This is a very special recipe because it’s not just one recipe – it’s four simple and fabulous recipes! And these four recipes go together to make the most delicious Curry Chicken Meatball Bowls!
You can make-ahead all the recipes, which makes assembling the bowls super easy and stress-free on busy weeknights. And you can use each of the mini recipes for other recipes (hello – mango salsa makes for an amazing appetizer with tortilla chips and is also a good topping for tacos).
The first recipe within a recipe is the coconut rice. It’s four simple ingredients – Jasmine rice, coconut milk, water or stock and salt. It simmers on the stove and is ready to be served in about 20 minutes. After you try this rice, you’ll struggle to find another rice that’s more delicious.
The second recipe within a recipe is the curry chicken meatballs. Chicken, green onion, garlic, curry powder…. just YUM. You can cook them on the stove, but I prefer cooking them in the oven on a wire rack because they get the perfect texture and are evenly cooked and shaped.
The third recipe within a recipe is the curry sauce that the meatballs take a bath in. It’s made of fresh ginger, coconut milk, curry paste, soy sauce and honey. And I honestly feel at a loss for words because really all I want to do is take a bath in this sauce. Is that weird?
And last, but not least, is the simple mango salsa to top it all off. It’s simply fresh mango, cilantro and lime. And I’ll be honest – I stood in my kitchen with the bowl of mango salsa and ate it with a spoon. The only thing stopping me from eating the entire thing was knowing how amazing it would taste on top of the meatball bowls.
Curry Chicken Meatball Bowls
Serves 6
Ingredients
Coconut Rice:
- 2 cups water or unsalted chicken stock
- ½ (15 oz.) can full fat coconut milk
- 1 cup Jasmine rice
- ½ tsp. coarse salt
Curry Meatballs:
- 1 lb. ground chicken
- 1 large egg
- ⅓ cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 Tbsp. curry powder
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. coarse salt
- ½ tsp. ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
Curry Sauce:
- 1 tsp. oil
- 1-in. piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
- ½ (15 oz.) can full fat coconut milk
- 1 Tbsp. red or green curry paste
- 2 tsp. low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tsp. honey
Mango Salsa:
- 1 medium mango, peeled and diced
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
- Zest and juice of 1 medium lime
- Pinch coarse salt
Instructions:
- Pour the water or stock, coconut milk, rice and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover the saucepan and cook 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until liquid has absorbed, and rice is al dente. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Farenheit. Fit a baking sheet with a wire rack and coat with cooking spray.
- In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the meatball ingredients until thoroughly combined. Form into 2-inch meatballs and line on the prepared baking sheet, about 1-inch apart. Bake 12-15 minutes or until just set.
- In a large skillet or Dutch oven, heat oil to medium-low heat. Add the ginger and sauté 30-60 seconds or until fragrant. Stir in the coconut milk, curry paste, soy sauce and honey and bring to a simmer. Taste and add a pinch of salt, if necessary. Add the meatballs to the sauce and simmer about 5 minutes.
- In a small mixing bowl, mix together the mango, cilantro, lime and salt.
- Assemble bowls with rice, meatballs, sauce and mango salsa. Serve.
