Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 20 mins | Total time: 30 mins | Servings: 4
This dish is amazing! Incredibly easy to throw together and comes out perfect always. This is no doubt a recipe to keep. Asian-inspired chicken meatballs are served over bowls of rice with a sweet, spicy, and extra sticky soy pomegranate sauce. And don’t forget to top it off with plenty of sesame seeds.
INGREDIENTS
1 lb ground turkey or chicken
2 green onions, finely chopped, plus more for serving
1” fresh ginger, grated
1 clove garlic, minced or grated
black pepper
1 head broccoli, cut into florets or 1 winter squash, seeded and sliced into 1/4 inch wedges
2 tbsp sesame oil, or extra virgin olive oil
1/3 c. low sodium soy sauce
1/3 c. pomegranate juice (equal amounts of apple cider or orange juice are great substitutes)
3 tbsp hoisin sauce (make sure to use GF, if needed)
3 tbsp honey
2 tbsp rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (use more or less to taste)
steamed rice, sesame seeds, and pomegranate arils (for serving)
How to make Sticky Ginger Sesame Chicken Meatballs
Step 1: Prepare the oven. Preheat it to 450 degrees F.
Step 2: With parchment, line a baking sheet.
Step 3: To a bowl, mix the chicken, green onions, ginger, garlic, and a pinch of pepper until just combined. Using your hands that’s been coated with oil, roll the meat into tbsp-sized balls, making about 15 to 20 meatballs. On one side of the prepared baking sheet, place the rolled meatballs. On the other side, add the broccoli or winter squash and toss with a tbsp oil, salt, and pepper. Place in the preheated oven and bake for about 15 minutes or until the meatballs are crisp and cooked through.
Step 4: In the meantime, combine in a medium saucepan a tbsp oil, soy sauce, pomegranate juice, hoisin sauce, honey, vinegar, and crushed red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then let the sauce boil for about 5 to 8 minutes until thick and the sauce has reduced by about 1/3.
Step 5: Over the meatballs, pour about half of the sauce. Toss to coat the meatballs. Place back in the oven and bake for another 2 to 3 minutes.
Step 6: Over bowls of rice, serve the meatballs with the sauce and garnish with green onions, pomegranate arils, and sesame seeds. Enjoy with broccoli on the side.
NOTES:
To make homemade hoisin, combine 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce, 2 tbsp creamy peanut butter, 2 tbsp honey, 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 1 tbsp molasses, 1 tsp Chinese 5 spice powder, and a pinch of black pepper in a small bowl.
Bake the meals as directed. Place in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze for 2 hours. Shift the meatballs to a freezer-safe container and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. In the fridge, thaw the meatballs overnight. Alternately, you can simmer the meatballs for about 20 minutes in the sauce over low heat until thawed, adding water if required to thin the sauce.
Freeze the meatballs and the sauce together for up to 3 months. Simply spoon them in a freezer-safe container. When ready to serve, transfer in the fridge to thaw overnight. Then, on the stove, warm the meatballs for about 15 minutes until heated through, adding water if required to thin the sauce.
You might need to add 15 minutes to the cooking time if using Winter Squash so I suggest roasting them first, then add the meatballs to the sheet once the squash is tender.
Nutrition Information:
Calories: 340 kcal
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground turkey or chicken
- 2 green onions, finely chopped, plus more for serving
- 1” fresh ginger, grated
- 1 clove garlic, minced or grated
- black pepper
- 1 head broccoli, cut into florets or 1 winter squash, seeded and sliced into 1/4 inch wedges
- 2 tbsp sesame oil, or extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 c. low sodium soy sauce
- 1/3 c. pomegranate juice (equal amounts of apple cider or orange juice are great substitutes)
- 3 tbsp hoisin sauce (make sure to use GF, if needed)
- 3 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (use more or less to taste)
- steamed rice, sesame seeds, and pomegranate arils (for serving)
Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the oven. Preheat it to 450 degrees F.
Step 2: With parchment, line a baking sheet.
Step 3: To a bowl, mix the chicken, green onions, ginger, garlic, and a pinch of pepper until just combined. Using your hands that’s been coated with oil, roll the meat into tbsp-sized balls, making about 15 to 20 meatballs. On one side of the prepared baking sheet, place the rolled meatballs. On the other side, add the broccoli or winter squash and toss with a tbsp oil, salt, and pepper. Place in the preheated oven and bake for about 15 minutes or until the meatballs are crisp and cooked through.
Step 4: In the meantime, combine in a medium saucepan a tbsp oil, soy sauce, pomegranate juice, hoisin sauce, honey, vinegar, and crushed red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then let the sauce boil for about 5 to 8 minutes until thick and the sauce has reduced by about 1/3.
Step 5: Over the meatballs, pour about half of the sauce. Toss to coat the meatballs. Place back in the oven and bake for another 2 to 3 minutes.
Step 6: Over bowls of rice, serve the meatballs with the sauce and garnish with green onions, pomegranate arils, and sesame seeds. Enjoy with broccoli on the side.
Notes
To make homemade hoisin, combine 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce, 2 tbsp creamy peanut butter, 2 tbsp honey, 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 1 tbsp molasses, 1 tsp Chinese 5 spice powder, and a pinch of black pepper in a small bowl. Bake the meals as directed. Place in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze for 2 hours. Shift the meatballs to a freezer-safe container and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. In the fridge, thaw the meatballs overnight. Alternately, you can simmer the meatballs for about 20 minutes in the sauce over low heat until thawed, adding water if required to thin the sauce. Freeze the meatballs and the sauce together for up to 3 months. Simply spoon them in a freezer-safe container. When ready to serve, transfer in the fridge to thaw overnight. Then, on the stove, warm the meatballs for about 15 minutes until heated through, adding water if required to thin the sauce. You might need to add 15 minutes to the cooking time if using Winter Squash so I suggest roasting them first, then add the meatballs to the sheet once the squash is tender.
