Pineapple Chicken or Turkey Meatballs (Printable)
Juicy chicken or turkey meatballs in sweet pineapple sauce. Ready in 45 minutes.
# What goes in:
→ Meatballs
01 - 1 lb ground chicken or turkey
02 - 1/3 cup breadcrumbs
03 - 1 large egg
04 - 2 green onions, finely chopped
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
07 - 1 tbsp soy sauce
08 - 1/2 tsp salt
09 - 1/4 tsp black pepper
→ Pineapple Sauce
10 - 1 cup pineapple juice
11 - 1/2 cup water
12 - 1/3 cup brown sugar
13 - 1/3 cup soy sauce
14 - 2 tbsp rice vinegar
15 - 1 tbsp cornstarch
16 - 1 (8 oz) can pineapple chunks, drained
17 - 1 red bell pepper, chopped
18 - 1 tbsp vegetable oil
19 - 1/4 tsp chili flakes
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease.
02 - Combine ground chicken or turkey, breadcrumbs, egg, green onions, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl. Mix just until ingredients are incorporated.
03 - Roll mixture into 1-inch meatballs and arrange on prepared baking sheet.
04 - Bake for 15-18 minutes until cooked through and lightly golden.
05 - Whisk together pineapple juice, water, brown sugar, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and cornstarch in a small bowl until smooth.
06 - Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté red bell pepper for 2 minutes. Add pineapple chunks and cook another 2 minutes.
07 - Pour pineapple sauce mixture into the skillet. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly until thickened, about 3-4 minutes.
08 - Add baked meatballs to the sauce and toss gently to coat. Simmer for 2-3 minutes to heat through. Serve hot, garnished with extra green onion or sesame seeds if desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The sauce transforms simple ground meat into something that tastes like it simmered for hours
- Everything comes together in under an hour with ingredients you probably already have
02 -
- Overmixing the meat makes tough rubbery meatballs so mix as little as possible
- Let the sauce simmer long enough to cook out the raw cornstarch taste or it will ruin everything
03 -
- A splash of toasted sesame oil at the end adds a nutty depth that makes people think you are a professional chef
- Let the meatballs rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes after baking so they do not fall apart in the sauce