One-pan Ginger Chicken Meatballs cooked in a creamy peanut sauce! This is one of my family’s favorite dinner recipes and it is gluten-free, dairy-free and great to meal prep for the week.

These ginger chicken meatballs are one of those dreamy dishes you are going to crave and add to your dinner rotation! They are great for food prep, reheat beautifully, and you can serve them with anything you want (quinoa, rice, noodles, etc.)

These meatballs were inspired by my Thai Turkey Meatballs in Coconut Curry. One of the most popular recipes on the blog, which always makes me so happy because it’s such a unique blend of flavors. But the meatballs are juicy, easy to make and if you love those turkey meatballs then you will 100% love these ginger chicken meatballs. Plus if turkey is your preferred meat, you can use turkey instead of chicken.

The creamy peanut coconut sauced that the meatballs simmer in really makes this dish even more flavorful. The sauce is addicting and something I want to jar up and sell one day because it is always a hit when I make it for friends and family.

Tip: prep these chicken meatballs and enjoy them all week long! Or keep a batch in your freezer and reheat over the stovetop.

What ingredients you need to make one-skillet ginger chicken meatballs:

  • Ground chicken – ground turkey can work well too if you prefer
  • Egg – I haven’t tested an egg replacement for these yet
  • Almond flour – you can also use a panko breadcrumb (just use a bit less at first) if not gluten-free
  • Cilantro – we used fresh cilantro, finely diced
  • Garlic – if you don’t have garlic cloves, you can use garlic powder
  • Ginger – fresh grated ginger in these brings out so much flavor! Or you can use ginger powder
  • Toasted sesame oil or avocado oil – either oil works
  • Coconut milk – I really prefer using coconut milk for the texture and flavor as opposed to another milk but if you cannot eat coconut, try unsweetened almond milk
  • Peanut butter – creamy peanut butter! Adds so much flavor and creaminess
  • Coconut aminos – or you can use soy sauce or tamari if you prefer
  • Chili paste or red curry paste – this gives it an extra kick and spice
  • Red bell pepper – you can use really any veggies you want but bell peppers
  • Frozen peas – technically optional but I love adding these for extra veggies
  • Crushed up peanuts – I love adding these in for extra crunch and texture

How to make ginger chicken meatballs with a creamy peanut sauce:

  1. In a large bowl, add the ground chicken, egg, breadcrumbs or almond flour, cilantro, garlic, ginger, salt and pepper
  2. Use clean hands and I also like to wear disposable gloves to mix and form into 12-16 meatballs
  3. Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and add in sesame oil
  4. Add the meatballs and brown on all sides (takes me about 6-8 minutes)
  5. Remove meatballs from skillet then reduce the heat to medium-low and add in the coconut milk, peanut butter, coconut aminos and chili paste
  6. Mix together until well combined and add in pepper and peas, then add the meatballs back in and bring to a simmer
  7. Cover the pan, reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes then serve! Garnish with peanuts or chopped nuts of choice. I like to serve over rice, soba noodles, zucchini noodles, anything!

Tips for success:

  • One of my favorite parts of these meatballs is that they are a food prep best friend! These stay good in the fridge for 4-5 days. And you can also fully prep the meatballs and keep them sealed in the fridge and cook within 24 hours of prepping
  • If you want to freeze them after cooking, that’s another option. They will stay good for up to 2 months in the freezer. I like to let them thaw out in the fridge overnight and reheat over the stovetop
  • When it comes to serving these meatballs, I recommend serving over rice, zoodles, soba noodles, or anything you are craving. Bonus points for some bread to soak up all of the sauce too

A few other healthy recipes to make for dinner:

20-minute Healthy Chicken Teriyaki (paleo)

Vegan Thai Noodle Salad with Peanut Dressing

20-minute Whole30 Egg Roll in a Bowl

Healthy Peanut Chicken Skewers Recipe

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Ginger Chicken Meatballs with Peanut Sauce

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One-pan Ginger Chicken Meatballs cooked in a creamy peanut sauce! This is one of my family’s favorite dinner recipes and it is gluten-free, dairy-free and great to meal prep for the week.

  • Prep Time: 5 mins
  • Cook Time: 25 mins
  • Total Time: 30 mins

Yield: Serves 3-4 1x

Ingredients

Scale

For the meatballs:

  • 1 pound ground chicken (ground turkey can work well too)
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup almond flour (or breadcrumbs)
  • 1/4 cup finely diced cilantro
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
  • Sea salt and black pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil or avocado oil

For the peanut sauce:

  • 1 (15-ounce) can coconut milk
  • 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 2 tablespoons coconut aminos
  • 1 tablespoon chili paste or red curry paste works too
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 2/3 cup frozen peas
  • 1/3 cup crushed up peanuts

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, add the ground chicken, egg, breadcrumbs or flour, cilantro, garlic, ginger, salt and pepper
  2. Use clean hands and I also like to wear disposable gloves to mix and form into 12-16 meatballs
  3. Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and add in sesame oil
  4. Add the meatballs and brown on all sides (takes me about 6-8 minutes)
  5. Remove meatballs from skillet then reduce the heat to medium-low and add in the coconut milk, peanut butter, coconut aminos and chili paste
  6. Mix together until well combined and add in pepper and peas, then add the meatballs back in and bring to a simmer
  7. Cover the pan, reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes then serve! Garnish with peanuts or chopped nuts of choice. I like to serve over rice, soba noodles, zucchini noodles, anything!

Notes

*Store leftovers in fridge for 5 days or you can freeze this for 2 months

  • Author: Rachel