With lots of cooking and prep work this week for the big day, here’s a quick recipe for the beginning of the week. It’s easy and better than take-out. These Asian inspired chicken meatballs, with ginger and sesame tossed in a spicy-sweet and extra sticky soy pomegranate sauce, is ready in 30 minutes. Serve over steamed rice topped with plenty of sesame seeds. OR think appetizer for Thanksgiving.
Ginger Sesame Chicken Meatballs
Makes 12-18 meatballs
1 pound ground turkey or chicken
2 green onions, finely chopped, plus more for serving
1 inch fresh ginger, grated
1 clove garlic, minced or grated
black pepper
2 tablespoons sesame oil, or extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/3 cup pomegranate juice
3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, using more or less to taste
steamed rice, sesame seeds, and pomegranate arils, for serving
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
Add the chicken, green onions, ginger, garlic, and a pinch of pepper to a bowl. Mix until just combined. Coat your hands with a bit of oil, and roll the meat into tablespoon-size balls (will make 12-18 meatballs) placing them on one side of the prepared baking sheet. The mix will be wet, but it will firm up in the oven. Transfer to the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until the meatballs are crisp and cooked through.
Combine the 1 tablespoon oil, the soy sauce, pomegranate juice, hoisin sauce, honey, vinegar, and crushed red pepper flakes in a medium saucepan. Set over medium-high heat and bring the sauce to a boil. Boil 5-8 minutes, until the sauce thickens and reduces by about 1/3. Remove from the heat.
Pour about half the sauce over the meatballs, tossing to combine. Return to the oven for 2-3 minutes, until the sauce coats the meatballs.
Serve the meatballs and sauce over bowls of rice topped with additional green onions, pomegranate arils, and sesame seeds.
**For a quicker dinner, prep rice a day or 2 before and meatballs can also be prepped the day before.
To Freeze the Meatballs: Bake as directed, then freeze on a parchment lined baking sheet in a single layer for 2 hours. Transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or simmer in the sauce over low heat for 20 minutes, until thawed, adding water if needed to thin the sauce.
Adapted from: Halfbakedharvest
