Chicken Apple Meatballs with Apple Butter Sauce
These Chicken Apple Meatballs with Apple Butter Sauce are tender and juicy with a sweet and tangy balsamic apple butter glaze.
Servings: 18 Meatballs
Calories: 84kcal
Equipment
- large mixing bowl
- baking pan
- small saucepan
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 lb of ground chicken
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- ½ cup apple butter
- ½ cup shredded apple
- ½ cup shredded onion
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground sage
- 1 teaspoon ground thyme
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Apple Butter Balsamic Vinegar Sauce
- ½ cup apple butter
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
Meatballs
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- In a large bowl mix together the 1 lb of ground chicken, ½ cup breadcrumbs, ½ cup apple butter, ½ cup shredded apple, ½ cup shredded onion, 2 cloves of garlic, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon ground sage, 1 teaspoon ground thyme, and ½ teaspoon black pepper.
- Mix with your hands until just combined.
- Shape the mixture into golf ball-sized meatballs using approximately 2 tablespoons of the mixture for each meatball.
- Line a large sheet pan with foil. Space the meatballs about ½ inch apart on the sheet pan. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Meatballs are done when they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Farenheight. You can also cut a meatball in half to make sure the meat is no longer pink.
Apple Butter Balsamic Vinegar Sauce
- While the meatballs are baking, in a small saucepan over low heat, whisk together the ½ cup apple butter, ¼ cup water, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, and ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper.
- Bring the sauce to a simmer and then remove from the heat.
- Drizzle the sauce over the meatballs before serving.
Notes
If you can't find ground chicken you can either substitute ground turkey or ask your butcher to grind ½ a pound of chicken breasts and ½ a pound of chicken thighs together.
To test and adjust the seasoning, microwave a small amount of the meatball mixture until it is fully cooked. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
To keep the meatballs from sticking to your hands when rolling them into balls, spray your hands with a little nonstick cooking spray.
Don't overwork the meat. Mixing the ingredients by hand allows you to ensure the ingredients are combined completely without overworking the mixture. Overworking the mixture creates tight tough meatballs.
Shape into evenly sized meatballs so that they all cook at the same rate.
Storage: Store leftover meatballs in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat over low heat in a saucepan or the microwave.
Nutrition
Serving: 8Meatballs | Calories: 84kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 173mg | Potassium: 169mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 21IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 1mg