I never know what to say when someone asks what my favorite food to cook is.
The truth is that I just love cooking. My favorite food to cook is all of the foods. I couldn't possibly pick. That would be like picking my favorite child, and the last time I checked, Sophie's Choice wasn't casting for a sequel. When it all comes down to it, something that I truly enjoy cooking time after time are meatballs. Maybe it's not the most glamorous food item to fixate on, but meatballs have come a long way from the traditional Italian red sauce options. Even in my blog I have dabbled in variations with Greek turkey gyro meatballs, chicken parmesan meatballs, and the quintessential fan favorite buffalo chicken meatballs.
When I think of making meatballs from ground chicken I immediately think they will lack flavor and be dry. I couldn't be more wrong in my recent experimentation. The thing I love about making meatballs is that you can build flavor as you go whether you are adding in parmesan cheese, or various herbs. These sticky sesame ginger meatballs incorporate some of my favorite Asian flavors (I would literally bathe in ginger if socially acceptable) along with a savory yet sweet hoisin sauce. It's almost impossible for me to eat Asian style food without accompanying it with broccoli so I steamed some broccoli and tossed it in the leftover sauce as well. This is a super simple weeknight meal that will 100% satisfy.
Ingredients
1 pound ground chicken
2 cloves garlic minced
2 green onions chopped finely
1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
1 tsp ground black pepper
1/3 cup soy sauce
3 tbsp sesame oil
1/3 cup pomegranate juice (can sub orange juice or apple cider)
3 tbsp rice wine vinegar
3 tbsp hoisan sauce
3 tbsp honey
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Toppings:
pomegranate arils
sesame seeds
green onions
sriracha sauce
Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F. In a large mixing boil mix together ground chicken, green onions, black pepper, garlic, and ginger. Mix until just combined. Form the chicken into 1 inch in diameter round balls. Place meatballs on a lined baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes. Meanwhile mix together remaining ingredients in a medium sized sauce pan. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 - 8 minutes until the sauce becomes thick and sticky. Remove meatballs from oven when done and pour half of the sauce over the meatballs to coat. Bake for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from oven and toss the meatballs in the remaining sauce. Serve over steamed rice with broccoli and desired toppings.
1 pound ground chicken
2 cloves garlic minced
2 green onions chopped finely
1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
1 tsp ground black pepper
1/3 cup soy sauce
3 tbsp sesame oil
1/3 cup pomegranate juice (can sub orange juice or apple cider)
3 tbsp rice wine vinegar
3 tbsp hoisan sauce
3 tbsp honey
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Toppings:
pomegranate arils
sesame seeds
green onions
sriracha sauce
Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F. In a large mixing boil mix together ground chicken, green onions, black pepper, garlic, and ginger. Mix until just combined. Form the chicken into 1 inch in diameter round balls. Place meatballs on a lined baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes. Meanwhile mix together remaining ingredients in a medium sized sauce pan. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 - 8 minutes until the sauce becomes thick and sticky. Remove meatballs from oven when done and pour half of the sauce over the meatballs to coat. Bake for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from oven and toss the meatballs in the remaining sauce. Serve over steamed rice with broccoli and desired toppings.
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