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This is my favorite way to eat chicken meatballs. They’re spiced up with a sweet, savory, and spicy firecracker sauce. They’re tender, filled with flavor, and require minimum work!
Thank God It’s Friday, y’all!
I thought this week would never end. It was an ongoing cycle of endless days, but the weekend is finally here!
This recipe for firecracker chicken meatballs has been stuck in my head on an endless loop for the last several weeks. I had been craving something with a little more spice, yet a little sweet too. And what’s more perfect than game day food that’s actually somewhat healthy (they’re baked!) and still has tons of flavor but isn’t your regular old meatball covered in marinara? FIRECRACKER. SAUCE. FTW!
These baked chicken meatballs are one of Anees’s favorite meals. This is obviously a recent development. Because up until a couple of weeks ago, they didn’t even exist.
These were so incredibly delicious and easy to make. I took leftovers for lunch and 12 couldn’t come fast enough. This recipe is a definite keeper.
How to make the original Firecracker Chicken Meatballs:
This recipe is super low maintenance. And if you’re not a fan of chicken meatballs, you can swap it out for turkey or any other kind of ground meat you please. But I do feel that chicken or turkey would pair the best with the sauce.
These are perfect for when you’re hosting a game day party and need something super flavorful on the table. I like to make a big batch for the two of us that we munch on all week long. Meatball subs made with firecracker chicken and melty cheese would be perfect for weekend lunches and a few meatballs paired with a side salad would be ideal for weekday lunches. And if you’re like me, with a fetish for food straight from the refrigerator, well then they’d make for a good snack too. Yup, cold. I like them like that sometimes!
What ingredients do you need to make the best firecracker chicken meatballs?
We’re keepin’ what goes into the meatballs simple because it’s that firecracker sauce that we want to stand out bright when you take that first bite.
For the chicken meatballs, I used simple ground chicken breasts. Again, ground chicken thighs or a combination of ground chicken + ground turkey would be good too.
The binding is simple. 2 large eggs and a little panko. For the spices, paprika, onion powder, and obvi, garlic. It’s all pantry staples on this one, folks!
You want to *just* combine the ingredients. When making meatballs, the less you work the meat, the better it is. I shaped mine into 3 tablespoon-sized balls. It’s totally up to you how big/small you want them. The size I indicated will take about 11-13 minutes in the oven.
What goes in the firecracker chicken meatballs sauce?
- little hot sauce (I recommend Franks)
- brown sugar
- red pepper flakes
- apple cider vinegar
- pinch of salt
It’s 10 ingredients total if you don’t count the salt and pepper. The sauce is enough to coat all the meatballs with a little leftover for a drizzle before serving. If you’re like me and you live to dip and dunk, double the sauce recipe. You can even serve these firecracker meatballs with a little white rice and broccoli and drizzle the sauce on there. I speak from experience, can you tell?
And the best part is, you can mix up the meat mixture from the night before and just bake and drizzle them with the sauce the day of. These tasty chicken meatballs are going to be the highlight of game day. Get ready to be host of the year!
How to Serve
I get this question a ton! I would serve them over a bed of white rice (or cilantro lime rice, even better) with roasted or sauteed veggies on the side!
If you like this recipe, you might also like:
- Slow cooker honey chipotle meatballs
- These CRAZY GOOD wings with the same sauce
- Easy Philly Cheese Steak Dip
Firecracker Chicken Meatballs
Equipment
Ingredients
meatballs:
- 1 ¾ – 2 pounds ground chicken or turkey
- 4 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
firecracker sauce:
- ½ cup hot sauce I recommend Franks
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼-½ teaspoon red pepper flakes depending on spice preference
Instructions
- Position 2 racks near the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 475ºF. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, set aside.
- In a saucepan, combine the ingredients of the firecracker sauce over medium high heat, allow to come to a boil, reduce the heat so it simmers. Let simmer for 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow the sauce to cool. The sauce will thicken as it cools so don’t worry if it looks thin.
- In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, garlic, salt pepper, eggs, panko, paprika, and onion powder. Use your hands to mix all the ingredients together. It’s easier to tell when he ingredients are combined when using hands. DO NOT OVERMIX, it will result in drier meatballs.
- Shape the meat mixture into ball, about 3 tablespoons of meat per ball. You can also do this with an ice cream scoop. Place shaped meatballs on prepared baking sheet. bake for 11-13 minutes or until the meatballs are completely cooked.
- Using 2 tablespoon, dip each individual meatball into the sauce. Alternately, you can brush each meatball with the sauce. Place back on the baking sheet and bake for an additional 1-2 minutes. Drizzle or brush with additional sauce as desired.
Notes
- A combination of ground chicken and turkey can be used to make these meatballs.
- If you would like to serve your meatballs with sauce, I would double the ingredients for the sauce portion as this recipe makes just enough for basting.
- The meatball mixture can be prepared the night before and baked the day of, if desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like This? Leave a comment & rating below!
Has anyone had luck replacing the eggs with something?
Made these for a Christmas party last night. I used three pounds of meat. Next year I will use four or five. Everyone loved them. Not a single one leftover. Huge hit! Next time I will cook the sauce longer to thicken it more. I would love the meatballs to be more coated by the sauce.
can these be made in a slow cooker?
This recipe is a keeper and so easy to make. I did 1 lb turkey and 1 lb chicken. It was super spicy but delicious.
Looking for something a different. I read this recipe and thought it sounded good. I ran to the store to get a few things that I need. This was so good, that I am thinking about bringing it to a friends birthday party. The friends family is a huge fan of spicy foods, and I believe these meatballs will be hit. I will make them a bit smaller, and serve them in a crockpot to keep them warm. Can’t wait to share.
This was a huge hit with my family although
I cut the hot sauce in half and added 2 tblsp.
Of apricot jam. Thinking that they would find too
Spicy. But it wasn’t!!!! Great recipe especially grinding my own chicken breasts and thighs.
Very well received at a church supper. I made them as printed, but will also play with the recipe. The sauce is delicious and would work for other meats and veggies. Thanks for this!
These were great. I’ll be making them again!
Love this recipe!! I have made the Hawaiian BBQ and the Firecracker sauce and both were great. I also, make extra for the kids (18 months to 3 years old) that I don’t dip. The Firecracker sauce was too hot for us with the red pepper flakes (I only used 1/4 tsp) so I remade the sauce omitting it. They were a big hit with everyone and I’ve already shared the recipe. I made them small by using a rounded teaspoon. It made 48 balls and I cooked for 10 minutes. I served them on a platter with additional dipping sauce on the side. They are yummy at room temperature too!!
Made these for dinner tonight & this recipe is a KEEPER! Will definitely make for our first football party this season ?a
THis looks so good! What a yummy one to bring as an appetizer instead of BBQ meatballs.
I made these meatballs and they were delicious. They tastes like an Asian dish. The simple ingredients and easy to make. Lord willing I will definitely make these again. Maybe for a potluck.
I made this with ground turkey and my family absolutely loved it and asked when we can have it again! It is spicy, but my kids loved it!
This is a really good recipe! Not too hot, not too sweet, just right. I will definitely be serving these at parties!
Thank you for a great recipe!
Super easy recipe. I used ground turkey and they turned out great. I did find the sauce a little too sweet but i think cutting the brown sugar in half would make it perfect. I’d make again for sure!
Hi. I love these I’ve made them a couple times but just wondering if you know the nutrition facts? How many calories per serving?
Can you use shredded chicken in the place of the ground chicken?
I used Panda Express sweet chili sauce worked great!
Simple and absolutely delicious. I used ground turkey (not the super lean) and accidentally used a whole teaspoon of paprika, but it still came out great. This makes PLENTY of sauce for the purpose of glazing and drizzling the meatballs. If you wanted to serve this as a stir fry with rice and veggies, you could double it, but it makes a good bit.
How do you think they’d taste with Frank’s Buffalo Hot Sauce?
It should work just fine!