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Firecracker Chicken Meatballs – a totally delicious and fun way to enjoy plain boring chicken meatballs. Bring them to life with this finger licking, smack-your-lips yummy firecracker sauce!
Firecracker Chicken Meatballs
If you follow my blogs at all, you’ll know a little of my love for meatballs. How can you not love them. They’re little morsels of meat loaded with different kinds of ground meat, spices and herbs. But the best way to serve them is to smother them in some delicious sauce, like this firecracker sauce.
I’ve used this sauce in a couple recipes like my firecracker chicken or my firecracker salmon and let me tell you both are winners. So why on meatballs? Why not! It’s only a natural evolution to pair this incredible sauce with meatballs.
Ingredients You’ll Need
There are two parts to this recipe. The meatballs and the sauce. These chicken meatballs are really easy to make and the sauce is incredibly simple. Here’s what you’ll need, don’t forget to scroll down for the complete printable recipe:
Chicken Meatballs:
- Ground Chicken – You can make turkey meatballs and use ground turkey instead. You can absolutely try ground pork or ground beef, but I really love the light flavour of these chicken meatballs especially when paired with this sauce.
- Egg – This is a necessary ingredient since it’s what binds all the ingredients together.
- Onion – a regular white or yellow onion is fine. Use a box grater to shred the onion, this way is much easier than chopping it up.
- Breadcrumbs – any breadcrumbs would work, though I used panko breadcrumbs.
- Salt and Pepper – I decided to use cayenne pepper instead of regular pepper in these meatballs for a little extra heat.
- Parsley – I love adding fresh parsley to almost all my meatballs because I really find that it brightens all the flavours.
- Vegetable oil – for frying. You can absolutely bake these as well. Bake them in a preheated 400 F degree oven for 20 minutes.
Firecracker Sauce
- Brown Sugar – Any brown sugar will work, make sure it’s packed.
- Soy Sauce – I always use low sodium soy sauce to cut down on the sodium.
- Olive Oil – olive oil is great in this sauce, it’s healthy and good for you.
- Ginger – fresh ginger. Did you know you can store your fresh ginger in the freezer, and when you need some just take it out and grate it?
- Garlic – I always use fresh garlic, not the one that comes in a jar. I find the flavor is much better with fresh garlic. To save time, I buy the peeled garlic.
- Hot Sauce – my favorite to use is a good organic Sriracha sauce.
- Red Pepper Flakes – if you don’t want this chicken too spicy, use less or omit them completely.
- Pepper – freshly ground! No salt needed in this recipe as the soy sauce has plenty of salt.
How To Make Firecracker Chicken Meatballs
- Form meatballs: In a large bowl mix all the meatball ingredients together. Form into small balls the size of golf balls.
- Make sauce: In a medium bowl whisk all the sauce ingredients together.
- Cook meatballs and finish dish: In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the vegetable oil. Add the meatballs in a single layer and cook until seared all over, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Add sauce and bring to simmer. Simmer until sauce has thickened slightly and meatballs are cooked through, about 5 minutes.
How Do I Get Equal Size Meatballs
I usually just eye ball it and grab some meat and roll it up. I’ve made so many meatballs in my day I don’t even think about it. Not to mention I love getting in there, get my hands dirty and use my hands to make some meatballs. Remember that your hands are the best tools.
However, if you want perfect sized meatballs, the best way is to use a small ice cream scoop. You’ll get beautiful round shape meatballs, all of equal size.
How Do I Know When My Chicken Meatballs Are Cooked
Obviously the length of time it takes to bake meatballs can vary on your oven and the size of your meatballs. The best and easiest way to tell when the meatballs are cooked is to use an instant meat thermometer and when the internal temperature of the meatballs reaches 160 F degrees, they’re done!
As they cool, the temperature will rise up to 165 F degrees, this is called carry-over cooking.
More Ways To Use Ground Chicken
How To Serve These Firecracker Chicken Meatballs
How you serve these meatballs totally depends on your diet. Are you looking for low carb? Then simply serve them over a bed of simple salad made with lettuce and a simple dressing of oil and vinegar. These meatballs are also great served in lettuce wraps, drizzle them with some ranch or blue cheese dressing and you’ve got yourself a party in your mouth!
If you don’t care about low carbing it then try serving these over pasta, but make sure to double that yummy sauce.
Here are some other great suggestions:
How To Store These Chicken Meatballs
Store these meatballs in an airtight container anywhere from 3 to 5 days.
Can You Freeze These Firecracker Chicken Meatballs?
Absolutely! These chicken meatballs are great for freezing either before or after they’ve been cooked. They’ll last up to 3 months in the freezer.
To freeze cooked meatballs simply place them in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. However, freeze them without the sauce and just make the sauce when ready to serve them.
You can also flash freeze your meatballs first by placing them on a baking sheet in a single layer and freeze them for a couple hours or until completely frozen. Then simply store them in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. This will ensure that the meatballs don’t stick together.
Craving More Meatball Recipes? Try These:
- Easy Meatballs
- Turkey Meatballs
- Spaghetti and Meatballs
- Porcupine Meatballs
- Chicken Meatballs Alfredo
- Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
- Creamy Mushroom Chicken Meatballs
- Sweet And Sour Chicken Meatballs
Firecracker Chicken Meatballs
Video
Ingredients
Chicken Meatballs
- 1 pound ground chicken
- ½ cup breadcrumbs I used panko
- ¼ cup parsley chopped
- 1 small onion grated or finely chopped
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil for frying
Firecracker Sauce
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon ginger fresh, chopped
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup soy sauce low sodium
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar packed
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce such as Sriracha
- 1 teaspoon black pepper ground
- 1 tablespoon parsley chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- From meatballs: In a large bowl mix all the meatball ingredients together. Form into small balls the size of golf balls.
- Make sauce: In a medium bowl whisk all the sauce ingredients together.
- Cook meatballs and finish dish: In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the vegetable oil. Add the meatballs in a single layer and cook until seared all over, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Add sauce and bring to simmer. Simmer until sauce has thickened slightly and meatballs are cooked through, about 5 minutes.
- Garnish with parsley and serve warm.
Tips & Notes:
- Recipe will yield about 16 meatballs.
- Store these meatballs in an airtight container anywhere from 3 to 5 days.
- These chicken meatballs are great for freezing either before or after they’ve been cooked. They’ll last up to 3 months in the freezer.
- To freeze cooked meatballs simply place them in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. However, freeze them without the sauce and just make the sauce when ready to serve them.
- You can also flash freeze your meatballs first by placing them on a baking sheet in a single layer and freeze them for a couple hours or until completely frozen. Then simply store them in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. This will ensure that the meatballs don’t stick together.
