Sweet and Sour Meatballs
- PREP 15min
- COOK 25min
- TOTAL 40min
These Asian-inspired sweet and sour meatballs are happy food, bursting with so much incredible flavor. They really wake up your palate, and I’m betting once you try them, you’ll add this recipe to your rotation for sure! Remember, we need the coconut cream and coconut milk inside the can separated, so no shaking! You’ll use the cream for the meatball mixture, and the rest of the can for the sauce.
Try these piled on top of coconut rice, cilantro lime rice, rice noodles, or cooked quinoa.
You Will Need
2 pounds (907g) ground chicken, 92/8
1 (15oz) can full-fat coconut milk, do not shake
1 ½ tablespoons minced fresh ginger
2 teaspoons lemongrass paste, see tips
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 green onion, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
5 tablespoons (66g) brown sugar (1 tablespoon for meatballs, 4 tablespoons for sauce)
1/4 teaspoon Chinese 5 Spice
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon avocado oil
3/4 cup (177ml) chicken broth
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 lime, zested, then cut in half
Fine sea salt
Optional topping: sliced green onion, cilantro leaves, chopped basil, chopped mint
Directions
1Make the meatball mix: In a large mixing bowl, combine the ginger, lemongrass paste, garlic, green onion, basil, mint, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon Chinese 5 Spice, 1 teaspoon fish sauce, and 1 ½ teaspoons salt. Give everything a really good mix.
2Add the chicken and coconut cream: Now, add the ground chicken. Open your can of coconut milk and, using a tablespoon, scoop 2 tablespoons of the thick coconut cream from the top. Add this cream to the chicken, saving the rest of the can for the sauce. Mix the chicken and coconut cream into the rest of the meatball mixture until just combined.
3Roll meatballs: Roll the mixture into roughly 1 ounce (30g) meatballs. Refrigerate them for 5 to 10 minutes to help them firm up.
4Brown meatballs: In a wide, deep skillet with a lid, heat the sesame oil and avocado oil over medium heat. Carefully place the meatballs into the hot oil so they’re evenly spaced, and brown them on one side.
5Build the sweet and sour sauce: Flip each meatball over. Now, add in the chicken broth, coconut milk, rice vinegar, remaining 4 tablespoons of brown sugar, zest from 1 lime, juice from half of the lime, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Swirl the pan gently to combine all the ingredients. Cover the skillet with a lid and simmer gently until the meatballs are cooked through, about 10 minutes. An internal thermometer should read 165°F when inserted into the middle of a meatball.
6Reduce the sauce: Once the meatballs are cooked, remove them from the skillet and place them onto a platter. Keep the lid off, turn the heat to high, and reduce the sauce. You want to reduce it until it’s thickened and just barely coats the bottom of the skillet, which takes about 10 minutes.
7Serve: Finish the sauce by squeezing in the juice from the second half of the lime and swirling to mix. Then, pour the sauce over the meatballs and garnish with fresh sliced green onion and herbs.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Storing: Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the fridge before gently reheating.
- Lemongrass paste: I buy the refrigerated lemongrass paste in a squeezable tube sold near the fresh herbs.
- Using fresh lemongrass: Cut away the top and bottom of the stalk. Then, peel away the tough outer layers until you reach the tender, pale yellow core. Finally, thinly slice the stalk, then chop it as finely as possible or use a food processor to mince it. If you make a larger batch of homemade lemongrass paste, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days or freeze in ice cube trays, transfer to freezer bags, and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Best pan to use: We love a rondeau or braiser pan for this dish as it is large, wide, with tall-ish, straight sides, and a lid. A Dutch oven works, as well. If you do not have a pan with a lid, you can cover the skillet with aluminum foil.
- Leftover ginger, garlic, and green herbs: If you need another way to use up the aromatics purchased for this recipe, try making homemade chili paste like our yellow curry paste or green curry paste (recipe coming soon).
- The nutrition facts provided are estimates.