Honey Garlic Chicken Meatballs

These honey garlic chicken meatballs come together in no time and are loaded with fresh flavors of green onion, garlic, and ginger. They’re baked in the oven and then coated in a delicious sticky honey garlic sauce. An easy appetizer or simple weekend meal prep recipe – you’re going to love these chicken meatballs!

Easy

• These chicken meatballs are one of our family’s favorites because they are so versatile! I love to serve them with jasmine rice and pickled veggies for a simple lunch or dinner. They’re also delicious with pasta and broccoli or served as an appetizer when you have friends over.
• Baking them in the oven means hands-off cook time for you! And it gives them this really delicious crust on the bottom as they bake. My favorite way to make meatballs is in the oven because they hold their round shape and cook more evenly without drying out.

Ingredients for Chicken Meatballs

• Ground Chicken: You can use ground chicken, ground turkey, or ground beef for this recipe. Whichever you choose, keep it no leaner than 93/7 so the meatballs don’t dry out.
• Panko Breadcrumbs: Feel free to use regular breadcrumbs instead.
• Green Onion: Thinly sliced green onion adds delicious, fresh, bright flavor. Feel free to substitute with fresh chopped cilantro.
• Soy Sauce: Soy sauce is a great way to add umami flavor. Use low-sodium soy sauce to reduce the salt content. Substitute with tamari if you like.
• Garlic: I recommend freshly minced or grated garlic for this recipe. Garlic powder will work in a pinch but won’t give you quite the same flavor.
• Ginger Paste: Ginger paste is my favorite short cut for getting that fresh ginger flavor. It stays fresh in the fridge for weeks so you can use it for coconut curry chicken skewers, chicken lettuce wraps, or sesame salmon bowls!
• Toasted Sesame Oil: Regular sesame oil is delicious as well but if you can find toasted sesame oil it adds another layer of flavor.
• Egg Yolk: The yolk helps to bind the chicken meatballs together.
• Rice Vinegar: Rice vinegar loosens up the honey garlic sauce while adding a bit of tang.
• Honey: Honey is the key ingredient in the honey garlic sauce that coats the chicken meatballs. I don’t recommend substituting with anything else.

How to Make Honey Garlic Chicken Meatballs

Add ingredients to a large bowl.

Mix just until well combined.

Roll into uniform-size meatballs and bake for 20-25 minutes or until cooked through.

Saute garlic in a large saute pan. Add soy sauce, seasoned rice vinegar, honey, green onion, and a couple pinches of pepper and a small pinch of salt. Simmer for 10-15 minutes until it thickens. Add cooked meatballs to the sauce and toss to coat. Cook for another minute or so until the meatballs are warmed through.

Garnish with sesame seeds and thinly sliced green onion and enjoy!

Tips for Making Honey Garlic Chicken Meatballs

• Don’t overmix the ingredients. Mix the chicken meatball ingredients just until combined or the meatballs will end up with a tough texture.
• Use a cookie scoop for uniform-size meatballs. I have this cookie scoop set from Amazon. For this recipe, I used the 1 tablespoon scoop. If you use a large scoop, you’ll get less meatballs. If you use a smaller scoop, you’ll end up with more.
• After scooping the meatballs, wet your hands with water or brush them with olive oil before rolling them into shape. This helps prevent the meatball mixture from sticking to your hands.

Making Chicken Meatballs Ahead of Time

These honey garlic chicken meatballs are the perfect make-ahead or meal-prep recipe. They’re super easy to reheat and stay good in the fridge for up to a week.

Storing Leftover Chicken Meatballs

Store leftover meatballs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.

Freezing Chicken Meatballs

Freeze cooked or uncooked chicken meatballs in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating or cooking.

Reheating Chicken Meatballs

Reheat chicken meatballs in a large saute pan with a splash of olive oil over medium heat. Cook for a minute or two, add the sauce, and cook for a couple more minutes or until everything is warmed through. You can also microwave the chicken meatballs and sauce in 30-60 second intervals until heated through.

Try these family favorites!

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