Chili Lime Party Meatball Appetizer

These sweet, tangy, Chili Lime Party Meatball Appetizer will quickly become a family favorite for your next football party or tailgating get-together! They take just a few minutes to throw together and the tangy sauce can be prepped ahead of time for an easy snack that everyone will love!

 

You Will Love This

• I think we can all agree that sports are really just a good excuse to tailgate and eat delicious food, right?! But let’s be honest, those traditional meatball appetizers can get kind of boring after a while. These chili lime meatballs combine a few simple ingredients (including frozen meatballs for the win) and bake in just 15 minutes for an easy, flavor-forward party meatball your family will love!
• If you love this easy meatball appetizer recipe, be sure to check out my Creamy Baked Spinach Dip, Easy Marinated Feta Appetizer, or my Cheesy Baked Jalapeno Popper Dip.

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Frozen Meatballs – Use your favorite store bought meatballs for this easy appetizer recipe. Homemade will work as well, but there’s lots of good frozen meatballs out there now!
• Sweet Chili Sauce – The sweet chili sauce is what MAKES this recipe! It’s got the perfect zing with just a hint of sweetness that pairs perfectly with the other ingredients and creates a delicious meatball appetizer.
• Soy Sauce – You could also use tamari in place of the soy sauce. I prefer to use low sodium soy sauce as it still has tons of flavor and a bit less salt.
• Ginger Paste – You could also use freshly minced ginger in place of the ginger paste for this recipe. I love the ease of using ginger paste because it’s got all the flavor of fresh ginger, but saves a ton of prep time.
• Lime Zest – The zest of 2 limes is what’s going to give this chili lime sauce it’s signature citrus flavor. Zest adds the perfect bright, fresh flavor!
• Green Onion – I love to garnish these chili lime meatballs with thinly sliced green onion but you could also use fresh chopped parsley or cilantro in its place if that’s what you’ve got on hand.

Instructions

In a large bowl combine Frank’s RedHot Sweet Chili Sauce, soy sauce, ginger paste, lime zest, and a couple pinches of salt and pepper.

Add frozen meatballs and toss to coat them evenly. 

Transfer to a Pyrex® dish. The one I used is the perfect size to fit in the Instant Vortex™ Plus Air Fry Oven. Once the Instant Vortex™ says “add food” go ahead and place the baking dish of meatballs inside.

Bake for about 15 minutes, carefully stirring the meatballs halfway through so that they cook evenly and don’t burn. 

Transfer meatballs to a serving dish, garnish with thinly sliced green onion and sesame seeds if desired.

Alternative Cooking Options

The best way to make these meatballs is in an air fryer. It warms the meatballs through while adding a perfectly golden-brown crust on the outside. However, these meatballs can also be made in a slow cooker, Instant Pot, or even right in the oven!

• Slow Cooker – Add glazed meatballs to your slow cooker insert. Cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours or until meatballs are heated through.
• Instant Pot – Add glazed meatballs to your Instant Pot insert. Seal the lid and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. Then manually release the pressure and enjoy!
• Oven – Bake glazed meatballs in a preheated 350-degree oven for about 20 minutes or until meatballs are heated through.

Make Ahead Instructions

• The sauce for these meatballs can be prepared up to 3 days in advance! Just add all the ingredients to a mason jar or Pyrex container and then pop it in the fridge until you’re ready to make the meatballs!
• I prefer to cook the meatballs directly from frozen for the best quality, so you can just leave those in the freezer until you’re ready to bake!

Tips

• You can use any small baking dish for this meatball appetizer, but I love the ease of using Pyrex because their products hold up so well and last forever. The best part is you can bake the meatballs in your Pyrex container and then if you have any leftovers, just pop the lid on and store them in your fridge. The Pyrex dish I used for this recipe fit perfectly inside the Instant Vortex and it came with a lid so I can throw the leftovers right in the fridge when we’re done!
• If you’re using a glass baking dish in the Instant Vortex, be sure that when you remove the hot dish from the oven, you place it on a dry kitchen towel or hot pad. Don’t put it on the countertop, in the sink, or on a metal surface. Hot glassware can crack when it comes in contact with water or a cold surface can cause it to shatter. As long as it’s placed on a dry towel or hot pad though, you are good to go!
• On the “bake” setting of the Instant Vortex, the heat comes from the coil at the top. I find this ideal because it allows the meatballs to get a bit crispy on top as well as they heat through. If you find that the meatballs are starting to get a bit too dark on top (even after stirring) go ahead and cover the baking dish with foil. This will prevent the meatballs from browning further.

FAQ

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