Dinner Uncomplicated: Glazed Ginger Chicken Meatballs
A simple and delicious recipe for baked chicken meatballs – the perfect make-ahead meal or quick weeknight fix.
If there ever was a year for an uncomplicated dinner strategy, it is this one. Today I’m sharing both a recipe and a cookbook recommendation to help you with that never ending question: What’s for dinner?
Our family of five consists of two active adults, one teen, one tween and one kiddo with the appetite of a teen. My crew comes to the table ravenous at the end of the day and I alway need fresh inspiration for easy meals.
Read on for a Glazed Ginger Chicken Meatballs recipe and your do-ahead dinnertime plan. Updated to add: these have been tested with gluten-free panko with great success!
Dinner, Uncomplicated
Two years ago, my friend and Canadian culinary legend Claire Tansey brought us the cookbook Uncomplicated. It went on to win awards and inspire home cooks all over.
Well Claire is back and she is on a mission with Dinner, Uncomplicated: Fixing a Delicious Meal Every Night of the Week. Friends, it’s all dinner, all the time!
With chapters like 15 Minutes, Set It and Forget It and Make It Ahead, there’s tons of helpful recipes for that weeknight meal plan.
Sunday Stash might be my favourite chapter, however. It’s all about building blocks for the week ahead – and you know I love meal prep!
Some of our favourite recipes so far have been Slow Cooker Chili, Caramelized Onion Pasta with Sausage, and today’s chicken meatballs. Yes, we’re on a bit of a comfort food run.
The 90 inspired and easy-to-follow recipes in Dinner, Uncomplicated are simple to shop for, efficient to prep and quick to clean up. And I should add… the dinners they make are flavourful, nourishing and always crowd-pleasing.
Chicken Meatballs
We love these Chicken meatballs, served up alongside perfect mashed potatoes or fluffy baked rice pilaf.
They are tender and full of flavour, thanks to fresh ginger and garlic. I like to serve a spicy kimchi on the side; it pairs so well and brings a little heat to the meal.
With simple charred broccoli as a side dish, dinner is nourishing, well-rounded and delicious! The whole dish – meatballs & broccoli – benefit from a generous squeeze of lime.
Pst! If you’re looking for beef or lamb meatballs, check out my Greek-Inspired Sheet Pan Meatballs. A family favourite!
Make It Ahead
Make It Ahead: Instead of chilling the raw meatballs, as directed by the recipe, freeze them on the sheet pan. Once frozen, slip them into a resealable bag or storage container and keep frozen for up to 2 months.
To cook: thaw in the fridge overnight and proceed with step 5 of the recipe below. Alternately, you can bake the chicken meatballs directly from frozen. Simply bake at 350F for 20 minutes, then add the glaze and broil for 3-6 minutes.
Cooked Meatballs: I also will freeze any leftover cooked meatballs. They are delicious reheated in rice bowls, soups and noodle bowls.
Glazed Ginger Chicken Meatballs
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 cup panko or GF panko
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 kg ground chicken
- 2 eggs slightly beaten
- 4 green onions finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 Tablespoon minced fresh ginger
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
Glaze
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 2 Tablespoons liquid honey
- 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 Tablespoon canola oil
Instructions
- Stir the panko with the milk in a large bowl. Let it soak for 2 minutes, then add the chicken, eggs, green onions, garlic, ginger, sesame oil and salt. Stir very well to combine.
- Line a large rimmed baking pan with parchment. Wet your hands with cold water, then shape the chicken mixture into about 24 large meatballs. Place them on the prepared pan.
- Wash hand thoroughly. Cover the meatballs lightly with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes (and for as long as 12 hours).
- Stir the ketchup, honey, soy sauce and ginger together in a small bowl.
- Preheat the broiler to High. Move the top rack to the middle of the oven. Line a large rimmed baking pan with foil and brush with oil.
- Transfer the chilled meatballs to the greased pan. Brush each one with some canola oil. Broil meatballs for 7 minutes OR until golden and bubbling (Aimee's note…in my oven it was more like 10 minutes). Carefully turn each meatball over and broil another 2-4 minutes.
- Spoon or brush the glaze over each meatball and broil for another 2-4 minutes, or until the glaze is bubbly. Serve meatballs with rice or mashed potatoes and stir-fry vegetables of your choice.
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe republished with permission from Dinner,Uncomplicated: Fixing a Delicious Meal Every Night of the Week. Opinions are my own.
Do you have any suggestions for a substation? Chicken mince isn’t sold here and I don’t have a grinder. I could get turkey, lamb, beef, pork.
Hi Kirsty,
Ground turkey would be the best substitute. Delicious! It’s a little leaner than chicken, though, so cooking time may be shorter to avoid drying out the mince.
These are really tasty ! Nice change to the idea of meatballs 😉
We have a sesame allergy in our house. Do you think we could just sub olive oil in its place? I’m sure it would alter the flavour somewhat but I feel like it could work 🙂