Healthy Chicken Meatballs

The combination of ground chicken and a flavorful blend of sweet potato and spices makes for a delicious and satisfying meal that the whole family will love. Serve these Healthy Chicken Meatballs over some cooked pasta, rice, or a fresh green salad for a complete meal. 

The chicken meatballs are a little lighter than their beef counterparts, but they’re still plenty flavorful and are super easy to prepare. This is one of those healthy recipes that tastes ridiculously good. You can customize the recipe and use any ground meat to your liking!

If you like easy dinner recipes, try my chicken meatballs in lemony sauce.

How to Make Healthy Chicken Meatballs?

Step 1: Make the meatballs: Combine all the meatball ingredients in a mixing bowl. Mix together well, using your hands. Roll into 1½-inch balls and place on the parchment paper. Bake for 15 minutes until slightly golden. It’s okay if they are not fully cooked; they will cook in the sauce.

Step 2: Make the sauce: Heat oil in a pot, add onion and garlic, and cook for a few minutes or until translucent. Add the sweet potato and spices and sauté for a few minutes until fragrant. Pour in the boiling water and bring it to a second boil.

To thicken the sauce: In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and cold water thoroughly. Pour the cornstarch mixture into the pot. Add salt and pepper, and stir to combine.

Step 3: Cook the meatballs: Add the meatballs to the sauce, cover the pot, and cook over medium heat for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve warm.

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How to Store Chicken Meatballs?

To Store: Transfer the meatballs and sauce to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

To Reheat: Warm leftover refrigerated meatballs on a stove or a microwave until heated through and steaming.

To Freeze: Place cooked meatballs and sauce in an airtight, freezer-safe container. Place the container in the freezer and freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, place the container in the refrigerator overnight or until the meatballs are fully thawed. Heat the meatballs and sauce in a skillet over medium-high heat until the sauce is hot and bubbly.

What To Serve With Chicken Meatballs?

My favorite way to serve these easy homemade meatballs is on top of a pile of rice, Israeli Couscous, or mashed potatoes. Another option is to serve them with any pasta you like – linguine, penne, fusilli… But you can also serve lots of different things with these delicious meatballs, like a piece of thick bread or Challah.

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Healthy Chicken Meatballs

This delicious healthy chicken meatballs recipe is a great choice for a family dinner. It's easy to make, healthy, moist, and incredibly flavorful.

Kosher, Meat

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Keyword: Mediterranean Dish

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes

Servings: 16 meatballs

Equipment

• Parchment paper
• Baking sheet
• Grater
• Large pot with a lid

Ingredients

For the chicken meatballs:

• 1 lb (450 grams) ground chicken
• 1 small white/yellow onion finely chopped
• 1 small sweet potato peeled and coarsely grated
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs regular or whole wheat
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon (5 grams) baking powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• cooking spray 

For the sauce:

• 3 tablespoons 45 ml olive oil
• 1 small onion chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced 
• 1 large sweet potato cut into medium-sized cubes
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 2 tablespoons honey or date syrup the date syrup gives a beautiful color to the dish
• 2 cups (480 ml) boiling water
• 1 1/2 tablespoons (15 grams) cornstarch
• 4 tablespoons (60 ml) cold water
• 1/4 cup parsley, chopped optional
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and coat with cooking spray. Set aside.

To make the meatballs:

• Using a box grater or food processor fitted with a grating disc, coarsely grate the sweet potato.
• Combine all the meatball ingredients in a mixing bowl. Mix together well, using your hands. Roll into 1½-inch balls and place on the parchment paper.
• Spray with cooking spray and bake for 15 minutes until slightly golden. It's okay if they are not fully cooked, they will cook in the sauce.

The sauce:

• Heat olive oil in a pot, add onion and garlic and cook for a few minutes, or until translucent.
• Add the sweet potato and sauté for a few minutes until fragrant. Add paprika and honey/date syrup. Pour in (carefully) the boiling water, cover, and bring it to a second boil.
• In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and cold water thoroughly.
• Pour the cornstarch mixture into the pot. Add salt and pepper, and stir to combine.
• Add the meatballs, cover the pot and cook over low-medium heat for 30 minutes. Give the meatballs a little stir about halfway through.
• Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve warm.

Notes

When you select your ground chicken, pick 93-96% lean ground chicken. Avoid 99% lean ground chicken breast. You can use ground turkey instead of ground chicken for great results as well.