Pineapple Chicken or Turkey Meatballs (Print)
Juicy chicken or turkey meatballs in sweet pineapple sauce. Perfect as appetizer or over rice for a flavorful meal.
# What You Need:
→ 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, juice reserved
17 - 1 red bell pepper, chopped
18 - 1 tbsp vegetable oil
19 - 1/4 tsp chili flakes
# How to Make:
01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease.
02 - In a large bowl, combine ground chicken or turkey, breadcrumbs, egg, green onions, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, salt, and black pepper. Mix just until combined.
03 - Roll the mixture into 1-inch meatballs and place them on the prepared baking sheet.
04 - Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until cooked through and lightly golden.
05 - While meatballs bake, whisk together pineapple juice, water, brown sugar, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and cornstarch until smooth.
06 - In a large skillet over medium heat, add vegetable oil. Sauté red bell pepper for 2 minutes. Add pineapple chunks and cook another 2 minutes.
07 - Pour the 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 meatballs stay incredibly juicy thanks to the breadcrumbs and egg binding everything together perfectly
- That homemade pineapple sauce puts any takeout version to shame, and you control exactly how sweet it gets
02 -
- Do not overmix the meatball mixture or they will become tough and dense, just mix until combined
- The sauce continues to thicken as it stands off the heat, so remove it from the stove when it still looks slightly thinner than you want
03 -
- Use a cookie scoop to get perfectly uniform meatballs that cook evenly
- Let the meatball mixture rest in the refrigerator for 15 minutes before shaping if you have time, it helps them hold together better