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.
- 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.
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. 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, tzatziki sauce and / or tahini sauce.
Tools You’ll Need:
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!
