Chicken Meatballs with Firecracker Sauce

By cushey27

Change up your usual meatballs by using ground chicken, and spice them up with sweet, spicy, tangy Firecracker Sauce, good on everything.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds ground chicken or turkey
• 4 teaspoons garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup cream cheese
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• FIRECRACKER SAUCE
• 1/2 cup hot sauce (I recommend Franks)
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Preparation

Step 1

Position 2 racks near the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 475ºF. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, set aside.

In a saucepan, combine the ingredients of the firecracker sauce over medium high heat. Allow to come to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow the sauce to cool. The sauce will thicken as it cools so don't worry if it looks thin.

In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, garlic, cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, eggs, panko, paprika, and onion powder, Italian seasoning and pepper flakes. Use your hands to mix all the ingredients together. It's easier to tell when the ingredients are combined when using hands. Do not over mix, as it will result in drier meatballs.
Shape the meat mixture into balls, about 3 tablespoons of meat per ball. You can also do this with an ice cream scoop. Place shaped meatballs on prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 11 to 13 minutes or until the meatballs are completely cooked.
Using 2 tablespoon, dip each individual meatball into the sauce. Alternately, you can brush each meatball with the sauce. Place back on the baking sheet and bake for an additional 1 to 2 minutes. Drizzle or brush with additional sauce as desired.