Healthy Chicken Meatballs & Coconut Cream
Meatballs are a favorite in my home. They’re super versatile with infinite flavor profiles and spice and herb mixtures. These Healthy Chicken Meatballs with Coconut Cream Sauce are a flavorful blend of cumin paired with coconut milk and typical Italian spices such as oregano. Feel free to swap out the ground chicken for ground turkey, pork, or beef.
As always, I prefer to bake my meatballs in a muffin tin, creating perfect golden-brown crispy edges. Pair these with a side of quinoa pilaf and Turmeric Cauliflower for a complete meal.
How To Make Healthy Chicken Meatballs
First pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray muffin tins with oil spray. In a large bowl, mix together egg, breadcrumbs, milk, spices, and ground chicken. The milk adds some extra moisture to the meatballs. Next, form the meat mixture into golf-sized balls and individually place them in muffin tins. I love making my meatballs in a muffin tin because it keeps them contained and they are easy to remove. Bake the meatballs for about 30 minutes, until golden brown.
While the meatballs are baking, start making your coconut cream sauce. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add in the onion and sauté until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add in the garlic and sauté about 1 minute—be careful not to burn it! Add in the dried spices and cook, stirring constantly, for about 30 seconds. Finally add in the coconut milk and vinegar and heat through.
Serve your Healthy Chicken Meatballs with the sauce on top or on the side. Delish!
Saving your Healthy Chicken Meatballs for later?
Don’t want to eat your Healthy Chicken Meatballs right away? No worries! You can store them in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for about 5-7 days. Or, toss them in the freezer where they will last 6 months! When you’re ready to eat them, simply warm them in the oven or simmer in a pot of sauce and enjoy.
Protein in Chicken
Chicken is a great source of protein. Just a 3.5 ounce serving of chicken contains about 20g of protein! What are proteins though? Protein is one of the three macronutrients that provide energy for the body. They are made up of small amino acids that are linked together in long chains. There are 20 amino acids that can be combined in different sequences to make the proteins your body needs, and they are classified as either essential or non-essential amino acids. Essential amino acids cannot be made by the body, so you need to get them from the food. 9 of the 20 amino acids are essential. The other 11 amino acids are considered “nonessential” because they body can make them. Chicken is considered a complete protein because it contains all of the essential amino acids in adequate amounts.
Protein is needed for proper growth and development and to build and repair cells. It is also needed for healthy skin, hair, nails, muscle, bone, and organs. It plays a role in your immune system, vision, and in the production of hormones and enzymes. Enjoy my Healthy Chicken Meatballs as a healthy source of protein today!
Similar Pages:
Looking for more meatball recipes? Try my Greek Lamb Meatballs, Asian Turkey Meatballs, and Grape Meatballs with Mint Yogurt!
Resources:
“The Nutritional Value of Chicken.” The National Chicken Council, www.nationalchickencouncil.org/chicken-the-preferred-protein-for-your-health-and-budget/the-nutritional-value-of-chicken/.
“Protein.” FDA, HHS, Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/InteractiveNutritionFactsLabel/factsheets/Protein.pdf.
Ingredients
Meatballs:
- 1 egg beaten
- 2/3 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
- ¼ cup milk
- ½ teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 pound ground chicken
Sauce:
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ onion diced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup coconut milk
- ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F. Spray muffin tins with oil spray.
- Mix meatball ingredients together and place ~1 ounce balls in each muffin spot. Bake ~30 minutes, until golden brown.
- In saucepan on stove, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and saute till translucent, ~3 minutes. Add garlic and saute ~1 minute. Add dried spices and cook, stirring, ~30 seconds. Add coconut milk and vinegar and heat through.
- Serve meatballs with sauce on top or on the side.
Video
DOWNLOAD A FREE EXCERPT
Two Healthy Diets — One Delicious Cookbook
I’ve combined DASH diet and Mediterranean diet recipes into something even better… Presenting The Mediterranean DASH Diet Cookbook.
