

Yields:
4 serving(s)
Prep Time:
20 mins
Total Time:
1 hr
Cal/Serv:
419
If you are looking to spice up your routine chicken dinners look no further. These chicken meatballs have a kick from a traditional kung pao sauce that gets most of its heat from dried red chilis, which you can always cut back on. Szechuan peppercorns also add a unique heat to the dish and can be found in most Asian markets and specialty grocery stores, but are worth looking for. Tellicherry peppercorns won't have the same flavor, but would be the best substitute as they have more flavor than traditional black peppercorns. These meatballs are filling on their own but serving over rice will help cut some of the heat!
Have you made these yet? Let us know how it went in the comments below!
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Ingredients
For meatballs:
- 1 lb.
ground chicken
- 2
cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp.
fresh ginger, minced
- 2
green onions, thinly sliced
- 3/4 cup
panko bread crumbs
- 1
large egg, beaten
- 1 Tbsp.
low-sodium soy sauce
Kosher salt
Freshly ground Szechuan peppercorns
- 2 Tbsp.
vegetable oil
For sauce:
- 1/2 cup
low-sodium chicken broth
- 1/4 cup
low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp.
chinese cooking wine or dry sherry
- 2 Tbsp.
rice vinegar
- 1 Tbsp.
hoisin sauce
- 1 Tbsp.
granulated sugar
- 1 Tbsp.
cornstarch
- 2
bell peppers, chopped
- 10
dried red chilis
- 4
green onions, cut into 1" pieces
- 2 tsp.
freshly minced ginger
- 2
cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 tsp.
freshly ground Szechuan peppercorns
Roasted unsalted peanuts, for garnish
Cooked white rice, for serving
Directions
- Step 1In a medium bowl, combine ground chicken, garlic, ginger, green onions, and panko. Add egg and soy sauce and season with salt and few good cranks of pepper. Mix until well combined. Form into 16 equal sized meatballs. If mixture is too wet you can wet your hands lightly with water to help roll into balls.
- Step 2In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add meatballs and cook until golden on all sides and internal temperature reaches 165°, 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from skillet and place on a plate to keep warm.
- Step 3Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine broth, soy sauce, cooking wine, vinegar, hoisin, and sugar. Add cornstarch and whisk until dissolved.
- Step 4Wipe out any bits from skillet that are too dark. Return skillet over medium heat and add more oil as needed. Add bell peppers and cook until soft, 5 minutes. Add dried chilis, green onions, ginger, garlic, and pepper. Cook until fragrant, 2 minutes more. Add sauce mixture and return meatballs to skillet. Toss to coat meatballs. Reduce heat to a simmer and simmer until sauce is thickened and meatballs are warmed through, 5 minutes.
- Step 5Top with peanuts and serve over rice.
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