Baked Firecracker Chicken Meatballs

firecracker chicken meatballs in a wing sauce and brown sugar sauce on a white plate

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Baked Firecracker Chicken Meatballs

Baked Firecracker Chicken Meatballs are spicy ground chicken meatballs, tossed in a hot wing sauce and brown sugar mixture, perfect for a game-day appetizer or a component of dinner.

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Course: 30 minutes or less, Appetizer, Chicken, Entree

Cuisine: Fusion

Keyword: 30 minute meals, chicken meatball, chicken meatball appetizer, firecracker meatballs, spicy chicken meatballs

Servings: people

Calories: 323kcal

Ingredients

For the Meatballs

1 lb ground chicken
½ cup Panko
1 large egg
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 tsp pepper

For the Sauce

½ cup wing sauce such as Frank's
½ cup brown sugar
2 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or more, to taste

Instructions

For the Meatballs

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place a cooling rack sprayed with non-stick on top of a sheet pan.
Combine ground chicken, Panko, egg, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt and pepper together into a bowl. Form into 16 evenly sized meatballs.
Place the meatballs onto the cooling rack and bake for 13-15 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.

For the Sauce

While the meatballs are baking, make the sauce. Combine hot wing sauce, brown sugar, vinegar and crushed red pepper in a medium saucepan.
Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Let simmer for 10 minutes, then remove from the heat to let the mixture thicken slightly.
Transfer sauce to a large heat-safe bowl. Add in meatballs and toss to coat.

Notes

Make Ahead: meatballs and sauce can be made 1-2 days ahead of time and refrigerated. Double the sauce recipe if you want a dipping sauce and not just a coating for the meatballs.

To Reheat: warm up in a saucepan, a 200 degree oven, a slow cooker on low or in a chafing dish until heated through. Meatballs can be heated up plain or after they've been tossed in the sauce. Sauce can be warmed through in the microwave or on the stove.

Increase (or decrease) the heat: add more crushed red pepper to the sauce if you want the meatballs spicier, or use a hot sauce instead of a hot wing sauce. Skip the crushed red pepper all together if spice isn't your thing.

Other Ways to Serve: on their own as an appetizer, over white rice with broccoli or green beans, over coconut rice, on a slider roll with kimchi or coleslaw.

Nutrition