Ode To Meatballs
There are so many reasons to love meatballs, and we’ve probably covered them all more than a few times here on TMP because we’ve shared so many meatball recipes. Because we love meatballs! But forgive us, OK, because we’re going to go over a few of the reasons we love meatballs again. We love them because:
- They’re the ideal way to pile tons of flavor into a single bite. Cross referencing our meatball shakshuka recipe as proof.
- Meatballs are so easy to make ahead and freeze (and we’ll walk you through how to freeze these ground chicken meatballs later).
- Meatballs are fun to eat! That means that the kids in our lives and yours will be (sometimes) more willing to eat them!
- Meatballs—especially chicken meatballs like these—are pretty darn healthy. Paired with a couple of veggie side dishes, they make for a simple, flavorful, healthy dinner that is easy to love. For more meatball recipe ideas, check out these chicken piccata meatballs, or any of our favorite meatball recipes!
What’s In Chicken Shawarma Meatballs?
These tender, generously-spiced chicken meatballs are seasoned within an inch of their life. That means they’re not even close to being in danger of being the dreaded ground chicken thing: bland. Nope. Fragrant and savory, they’re anything but bland. Serve with Falafel and you’re in for a real treat. Here’s what’s in our baked chicken meatball recipe:
- Ground chicken
- Bread crumbs
- Milk
- Eggs
- Garlic
- Onion
- Cumin
- Turmeric
- Cinnamon
- Paprika
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
How To Make Chicken Meatballs
The best chicken meatballs start with good quality ground chicken, and from there your main job is to add lots of flavor (see: all the spices) and a few other ingredients to help them stay moist and tender. Here’s how to work some chicken meatball magic:
- Start with what we affectionately refer to as “the onion trick”. Grate an onion to a pulp using a cheese grater (laborious) or food processor (much easier), then plop the onion pulp in a kitchen towel and squeeze out all the liquid.
- Use your hands to gently mix the ground chicken, eggs, bread crumbs, milk, spices and squeezed-out onion pulp. Mix until it’s just combined, and try to have a light touch. Overmixing is the path to tough meatballs.
- Time for the “water trick”! Place a little bowl full of water next to you, and wet your hands as you roll the meatballs. It’ll help keep the meat from sticking to your palms.
- Pop the chicken meatballs in the oven to bake—400°F for 25 minutes and....
- Dinner is done! We love to make a Middle Eastern feast of it and serve these chicken shawarma meatballs with hummus, falafel, tzatziki sauce, Mediterranean meatballs, muhammara and / or tahini sauce.
Tools You’ll Need:
More Chicken Meatball Recipes to Try
We’re chicken meatball fanatics, and you should be one, too! Here are a few more of the very best chicken meatball recipes, ever:
Don’t Chicken Out!
If you try these chicken shawarma meatballs, let us know how it goes, OK? Share a photo and tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper so that we can see your stuff! Happy eating!
