FIRECRACKER CHICKEN MEATBALLS

FIRECRACKER CHICKEN MEATBALLS

This is my favorite way to eat chicken meatballs. They’re spiced up with a sweet, savory, and spicy firecracker sauce. They’re tender, filled with flavor, and require minimum work!

This recipe is super low maintenance. And if you’re not a fan of chicken meatballs, you can swap it out for turkey or any other kind of ground meat you please. But I do feel that chicken or turkey would pair the best with the sauce.

These are perfect for when you’re hosting a game day party and need something super flavorful on the table. I like to make a big batch for the two of us that we munch on all week long. Meatball subs made with firecracker chicken and melty cheese would be perfect for weekend lunches and a few meatballs paired with a side salad would be ideal for weekday lunches. And if you’re like me, with a fetish for food straight from the refrigerator, well then they’d make for a good snack too. Yup, cold. I like them like that sometimes!

• rep time: 5 MINS
• cook time: 25 MINS
• total time: 30 MINS

INGREDIENTS:

MEATBALLS:

• 1 ¾ – 2 pounds ground chicken (or turkey)
• 4 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs*
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon onion powder

FIRECRACKER SAUCE:

• ½ cup hot sauce (I recommend Franks)
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼-½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (depending on spice preference)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Position 2 racks near the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 475ºF. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, set aside.
2. In a saucepan, combine the ingredients of the firecracker sauce over medium high heat, allow to come to a boil, reduce the heat so it simmers. Let simmer for 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow the sauce to cool. The sauce will thicken as it cools so don’t worry if it looks thin.
3. In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, garlic, salt pepper, eggs, panko, paprika, and onion powder. Use your hands to mix all the ingredients together. It’s easier to tell when he ingredients are combined when using hands. DO NOT OVERMIX, it will result in drier meatballs.
4. Shape the meat mixture into ball, about 3 tablespoons of meat per ball. You can also do this with an ice cream scoop. Place shaped meatballs on prepared baking sheet. bake for 11-13 minutes or until the meatballs are completely cooked.
5. Using 2 tablespoon, dip each individual meatball into the sauce. Alternately, you can brush each meatball with the sauce. Place back on the baking sheet and bake for an additional 1-2 minutes. Drizzle or brush with additional sauce as desired.

NOTES:

• Panko is a Japanese style of breadcrumbs.
• A combination of ground chicken and turkey can be used to make these meatballs.
• If you would like to serve your meatballs with sauce, I would double the ingredients for the sauce portion as this recipe makes just enough for basting.
• The meatball mixture can be prepared the night before and baked the day of, if desired.