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Pan cooked Honey Orange Chicken Meatballs. - Ruchiskitchen
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5 from 2 votes

Honey Orange Firecracker Chicken Meatballs

Pan Cooked Honey Orange Chicken Meatballs are smothered in a homemade honey orange firecracker sauce and pan-cooked to perfection!
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 25 minutes
Course: Snacks And Appetizers
Cuisine: American
Servings: 26
Calories: 90kcal
Author: Ruchi

Ingredients

FOR THE MEATBALLS

  • 2 LB Minced Chicken
  • 2 teaspoon Garlic Salt
  • ¼ cup Chopped Onion
  • ⅓ cup Cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon Ground Pepper
  • - - Salt to taste
  • 1 Tablespoon Chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 Tablespoon Oil to cook the meatballs

HONEY ORANGE FIRECRACKER SAUCE

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, combine minced chicken, garlic salt, chopped onions, cornstarch, cilantro, salt, and pepper.
  • Mix until it comes together like a dough. If you prefer, do a small taste test. Cook a small piece of the mixture and taste. Correct the seasoning level, if needed.
  • Roll the mixture into 2-inch meatballs (appx. 2.5 tablespoons of mixture per meatball).
  • Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan. Evenly space the meatballs on the pan. Cook on a medium-hot flame for 3 minutes. Turn over and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes. Do not overcook the meatballs as they will become dry and chewy.
  • While the meatballs are cooking, combine all the ingredients listed under ‘honey orange firecracker sauce’ in a glass bowl. Whisk until blended. Set it aside.
  • Once the meatballs are cooked through, pour the sauce over the meatballs.
  • Toss the meatballs in this sauce and cook until the sauce reduces in volume and the meatballs are fully coated in it.
  • Take it off the flame, garnish with chopped scallions and serve hot.

Notes

 
Cooking tips
Meatballs - These chicken meatballs are gluten-free as I have used cornstarch to bind them. If you are not a cornstarch lover, substitute cornstarch with oats flour, any gluten-free flour, or chickpea flour.
 
Seasonings - To bring out the flavor, these meatballs are seasoned with chopped onions, fresh cilantro, garlic salt, and black pepper. But feel free to add or subtract ingredients to your liking.
 
For tender meatballs - do not overwork the meat. Simply, mix the meat mixture with hands until combined.
 
Size- These meatballs aren't big in size. Each meatball uses about 2.5 tablespoons of mixture to form a meatball, but feel free to shape them any size you want. 
 
FAQ’S 
Can you bake these meatballs? Absolutely! Line these meatballs on a greased baking tray. Preheat the oven @350 degrees F and bake for 18-20 minutes or until brown. 
Do not overbake as the chicken will dry out resulting in hard, chewy and rubbery meatballs.
 
Can you make Honey Orange Chicken Meatballs in advance? Of course, you can!
You can make these meatballs ahead of time before your guests arrive. Combine all the ingredients and shape into balls.
Cook for 10-15 minutes until brown.
Take it off the flame and let it sit covered in the pan. Just before serving, toss the meatballs in the sauce and serve hot.
 
Can you double this recipe? Yes, totally! This recipe makes 26 meatballs, but you can scale the ingredients up or down to meet your requirements.
 
What to serve alongside these meatballs? These Honey Orange chicken meatballs taste great on its own, but you serve them as a side along with- 
  • Any kind of rice dish. If I have to pair these meatballs with a rice dish, then that is Instant Pot fiesta rice.
  • Baked potatoes work great too.
 
Can you freeze Pan Cooked Honey Orange Chicken Meatballs?
Yes, you sure can!
Having meatballs in the freezer makes life so much easier. Simply remove from the freeze, thaw, cook and toss in the sauce of your liking.
To freeze uncooked meatballs – Arrange the shaped meatballs on a plate and freeze. Once it becomes firm (after 2-3 hours), remove from the plate and transfer the meatballs to a plastic bag and freeze.
These will stay good for up to a month. When ready to serve, thaw meatballs in the refrigerator overnight. Heat oil in a pan and cook as directed or bake. Toss in the sauce and enjoy!
To freeze cooked meatballs – Pan cook the meatballs and allow them to cool completely. Transfer the meatballs to a plastic bag and freeze.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 90kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 535mg | Potassium: 204mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 11IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 1mg