Firecracker Meatballs

Tender chicken meatballs covered in a sweet and spicy firecracker glaze. Serve standalone as an appetizer or pair with rice and vegetables to make a complete meal.

One of life’s biggest struggles is figuring out what to eat for dinner. Whenever I run out of ideas (yes, it happens to food bloggers too!), I try a new meatball recipe. 

While bison meatballs were the previous favorite in my house, these bold firecracker meatballs took their place as soon as we tasted them! Their sweet and spicy glaze hits all the right notes on your tastebuds.

I’m a big fan of how versatile they are. You can serve them on a platter as an appetizer, or in a bowl with grains and vegetables to make a balanced meal. You can even meal prep them and use leftovers on top of salads, in lettuce as wraps, and on top of pasta. 

I prefer cooking them in my air fryer, but they can be made in the oven just as easily. I’m including instructions for both. Try them each way and see which one you like best!

Ingredients

Meatballs

• Ground chicken – You can substitute ground pork, or use a 50/50 mix of each. 
• Soy sauce – I use Kikkoman’s. Low-sodium soy sauce or coconut aminos can be subbed. 
• Chives – Freshly chopped. I use kitchen shears to make it easy. 
• Egg – This helps bind the ingredients together to form the meatball. 
• Seasonings – Onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, black pepper, seasoned salt (I used Lawry’s).
• Breadcrumbs – I use Panko but any kind works. You can even use crushed Ritz crackers. 
• Oil – Any neutral oil (olive oil, vegetable oil, or avocado oil). 
• Cheese – Be sure to use freshly grated parmesan cheese. It has the ideal flavor and consistency. 

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Firecracker Glaze

• Brown sugar – You can substitute white sugar mixed and a splash of molasses. 
• Hot sauce -Use a vinegar-based hot sauce (like Frank’s).
• Red wine vinegar – Rice vinegar can be substituted. 
• Soy sauce – Use the same kind as the meatballs. 
• Seasonings – Garlic powder, onion powder, seasoned salt, and red pepper flakes.
• Garnish – Chopped chives and sesame seeds.

How To Make

Step 1

Combine ground chicken, egg, spices, etc in a bowl.

Step 2

Roll into equal size balls. 

Step 3

Cook in the air fryer for 15 minutes at 375F or in the oven for 15-20 minutes at 400F. 

Step 4

Make glaze. 

Step 5

Coat each meatball in the glaze and serve. 

Tips

1. Before forming the meatballs, coat your hands with oil or non-stick spray. This will keep the ingredients from sticking to you. 
2. Do not overmix the meatball mixture. This results in them turning out gummy and dense instead of soft and tender. 
3. Weigh the meatballs on a kitchen scale to ensure they are all the same size and therefore will cook evenly. 
4. If you don’t have breadcrumbs, try using crushed cereal (like corn flakes) or even crushed Ritz crackers. 

How to store & reheat

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. 

To reheat, place the meatballs back in the air fryer for 3-5 minutes at 350F. Or, heat in a skillet over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes, turning often. 

FAQs

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Firecracker Meatballs

Chicken meatballs coated in a sweet and spicy firecracker glaze.

• Author: Jessica Pinney
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 3 1x
• Category: Main Dish
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Meatballs

1 lb ground chicken

Splash of soy sauce

1 tbsp finely chopped chives

1 egg (room temp)

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1⁄2 tsp paprika

1⁄2 tsp black pepper

1 tsp seasoned salt

1⁄2 cup panko breadcrumbs

3 tbsp neutral oil

1⁄4 cup shaved Parmesan cheese

Firecracker Glaze

1⁄3 cup light brown sugar

1⁄4 cup Frank’s hot sauce

2–3 tsp red wine vinegar

1 tbsp soy sauce

1⁄2 tsp garlic powder

1⁄2 tsp onion powder

1⁄4 tsp seasoned salt

1⁄2 tsp red pepper flakes

Chopped chives for garnish

Sesame seeds for garnish

Instructions

Step 1

In a large bowl, combine ground chicken, bread crumbs, egg, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, pepper, seasoned salt, soy sauce, parmesan, and chives. Mix until fully combined.

Step 2

Using a kitchen scale, weigh each meatball to be 50 grams. This should leave you with 10 large meatballs. Roll the meatball in the palm of your hand until it is round.

Step 3

Spray the inside of your air fryer basket with cooking spray then place the meatballs in the basket, leaving a bit of space between each one to avoid them sticking together.

Air fry for 10 minutes at 375 degrees. After the 10 minutes are up, flip the meatballs, then air fry for another 5 minutes.

(Or, place them on a baking sheet with parchment paper and cook in the oven for 15-20 minutes at 400F.)

Step 4

While the meatballs are cooking, you can make the firecracker glaze. In a small saucepan, combine the brown sugar, hot sauce, red wine vinegar, soy sauce, garlic powder, onion powder. Heat on medium heat until ingredients are incorporated. The glaze will thicken up!

Step 5

After the meatballs are done cooking in the air fryer, take each meatball and coat it in the glaze.

Garnish with fresh chives and sesame seeds.