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
Equipment
- Mixing Bowls
- Small Saucepan
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 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
- 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!
6 thoughts on “Sesame Chicken Meatballs”
So good!
One of my faves, too!
Made these as an appetizer, so instead of 12 meatballs, I made around 22 smaller ones and kept an eye on the cook time since they were smaller and cooked more quickly. These were definitely a hit! The sauce had a nice little kick to it that everyone enjoyed. Would definitely make again.
Love the idea of mini meatballs as an appetizer – glad to hear they were popular! 🙂
So delish! Quick and easy recipe!! Can’t wait to make again.
So glad you liked them! 🙂