Sesame Chicken Meatballs

I don’t know about you, but I crave Sesame Chicken (or some variation of it) like once a week. It’s one of my ultimate comfort foods (so much so that I’ve already made a healthier version of it). Frankly, that love of Sesame Chicken coupled with accidentally buying ground chicken instead lead me to create these Sesame Chicken Meatballs. Talk about a happy accident – because these are GOOD. They’re made with a few simple ingredients, cooked in the air fryer, and tossed in a sweet, spicy sesame sauce. I serve them with broccoli and rice for a perfect weeknight meal.

Making Sesame Chicken Meatballs

These meatballs are perfect for weeknight meal prep because they’re truly a cinch to make. Mix em up, pop em in the air fryer, toss them in the sauce and enjoy.

For the meatballs, you’ll need:

• Lean ground chicken
• 1 egg to hold it all together
• Breadcrumbs, which will make these moist since the chicken is so lean
• Chopped scallions and fresh ginger for flavor and salt and pepper to taste

You’ll combine everything in a bowl, and then using wet hands, shape your meatballs (roughly 1.5 inches across, should make 12). Spray your air fryer tray well and air fry at 370 for 14-16 minutes, until the internal temperature of the meatballs reaches 165F (I always use a meat thermometer to check).

A lighter sesame sauce

For the sauce, you’ll combine:

• Sweet Thai chili sauce
• Rice vinegar
• Soy sauce (or coconut aminos)
• Sriracha
• Fresh ginger, grated finely
• Garlic (fresh!)
• Cornstarch to thicken it
• Honey to sweeten it
• A bit of water to thin it out

Mix everything except for the corn star and water in a small saucepan and put over medium heat. Mix cornstarch into water until fully dissolved and add into sauce. Cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes until thick and bubbling.

Toss your meatballs in the sauce and serve with rice and vegetables for a delicious, filling meal. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days. I prefer to store the meatballs and sauce separately and reheat as I go!

Sesame Chicken Meatballs

Jacklin Altman

These meatballs are juicy, flavorful, and perfect for a weeknight meal. They're WW friendly, made lighter by way of the air fryer and a simple, delicious sauce!

5 from 4 votes

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Chinese, American

Servings 12 meatballs

Calories 88 kcal

Equipment

• Mixing Bowls
• Small Saucepan
• Air Fryer

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

Meatballs

• 1 lb lean ground chicken
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup breadcrumbs plain
• 2 tbsp scallions chopped
• 1 tsp ginger grated
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• salt and pepper to taste

Sauce

• 4 tbsp Thai sweet chili sauce
• 2.5 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp soy sauce or coconut aminos
• 1 tsp sriracha
• 1 tsp ginger grated
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp honey
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 tsp sesame seeds for garnish

Instructions

 

• Preheat air fryer to 370F if needed. Combine meatball ingredients in a bowl and mix together well. Using wet hands, form into 12 even meatballs. Spray air fryer tray well, spray top of meatballs, and air fry at 370 for 14-16 minutes, until the internal temperature of the meatballs reached 165F.
• While meatballs cook, combine all sauce ingredients except for cornstarch and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Mix cornstarch and water until cornstarch is dissolved and add mixture to sauce. Stir together and stir sauce over medium heat for 8-10 minutes, until thick and bubbling.
• Once meatballs are cooked, toss in sauce to coat and top with extra sesame seeds and chopped scallions for garnish. Serve with steamed broccoli and rice for a delicious meal!

Notes

Click here to add to WW app.

Nutrition

Calories: 88kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 8gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 46mgSodium: 278mgPotassium: 223mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 30IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 14mgIron: 1mg

Keyword chicken, dinner, entree, sesame, weight watchers, WW, air fryer, meatballs

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