Description
These Hot Honey Chicken Meatballs are juicy and tender ground chicken meatballs coated in a spicy, sweet honey butter sauce. Perfect as a flavorful appetizer or main dish, they combine the heat of your favorite hot sauce with the sweetness of honey for an irresistible bite-sized treat.
Ingredients
Spiced Chicken Meatballs
- 1 pound (450g) ground chicken
- 1/2 cup (35g) panko breadcrumbs or homemade breadcrumbs
- 1/3 cup milk, dairy or non-dairy
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, finely grated (1/2 ounce)
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 tablespoons high-heat cooking oil like grape seed or avocado oil
Hot Honey Sauce
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce (such as Crystal or Tabasco), or more to taste
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Prepare Breadcrumb Mixture: Stir breadcrumbs and milk in a large bowl and let sit for 5 minutes to soften the breadcrumbs and moisten the mixture.
- Mix Seasonings and Egg: Add the egg, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, sweet paprika, smoked paprika, oregano, black pepper, and sea salt to the breadcrumb mixture. Stir until well blended.
- Add Ground Chicken: Add the ground chicken to the bowl and gently mix with a fork or your fingers until just combined. Avoid overmixing to keep meatballs tender.
- Form Meatballs: Wet your hands and shape the mixture into 1 ½-inch balls (about 1 ½ tablespoons each). Use a medium cookie scoop if you have one. The mixture will be soft, resulting in tender, juicy meatballs even if shapes are less uniform.
- Heat Oil: Heat 2 tablespoons of high-heat oil in a wide Dutch oven or nonstick pan over medium heat.
- Cook Meatballs: Place the meatballs carefully in the hot oil. Cook until browned on the outside and cooked through in the center, reaching an internal temperature of 165°F, about 15 minutes. Cook in batches if needed.
- Prepare Hot Honey Sauce: In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, combine butter, honey, hot sauce, and a pinch of salt. Swirl the pan until the butter melts and the sauce is fully combined.
- Coat Meatballs: Pour the hot honey sauce over the cooked meatballs and toss gently to coat evenly. Serve warm.
Notes
- You can substitute honey with maple syrup, golden syrup, or brown sugar if needed.
- Adjust the amount of hot sauce to your preferred spice level.
- Use dairy or non-dairy milk depending on your dietary preference.
- Use fresh ground chicken if possible; if using pre-packaged chicken, 1 pound is standard, but if you have 1 ¼ pounds, adjust breadcrumbs slightly.
- Cooking meatballs in batches prevents overcrowding and ensures even browning.
- Measure internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer to ensure safety and juiciness.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: American
