The One About the Raspberry-Glazed Chicken Meatballs

Think chicken.  Think meatballs.  Think greaseless.  Think raspberry.  Now think of all these in moist (yes, even though it’s chicken!) morsels of heaven.

Who doesn’t love meatballs?  Those juicy meat mouthfuls have never disappointed anyone and I, for one, can munch on them for days on end.  In its simplicity, I dip them in sweet-spicy sauce.  Or I drown them in a creamy thick sea of mushrooms.  Other times, I place them in a hotdog bun and then slather them with marinara sauce and top with cheese for an easy meatball sub.  Meatballs are nothing short of versatile and appetizing. 

A few months ago, I came across a recipe for glazed Asian meatballs.  With a few tweaks, I came up with my own version using ground chicken.  And no, the meatballs do not come out dry at all.  I baked them just long enough for the outside to be golden brown but still moist on the inside.

They are unbelievably easy to make and yet when you serve them, you’ll look like you slaved yourself in the kitchen making them.  

Raspberry-Glazed Chicken Meatballs

Ingredients:

¼ cup milk

¼ cup breadcrumbs

1 tablespoon garlic, minced

¼ cup scallions, finely chopped

1 egg, beaten

2 teaspoons ginger, grated

1 ½ lbs (0.68 kg) ground chicken

½ cup hoisin sauce

¼ cup raspberry preserves

Procedure:

In a bowl, mix milk, breadcrumbs, garlic, scallions, ginger, and egg.

 Add the ground chicken.  Do not overmix; this will make the meatballs dry.

 Shape the meat mixture into balls and place the meatballs in a muffin pan.

 Bake the meatballs for 15 minutes at 400F or until the meatballs are golden brown and

juicy when pricked with a toothpick or fork.

 To make the sauce, whisk the hoisin sauce and raspberry preserves in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Red pepper flakes can also be added if you prefer a spiced glaze.

 After baking, brush each meatball with glaze or toss them in the saucepan to coat with sauce.

I served them on lettuce leaves and sprinkled sesame seeds for garnish, making them a lovely feast for the eyes – and tummy.