These Sweet Chili Chicken Meatballs are a delicious and easy way to mix up your weeknight meals! The chicken meatballs come together quickly, and cook in the oven rather than on the stove top. While the meatballs bake, you have plenty of time to whip up my homemade Thai sweet chili sauce, but if you'd rather use a premade sauce, you can use that instead!
My favorite way to serve these meatballs is with butter lettuce, wrapping each one as you go. I typically also pair it with a side of jasmine rice, as pictured. If serving as lettuce wraps, I recommend keeping the lettuce on the side and wrapping each one as you eat it. This keeps the lettuce from getting soft and soggy, which may happen if it sits around with the warm meatball for a while.
Key Tips - Sweet Chili Chicken Meatballs
I don't recommend using ground turkey.
- Ground turkey seems like a reasonable substitute (and it's typically cheaper than ground chicken, which makes this option really tempting)! Unfortunately, I've tested this recipe with ground turkey, and I was very disappointed with the results.
- While I love these Sweet Chili Chicken Meatballs with chicken, the turkey version was not something I'd like to make again. I'm not sure why they come out so different, but I can advise you to steer clear.
Use a cookie scoop to easily portion the meatballs.
- If you have a spring release cookie scoop (like this one) pull it out to portion these meatballs very easily.
- Not only is this easier and quicker, it will likely help you keep all the meatballs about the same size, which will ensure that they cook consistently.
Make this even easier by using premade sauce.
- I like to make the sauce for this recipe because I typically have all the ingredients on hand already, and I can prepare it while the meatballs bake. You can easily substitute your favorite Thai sweet chili sauce to make this recipe even easier!
Adjust the spice level of the sauce as desired, and skip the food coloring.
- One benefit of making your own sauce is controlling the spice level! You can also do so by adding more red pepper flakes at the end.
- You need red food coloring to achieve the signature red color of Thai sweet chili sauce. While it is fun, it's really just for show, so I typically skip it.
Meal prep easy lunches!
- These Sweet Chili Chicken Meatballs are a great option to meal prep for a week's worth of lunches! Consider making extra to save for later.
Check out my guide on freezing fresh garlic to save some time in the kitchen.
- If you're looking for the convenience of pre-minced garlic, but the flavor of fresh garlic, freezing your own minced garlic is a great option! You'll be surprised to find that the flavor of frozen garlic is nearly as good as fresh, without the sticky prep and clean-up. Read more about it here: How to Freeze Garlic.
Dietary Restrictions - Sweet Chili Chicken Meatballs
This dish is naturally Dairy-Free!
Make it Gluten-Free:
- Use gluten-free panko.
- Make sure you're using gluten-free soy sauce, such as tamari.
- If you use premade sweet chili sauce, make sure it's gluten-free.
A Note On Serving Sizes
Serving sizes are a very personal thing, making it difficult for me to select a serving size that suits everyone. While this is listed as 4 servings, some people would prefer to have more than one serving. This recipe makes about 20 meatballs.
Sweet Chili Chicken Meatballs
These Sweet Chili Chicken Meatballs are easy and delicious! Make the Thai sweet chili sauce while the meatballs bake in the oven, or use premade sauce for an even easier meal!
Ingredients
For Meatballs:
- 1 lb ground chicken I use 95% lean. I don't recommend substituting ground turkey
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 4 green onions greens and whites sliced thin
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon freshly minced garlic
- ½ tablespoon ginger paste or freshly minced ginger or sub ½ teaspoon powdered ginger
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
For Thai Sweet Chili Sauce: (or sub premade)
- ¼ cup unseasoned rice vinegar
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1-2 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1 teaspoon for mild
- ~2-3 drops red food coloring optional
- ¼ cup warm water
For serving:
- 1 head green leaf or butter lettuce leaves washed and separated (optional)
- Toasted sesame seeds
- prepared white rice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 F.
- Set aside some of the green onion greens for a garnish at the end, then combine all the meatball ingredients in a large bowl and mix until fully combined, but do not over mix (it will affect the texture).
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Measure out 1.5 tablespoon of the mixture, form it into a ball and place it on the baking sheet (I use a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop for this step). Repeat for all of the mix, you should get 18- 20 meatballs.
- Bake in the preheated oven until the meatballs cooked through and the outsides are just beginning to take on some color, about 20 minutes.
- While the meatballs bake, prepare the sweet chili sauce (or use store-bought sauce for an easier option). Combine the cornstarch with the warm water, mix until the cornstarch is fully dissolved. In a small saucepan, combine the cornstarch mixture and all the remaining sauce ingredients. Use 1 teaspoon chili flakes for mild (per batch), 2 teaspoon for medium (per batch), or more if you want it really spicy.
- Bring the sauce mixture to a boil over medium heat, then reduce to medium low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce begins to thicken, about 10 minutes. Note, the mix will start out cloudy and become clear as it cooks.
- Allow the meatballs and sauce to cool for a few minutes after removing them from heat, then push all the meatballs together on the cookie sheet and drizzle the sauce over them. Toss to make sure they are covered all over in sauce. (Optionally, transfer the meatballs to a bowl for this step, but this is one more dish to clean!)
- Serve topped with green onion and toasted sesame seeds. Optionally, serve wrap style with green leaf or butter lettuce. Serve the lettuce on the side and wrap each meatball as you go to keep the lettuce from getting soggy. Great with a side of jasmine rice.
Notes
I have tested this recipe with ground turkey and I do not recommend it. It seems like that would be a great substitute, but I'm really not a fan of the texture of the turkey meatballs. I recommend 95% lean ground chicken or similar.
Nutrition
Serving: 5 meatballsCalories: 270kcal
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Heather
So easy to make and the results are delicious! Will be going into our family meal rotations for sure!