
Thai Chicken Meatballs: Juicy Treats with Sweet Chili Sauce
By Mason Brooks
These Thai chicken meatballs are packed with authentic flavors like ginger, garlic, and green onions. Baked to perfection and coated in a sticky sweet chili glaze, they are both tangy and slightly spicy. Ideal for a fun weeknight dinner or as a crowd-pleasing appetizer, these meatballs are a delicious twist for any occasion. Serve them with rice or noodle dishes for a complete meal.
Ingredients
- •1 lb ground chicken
- •1 large egg (beaten)
- •0.5 cup panko breadcrumbs (or crushed plain crackers)
- •0.25 cup green onions (finely chopped, about 2–3 stalks)
- •2 cloves garlic (minced)
- •1 tbsp fresh ginger (grated)
- •2 tsp fish sauce (or substitute low-sodium soy sauce)
- •1 tsp sesame oil
- •0.5 tsp red pepper flakes (optional; adjust for heat)
- •0.5 tsp salt
- •0.25 tsp black pepper
- •0.5 cup Thai sweet chili sauce (store-bought or homemade)
- •1 tbsp honey
- •1 tsp rice vinegar
- •0.5 tsp sriracha (optional, for extra heat)
- •1 tsp lime juice
- •2 tbsp cilantro (chopped, for garnish)
- •green onions (extra chopped, for garnish)
- •sesame seeds (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 400 °F (200 °C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
- 2
In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, beaten egg, panko, minced garlic, grated ginger, chopped green onions, fish sauce, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. Mix gently until just combined.
- 3
Scoop roughly 2 tablespoons of mixture and roll into a ball. Place the meatballs on the prepared baking sheet about 1 inch apart.
- 4
For extra texture, heat a drizzle of oil in a skillet over medium-high and brown meatballs in batches (about 2 minutes per side) before transferring to the baking sheet.
- 5
Bake until the internal temperature reaches 165 °F (74 °C), about 18–20 minutes.
- 6
In a small saucepan, combine the sweet chili sauce, honey, rice vinegar, sriracha, and lime juice. Warm over medium-low heat, stirring until bubbly and slightly thickened (about 3–5 minutes).
- 7
Brush the glaze onto each meatball or toss them in the saucepan to coat thoroughly. Return them to the baking sheet to let the sauce set (3–4 minutes more in the oven or under a broiler for caramelization).
- 8
Sprinkle with chopped cilantro, green onions, and sesame seeds. Serve immediately.











