
- Combine the panko, beaten egg, fish sauce, and the blended mixture from the previous step. Mix thoroughly. Add the ground chicken and use your hands to combine everything until evenly mixed.
- Shape the meat mixture into approximately 16 meatballs, each about 1.5 inches in diameter. Arrange the meatballs on the prepared wire rack.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until they are golden and fully cooked.
- Chop the garlic and ginger in the food processor.
- Cook the shallot, garlic, and ginger. Then add the palm sugar, fish sauce, Thai chilies, and curry paste.
- Then pour in the broth and coconut milk, and bring to a gentle boil. Cook the rice noodles and bok choy in the broth.
- Add the cooked rice noodles, bok choy, and meatballs to each serving bowl. Stir lime juice into the broth, then ladle it evenly into each bowl.
Ready to try it? Scroll to the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts and full instructions.
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Thai-Inspired Chicken Meatball Soup
A vibrant Thai-inspired soup featuring tender ground chicken meatballs, a creamy and spicy coconut broth, rice noodles, and crisp baby bok choy.
Equipment
- Dutch Oven or large pot
- Food Processor optional but recommended
Ingredients
Chicken Meatballs
- 1 pound Ground Chicken
- ½ cup Panko Breadcrumbs
- 1 Egg
- 1 tablespoon Fish Sauce
- 4 cloves Garlic
- 1 tablespoon Ginger, or about 1 knob
- 1 Thai Chili, more or less to taste; or omit for no spice
- 1 teaspoon Palm Sugar, can use brown sugar
- ½ cup Fresh Cilantro, loosely packed; additional to serve
- 2 teaspoons Lime Zest, zest from 1 lime
Soup
- 1 tablespoon Avocado Oil
- 1 Shallot, chopped
- 3 cloves Garlic
- 1 tablespoon Ginger, or about 1 knob
- 1 tablespoon Palm Sugar, can use brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons Fish Sauce
- 2 tablespoons Thai Red Curry Paste, see note 1
- 2 Thai Chili, deseeded; more or less to taste
- 2 cups Thai Lemongrass Bone Broth, or substitute with chicken broth; see note 2
- 2 cups Unsalted Chicken Bone Broth, or the chicken broth your prefer
- 14 ounces Full Fat Coconut Milk, 1 can of full fat coconut milk
- 2 Baby Bok Choy
- 4 servings Rice Noodles, I used instant rice noodles
- 2 tablespoons Lime Juice, juice from 1 lime
Instructions
Chicken Meatballs
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Set a wire rack on top of a baking sheet, and optionally spray the rack with oil to prevent sticking.
- While the oven heats, add garlic, ginger, Thai chili, palm sugar, cilantro, and lime zest to a food processor. Blend until finely chopped and well combined. If you don’t have a food processor, finely chop the ingredients by hand instead.
- In a large bowl, combine the panko, beaten egg, fish sauce, and the blended mixture from the previous step. Mix thoroughly. Add the ground chicken and use your hands to combine everything until evenly mixed.
- Shape the meat mixture into approximately 16 meatballs, each about 1.5 inches in diameter. Arrange the meatballs on the prepared wire rack, then bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until they are golden and fully cooked.
Soup
- Add the garlic and ginger to the food processor and blend until finely chopped. If you don’t have a food processor, you can finely chop the ingredients by hand or grate them instead.
- Heat avocado oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chopped shallot and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add the chopped garlic and ginger, and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring often, until fragrant. Stir in the roughly chopped palm sugar and fish sauce, and cook for 1 minute to allow the sugar to caramelize.
- Add the Thai chilis and curry paste, stirring to combine with the other ingredients. Cook for 1-2 minutes, or until the mixture darkens in color. Then pour in the broth and coconut milk, and bring to a gentle boil.
- Once the broth is boiling, add the rice noodles and cook until softened. For reference, my noodles took about 2 minutes. Use tongs to remove the noodles from the pot and divide them evenly into the serving bowls. Add the baby bok choy to the boiling broth and cook for about 3 minutes, until tender but still crisp. Use tongs to remove the bok choy from the pot and divide it evenly over the noodles in each serving bowl. Then, evenly distribute the cooked chicken meatballs into each bowl.
- Stir the juice of 1 lime into the broth, then ladle it evenly into each serving bowl. Serve with extra lime wedges and fresh cilantro, if desired.
Video
Notes
- Note 1: I used this Thai Red Curry Paste from Whole Foods and 2 tablespoons was perfect. Brands vary in spice and flavor, so adjust to taste.
- Note 2: I used this Thai Lemongrass Bone Broth from Whole Foods. If unavailable, replace the 2 cups of Thai Lemongrass Bone Broth with 2 additional cups of regular chicken broth.
Nutrition
Calories: 715kcal, Carbohydrates: 68g, Protein: 30g, Fat: 37g, Saturated Fat: 23g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 9g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 138mg, Sodium: 1867mg, Potassium: 1082mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 4173IU, Vitamin C: 38mg, Calcium: 153mg, Iron: 6mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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