Turnip the Oven

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Easy Baked Barbecue Chicken Meatballs

For those nights when you’re craving barbecue flavor but just can’t deal with the grill, these baked chicken meatballs make the perfect dinner!

Easy Baked Barbecue Chicken Meatballs

Full confession: I am totally grill-phobic. I’m sure I’m not the only one…right? We never had a grill in Brooklyn (for obvious reasons—we had no backyard) and so I’m relatively new to the whole concept of outdoor cooking. It takes a lot of practice and skill to cook over an open flame, and honestly, I’m just not there yet. Whenever I stand in front of our grill I’m plagued with insecurities. What if I serve raw chicken?! Or well-done burgers?! I can never restrain myself from checking—poking at the meat, flipping it too early, and moving everything around so nothing ever develops those perfect grill marks. 
 
Agh! It makes me anxious just thinking about it.
 
That’s why I’m loving these easy BAKED barbecue chicken meatballs. They have all the sticky, saucy-sweet deliciousness of barbecue chicken without any of the mess or stress of, you know, actually having to fire up your grill. ?
 

Easy Baked Barbecue Chicken Meatballs

Meatballs are a favorite weeknight dinner in our house. They are always a hit with Alex and Owen, and I love that I can make them ahead of time and then just reheat them when it’s time to eat. Plus, you can do lots of different things with them, so we never get bored with the leftovers. I like to serve these meatballs over brown rice with extra barbecue sauce and lime wedges on the side, but any extras can easily be turned into meatballs subs or used as a topping for  pizza. (Seriously, think about it: barbecue chicken meatball pizza. Maybe with pineapple??)

We need to pause for a minute to discuss barbecue sauce. Are you still buying it? Noooooo! If you can make homemade salad dressing, you can do this. And trust me, once you do, you will never go back. This is my personal favorite barbecue sauce. It’s made with fresh ginger, honey, lime and just enough cayenne to make your lips tingle faintly. You can prepare the sauce up to a week ahead and store it in the fridge. (But good luck holding off that long. It smells so yummy as it cooks you will probably need to eat it immediately.)
 
Once the sauce is ready, just brush some over these easy, healthy meatballs made with ground chicken, grated carrots, panko, parsley, and plenty of garlic. The carrots add sweetness, moisture, and a pretty color. But really…this is how I get my toddler to ingest veggies. Then pop them into the oven for 15 minutes, brush them with more sauce, and serve. 

Easy Baked Barbecue Chicken Meatballs

Even if you are a seasoned grill master who can barbecue circles around me, there are still plenty of warm weather nights when cooking outside just isn’t in the cards. Maybe it’s raining, or you’re just too tired, or too busy, or you finally managed to get your kid inside after literally hours of running around and there is no way in hell you are opening that door again for any reason whatsoever. In those instances, these meatballs are a great way to bring those great backyard summer flavors into your kitchen. 

Easy Baked Barbecue Chicken Meatballs
Serves 4
Bring spicy, saucy-sweet flavor of barbecue indoors with these easy, crowd-pleasing oven-baked meatballs.
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For the barbecue sauce
  1. 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  2. 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
  3. 2 cloves garlic, minced
  4. 1 cup ketchup
  5. 1/4 cup honey
  6. 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  7. 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
  8. 1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
For the meatballs
  1. 1 1/2 pounds ground chicken
  2. 1/2 cup finely grated carrot
  3. 1/2 cup panko
  4. 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
  5. 1 clove garlic, minced
  6. 1 large egg
  7. 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  8. 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
  1. To make the barbecue sauce, heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the ginger and garlic and cook, stirring, just until sizzling and fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the ketchup, honey, soy sauce, lime juice, and cayenne. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the flavors have blended and the sauce is slightly thickened, 15 to 20 minutes. (Sauce can be made up to one week ahead.)
  2. To make the meatballs, preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray it lightly with nonstick spray. In a large bowl, combine the chicken, carrot, panko, onion, garlic, egg, salt, and pepper. With clean hands, gently mix the ingredients together. Form into 12 meatballs and arrange on the prepared baking sheet.
  3. Pour about 1/2 cup of the barbecue sauce into a small bowl. Using a pastry brush or a spoon, brush the sauce over the tops of the meatballs. Transfer to the oven and bake until the meatballs are firm but still juicy, 15 to 20 minutes. Brush with some of the reserved sauce (be careful not to use any sauce that can into contact with the raw meatballs) and serve, passing the extra barbecue sauce on the side.
Turnip the Oven http://turniptheoven.com/
Bring the saucy, spicy-sweet flavor of barbecue chicken indoors with these easy, oven-baked barbecue chicken meatballs! Light, healthy, and kid-friendly, they are perfect for those nights when you just can't deal with the grill.

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Comments

  4. These meatballs look phenomenal — but really, there’s no need to be afraid of the grill. It’s like cooking on your stove, but more cave-man-esque! Plus, its absolutely mandatory that you man the grill with a cocktail in one hand. So who cares if you overcook it!

  7. Lucy, you are so right about the grill. Why is it that we can feel totally comfortable with any appliance in the kitchen but the grill creates instant phobia?
    You have inspired me! Being the Italian girl that I am, I never serve meatballs in anything but marinara sauce or wedding soup. I thinks it’s time to change. This sounds de – lish!!! Thanks for sharing!

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