hawaiian chicken meatballs with sweet + spicy sauce
ingredients
1 tbsp + 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil divided
1 lb extra lean chicken
1 large egg beaten
¾ cup breadcrumbs
½ cup unsweetened finely shredded coconut
½ cup green onions, finely minced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 ½ tsp ginger, grated
½ tsp salt
1 tbsp reduced sodium tamari or coconut aminos
½ tsp ground pepper
1 red bell pepper, cut into chunks
1 ¼ cup snap peas
⅓ cup finely minced ripe pineapple or canned
sauce ingredients
⅓ cup low sodium or no sodium chicken broth
¼ cup low sodium tamari (sub coconut aminos or favourite alternative)
⅓ cup sweet chili sauce
2 tsp cornstarch or alternative
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tsp ginger, grated
1 ¼ cup pineapple. cut into chunks
garnish
2 tsp green onion, thinly sliced
¼ tsp sesame seeds
method
Preheat oven to 400F. Grease baking sheet or line with parchment paper.
Place chicken meat into blender and pulse until ground or simply slice chicken up until desired consistency.
In a bowl, mix together the chicken, egg, breadcrumbs, coconut, green onions, garlic, ginger, salt, tamari and pepper. Form into small balls.
Add one tablespoon of oil to a skillet over medium high heat and add the meatballs. Brown on each side, about 1-2 minutes per side and transfer to baking sheet.
Toss the bell pepper and snap peas with the remaining teaspoon of oil and add to the baking sheet. Bake for 7-10 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the sauce in a bowl by mixing together the broth, tamari, sweet chili sauce, pineapple and cornstarch. Set aside.
Add another teaspoon of oil to the original pan and add in the garlic and ginger. Cook for 1-2 minutes, then add in the sauce. Cook on medium low until bubbling.
Add the pineapple and cook for 1-2 minutes, then once the meatballs are cooked through, carefully toss them and the vegetables in the sauce.
Serve with rice and top with green onions and sesame seeds and enjoy!
