Baked Chicken Meatballs with Tangy BBQ Sauce

Baked Chicken Meatballs with Tangy BBQ Sauce

Baked Chicken Meatballs with Tangy BBQ Sauce

Meatballs are the bomb!  And these tasty chicken morsels are fast becoming a family favorite.  Ground chicken has made it’s way into my family’s menu for lots of reasons.  First it’s now readily available in meat sections of most grocery stores.  Plus it’s a great alternative to ground beef, mostly because it boasts fewer fat calories, especially the saturated type which we’re all trying to reduce for better heart health.  Ground chicken is much more moist than ground beef which makes for great chicken burgers, chicken tacos and chicken-crusted pizzas like the ones I made recently.  Check out my Chicken-Crusted Southwestern Pizza Rolls and Chicken-Crusted Asian Veggie Pizza.  Your family will love these.  Try subbing out ground beef and see for yourself how super versatile ground chicken is.


Barbecue Chicken Meatballs 1

Now to these fabulous meatballs.  I love how fast they come together.  Literally from start to finish we’re talking less than 30 minutes.  And once you figure out the recipe you might get them done faster.  It’s the baking that takes half the time.  In fact if you have time to prepare, you can make the meatballs ahead and then bake them right before serving, cutting the time even more.

Barbecue Chicken Meatballs 2

I like to chop up red onion, red pepper, carrot, parsley and garlic in my food processor and add to the ground chicken with an egg, bread crumbs, salt and black pepper.  Just so you know, these are messy.  Ground chicken sticks to your hands much more than ground beef or turkey, but it goes fast so dig right in and mix it all up and then form golf size balls and arrange them on the baking sheet.  Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees F and done!  The tasty barbecue sauce is one of my favorites which I’ve used on the blog a couple of times:  Amazing Italian Meatballs with Tangy BBQ Sauce and Slow Cooker Pulled Pork with Tangy BBQ Sauce.

Barbecue Chicken Meatballs 3

I’m in love with these meatballs.  And I love meatballs.  Check out more great meatball recipes on the blog below.

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Baked Chicken Meatballs with Tangy BBQ Sauce

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 12 to 13 meatballs

  • Baked Chicken Meatballs with Tangy BBQ Sauce
  • 1 pound ground chicken, 98% fat-free
  • 3/4 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 1/4 medium red onion
  • 1/4 cup shredded carrot
  • 1/2 medium red pepper, seeded
  • 1/4 cup Italian flat-leaf parsley
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
    • Tangy BBQ Sauce
  • 2 cups ketchup
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • 1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
  • 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 Tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 Tbsp liquid smoke
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or Silpat mat.
  2. Combine ground chicken, breadcrumbs and egg in a medium bowl. Set aside.
  3. Combine red onion, carrot, red pepper, parsley and garlic in container of food processor fitted with a metal blade. Cover and pulse until finely chopped. Add to ground chicken along with salt and pepper. Lightly mix together with your hands. Do not over-mix as this will produce tough meatballs.
  4. Use your hands to roll out 12-14 golf ball sized meatballs and spread them out on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, or until meatballs are cooked through.
  5. For the Tangy BBQ Sauce: Combine all ingredients in a large skillet, stirring to combine. Heat over medium-high heat until hot and bubbly.
  6. When meatballs are baked, remove from baking sheet and add to the BBQ sauce, rolling each ball to coat evenly. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container for up to a week. Also can freeze for up to 2 to 3 months.
https://karenmangum.com/baked-chicken-meatballs-with-tangy-bbq-sauce/

 

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4 Comments

  • Kathy O

    Karen, I am 4 weeks post op gastric sleeve. I love to cook and my son is a chef. I love some of these recipes and see how easy you are substituting better ingredients to eliminate fat and carbs. As you know, we all need to count our protein grams and limit carbs. I do not see any of your recipes with a nutrition breakdown for us to document in our food journals. I had my surgery at St.Al’s with Dr. Brown with no or low sugar and no or low carbs – not to exceed 60 g protein daily. Can you help out?

    • Karen

      Hi Kathy: I do not provide nutrient breakdown on recipes because 1) it takes a lot of extra time (one thing I wish I had more of) and 2) all foods can fit into a healthy diet in moderation. After surgery you definitely want to focus on eating around 2-3 ounces of protein each meal and limit total carbohydrates to just 30 to 40 grams total per day which virtually eliminates grain carbohydrates (breads, rice, noodles, pancakes, pasta, cereal, crackers, etc). for the first few months. Then as you get closer to your goal you’ll want to gradually add a few of these things back into your diet a few bites at a time.
      I’d suggest you use a food tracker like myfitnesspal.com and look for a food that is close to my recipe to get an idea of the nutrient breakdown to help you. I’m sorry I can’t be of more help, but good luck in your journey.

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