BBQ CHICKEN AND APPLE MEATBALLS

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It’s happening, I’m being ever so gently sucked into fall cooking and it’s starting with these BBQ Chicken and Apple Meatballs.

What makes them fall-ish? A little bit of grated apple. They are a little sweet, a little tangy and very very good.

I served them with roasted broccoli, quinoa and a simple arugula and (more) apple salad with crumbled blue cheese and toasted hazelnuts and for a small moment felt at peace with the shorter, cooler days to come.

Ingredients
  • 2 lbs ground chicken or turkey
  • 2 tbsp evoo, divided
  • 1 small onion, minced
  • 1 apple, peeled and grated using the lg holes of a box grater (I used honey crisp)
  • 2/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 1/4 cup minced parsley
  • 1/2 cup favorite BBQ sauce, divided
  • 2 tsp kosher salt (using half if using Morton’s brand – know your salt!)
  • 2 tsp granulated garlic
  • 2 eggs
Method
  1. Preheat oven to 425.
  2. Saute onion in 1 tbsp evoo in skillet over med-high heat until translucent. Cool.
  3. Mix together sautéed onion, grated apple, breadcrumbs, parlsey, 1/4 cup BBQ sauce, salt, granulated garlic and eggs. Add ground meat and mix thoroughly until well combined.
  4. Top 2 sheet trays with parchment paper and drizzle with remaining evoo. Rub to every distribute. Form into balls a little larger than golf-balls and place on sheet trays.
  5. Brush meatballs with remaining 1/4 cup BBQ sauce using a pastry brush. Freeze half of meatballs for later date if you’d like. (Cook from frozen adding 5-8 minutes to cooking time.)
  6. Bake for 25 minutes until golden on outside and cooked through (165 degrees with thermometer).

Enjoy!

Serves 8, or 4 and 4 if half are frozen, which I always do.

Want more meatball recipes?