These BBQ Chicken Meatballs are tender, smoky, and glazed with a rich barbecue sauce that’s perfect over mashed potatoes, grits, or buttered noodles.
Such a perfect crowd-pleasing dinner option. The meatballs start with a panade, which is a paste made from starch (breadcrumbs, in this case) and liquid (sour cream) to create a thick paste that you mix into the meatballs. This ensures even distribution throughout the entire meatball and helps retain moisture.
What You Need
- Meatballs: Ground chicken, breadcrumbs, sour cream, onion, garlic, paprika, egg, Dijon mustard, smoked paprika, onion powder, and cayenne powder.
- Sauce: Onion, garlic, flour, chicken stock, and barbecue sauce
- For serving: They are delicious over mashed potatoes, but would be great over buttered egg noodles or grits.
How to make it
Step 1: Make the panade.
Mix everything except the chicken in a bowl and let stand for 5 minutes.
Step 2: Make the meatballs.
Add the ground chicken to the panade and mix until thoroughly combined. Fry the meatballs in an even layer until golden all over.
Step 3: Prepare the sauce.
Sauté the onion and garlic, then make the sauce with flour, chicken stock, and barbecue sauce.
Step 4: Simmer the meatballs.
Return the meatballs to the pot and simmer until cooked through.
Step 5: Serve it up.
Spoon the meatballs over mashed potatoes with extra sauce and chives on top.
BBQ Chicken Meatballs
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup breadcrumbs (or panko)
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne powder
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ small yellow onion (about 1½ ounces total, peeled and minced)
- 2 cloves garlic (peeled and minced)
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil (for frying, plus more if needed)
Sauce:
- ¾ small yellow onion (about 4½ ounces total, peeled and finely diced)
- 3 cloves garlic (peeled and minced)
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 cup barbecue sauce (I used Stubb’s Sweet Heat)
- Salt and pepper to taste
For serving:
- Dried chives (or freshly minced chives)
- Mashed potatoes (or serve with grits or cooked egg noodles)
Instructions
Prepare the panade:
- In a large bowl, combine all of the meatball ingredients except the ground chicken and neutral oil. Use a spatula to mix until completely combined into a thick paste. Let stand for 5 minutes.
Prepare the meatballs:
- Add the chicken and mix with a spatula or your hands until fully incorporated. At this point, you can fry a small piece of the mixture to taste and adjust the seasonings to your preference.
- Roll the mixture into tablespoon-sized meatballs (or slightly larger, if preferred). Depending on the size, the mixture will yield 16 to 20 meatballs total.
Fry the meatballs:
- Meanwhile, add 2 tablespoons neutral oil to a wide pot over medium heat. Allow the oil to preheat for 5 minutes.
- Add the meatballs to the pot, cooking in batches if needed, for 3 to 5 minutes per side until browned all over. Transfer to a plate.
Prepare the sauce:
- If the pot seems dry, add another drizzle of oil. Add the diced onion and sauté for 5 minutes until softened. Add the minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant. Add 1 tablespoon flour and stir to coat. Toast the flour for about 1 minute.
- Pour in 1 cup chicken stock and whisk until smooth. Add 1 cup barbecue sauce, and return the meatballs to the pot. Turn the heat to medium-high. Once the sauce begins to bubble, reduce the heat to low and cover the pot.
Simmer the meatballs:
- Cover the meatballs and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer reaches 165ºF when inserted into the center of a meatball. Stir the meatballs periodically to prevent sticking.
To serve:
- Remove the meatballs from the heat. Spoon the meatballs and extra sauce over mashed potatoes and serve with chives on top. Enjoy!
