Chicken meatballs in sweet chilli sauce
prep time 15 minutes / cooking time 25-30 minutes
Ok, first a little confession, this recipe is a bit longer than my usual preps.
I know, that when it is time to eat and everybody is hungry, the last thing you want is to be starting to make something that is an extra hustle, but it is so worth it. Believe me. and if you have the extra time you should go for it, you won’t regret it, I swear.
My kids and Idan (the hubbs) are obsessed with this. They ask for this a lot. Now, because it’s a bit of a hustle I don’t do it so often, but once in 2 weeks it definitely pops up. They love eating it with rice and mixing the rice with the sauce. Every time I make this recipe, there is never a single meatball left. .
This recipe is different than my usual Mediterranean based cooking. It has an Asian taste to it. It is made of chicken meatballs mixed with shredded coconut, scallion and sweet chilli. All swimming in a thick sweet-sour sauce. This with a portion of rice makes a perfect dinner or lunch.
You can choose whether you want to fry the meatballs a bit before cooking them in the sauce. Personally, I think it is not necessary. Yes, they come out crispier on the outside if you fry them, but I usually just skip that part. This keeps them healthier, and I haven’t had any complaints from the gang (lucky me, hehe).
Ingredients for 20 meatballs
For the meatballs:
500gr / 1lb 2oz minced chicken
½ cup breadcrumbs
2 fresh scallions, chopped + extra for decoration
3 tbsp water
1 large egg
¼ cup dried shredded coconut
1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
¼ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp cumin powder
Salt & black pepper to taste
For the sauce:
1 cup water
1 tbsp pure maple syrup
4 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
Juice of ½ a lemon
Lemon zest of ½ a lemon
2 tbsp soy (I use the one with less salt)
2 fresh minced garlic cloves
¼ tsp turmeric
Salt & pepper to taste
1 ½ tbsp cornflour dissolved 2/3 cup water
3 tbsp oil for frying (optional) I skip it usually
watch the video
Method
In a big bowl. Add all the meatball ingredients. Combine them well with your hands. Form 4cm / 1.5inch diameter balls. Set aside.
* if you choose to fry the meatballs, this is the time. Fry them in oil in the same non-stick fry pan you will use for the sauce. Fry over a medium high heat, for about 2 min each side. Just until brown, do not cook them! This is only to seal them. Take them out of the pan and set aside. Leave the oil. Pour in the sauce, once ready, and mix it with the oil. It gives extra taste to the dish.
In a small bowl. Add all the sauce ingredients, except for the cornflour. Mix to combine.
Preheat a big non-stick fry pan. Pour in the sauce and bring to boil. Stir frequently. Once boiling add the dissolved cornflour. Stir it in until it thickens. Lower the heat. Taste the sauce and fix to your liking (add salt, pepper, chilli).
Place the meatballs in the pan with the sauce. Bring to boil. Then lower the heat to low medium. Cover the pan. Cook for about 10-15 min, then turn the meatballs and cook covered for another 10-15 min.
As said before, we love it served with rice. Yummm!
