I have 3 requirements for stellar meatballs: 1) they must be tender and moist, 2) they must be flavorful, and 3) they must be simple and easy to make. These Slow Cooker Chicken Meatballs deliver on all fronts!
Using a slow cooker to simmer the meatballs in a flavorful sauce for a couple of hours is the key to locking in moisture and knock-your-socks-off flavor. It’s also a bonus that you can ‘set it an forget it’ while in the slow cooker - no need to worry about meatballs getting burned or overcooked!
I served this tasty chicken recipe up as dinner, over a bed of fresh spinach, and B announced that it was my best chicken dish to date! You could just as easily serve this up as a protein-packed appetizer with pretty little toothpicks, or as a snack straight out of the fridge. However you serve it, I hope that you enjoy!
Note about Spice: Yes, these are called Firecracker, and yes we are using some chili paste and some red pepper flakes -- however -- these meatballs can be as spicy or as mild as you want them to be. With the 2 Tablespoons of chili paste in the sauce it was mild enough for my I-don’t-like-spicy-food 9 year old, and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes on top for my make-it-spicier 11 year old, and everyone was happy :-)
¼ cup blanched almond flour
¼ cup nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons flax meal
½ cup coconut milk, full fat
2 pounds ground chicken
1 egg
2 teaspoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning blend
1 teaspoon Garlic, minced
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ cup coconut oil, melted
2 tablespoons ground fresh chili paste
2 tablespoons natural ketchup
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
pinch of granulated garlic
sprinkle sea salt
½ cup coconut palm sugar
3 tablespoons coconut aminos
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
dash of Red Pepper Flakes
Combine the almond flour, nutritional yeast, flax meal and coconut milk in a large bowl. Stir together and let soak for 5 minutes.
Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and lightly spray with olive oil.
Add the ground chicken, egg, dried parsley, Italian seasoning, garlic, salt and pepper. Mix well and form into 35 meatballs, placing the meatballs on the prepared baking sheet. Spray the tops of the meatballs lightly with olive oil.
Place the meatballs under high broil for 5-8 minutes, until lightly browned. Watch closely to avoid burning!
Combine the Firecracker sauce ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
Transfer the meatballs to the slow cooker and pour in the Firecracker sauce. Cover and cook on low for 2 hours. Serve warm with a sprinkle of fresh parsley and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Enjoy!
Calories: 315
Fat: 18g
Carbohydrates: 3g
Sodium: 220mg
Fiber: 2g
Protein: 34g
Sugar: 1g