Firecracker Chicken Meatballs
This is my favorite way to eat chicken meatballs. They’re spiced up with a sweet, savory, and spicy firecracker sauce. They’re tender, filled with flavor, and require minimum work!
Thank God It’s Friday, y’all!
I thought this week would never end. It was an ongoing cycle of endless days, but the weekend is finally here!???? ????
This recipe for firecracker chicken meatballs has been stuck in my head on an endless loop for the last several weeks. I had been craving something with a little more spice, yet a little sweet too. And what’s more perfect than game day food that’s actually somewhat healthy (they’re baked!) and still has tons of flavor but isn’t your regular old meatball covered in marinara? FIRECRACKER. SAUCE. FTW!
These baked chicken meatballs are one of Anees’s favorite meals. This is obviously a recent development. Because up until a couple weeks ago, they didn’t even exist.
This recipe is super low maintenance. And if you’re not a fan of chicken meatballs, you can swap it out for turkey or any other kind of ground meat you please. But I do feel that chicken or turkey would pair the best with the sauce.
These are perfect for when you’re hosting a game day party and need something super flavorful on the table. I like to make a big batch for the two of us that we munch on all week long. Meatball subs made with firecracker chicken and melty cheese would be perfect for weekend lunches and a few meatballs paired with a side salad would be ideal for weekday lunches. And if you’re like me, with a fetish for food straight from the refrigerator, well then they’d make for a good snack too. Yup, cold. I like them like that sometimes!
WHAT INGREDIENTS DO YOU NEED TO MAKE FIRECRACKER CHICKEN MEATBALLS?
We’re keepin’ what goes into the meatballs simple because it’s that firecracker sauce that we want to stand out bright when you take that first bite.
For the chicken meatballs, I used simple ground chicken breasts. Again, ground chicken thighs or a combination of ground chicken + ground turkey would be good too.
The binding is simple. 2 large eggs and a little panko. For the spices, paprika, onion powder, and obvi, garlic. It’s all pantry staples on this one, folks!
You want to *just* combine the ingredients. When making meatballs, the less you work the meat, the better it is. I shaped mine into 3 tablespoon-sized balls. It’s totally up to you how big/small you want them. The size I indicated will take about 11-13 minutes in the oven.
WHAT GOES IN THE FIRECRACKER CHICKEN MEATBALLS SAUCE?
The sauce is simple too. Since the meatballs are flavored with just enough to keep them moist, the real flavors come from the sauce! All you need is a little hot sauce (I recommend Franks), brown sugar, red pepper flakes, apple cider vinegar, and a pinch of salt. It’s 10 ingredients total if you don’t count the salt and pepper. The sauce is enough to coat all the meatballs with a little leftover for a drizzle before serving. If you’re like me and you live to dip and dunk, double the sauce recipe. You can even serve these firecracker meatballs with a little white rice and broccoli and drizzle the sauce on there. I speak from experience, can you tell?
And the best part is, you can mix up the meat mixture from the night before and just bake and drizzle them with the sauce the day of. These tasty chicken meatballs are going to be the highlight of game day. Get ready to be host of the year!
Firecracker Chicken Meatballs
This is my favorite way to eat chicken meatballs. They’re spiced up with a sweet, savory, and spicy firecracker sauce. They’re tender, filled with flavor, and require minimum work!
Ingredients:
Meatballs:
- 1 ¾ – 2 pounds ground chicken (or turkey)
- 4 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs*
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
FIRECRACKER SAUCE:
- ½ cup hot sauce (I recommend Franks)
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼-½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (depending on spice preference)
Directions:
- 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, reduce the heat so it simmers. Let simmer for 8-10 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, salt pepper, eggs, panko, paprika, and onion powder. Use your hands to mix all the ingredients together. It’s easier to tell when he ingredients are combined when using hands. DO NOT OVERMIX, it will result in drier meatballs.
- Shape the meat mixture into ball, 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 11-13 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 1-2 minutes. Drizzle or brush with additional sauce as desired.
Notes:
- Panko is a Japanese style of breadcrumbs.
- A combination of ground chicken and turkey can be used to make these meatballs.
- If you would like to serve your meatballs with sauce, I would double the ingredients for the sauce portion as this recipe makes just enough for basting.
- The meatball mixture can be prepared the night before and baked the day of, if desired.
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Made them last night – added smoked paprika and pineapple marmalade (didn’t have brown sugar). It was delicious! Just the right amount of spice!
Has anyone had luck replacing the eggs with something?
Made these for a Christmas party last night. I used three pounds of meat. Next year I will use four or five. Everyone loved them. Not a single one leftover. Huge hit! Next time I will cook the sauce longer to thicken it more. I would love the meatballs to be more coated by the sauce.
can these be made in a slow cooker?
This recipe is a keeper and so easy to make. I did 1 lb turkey and 1 lb chicken. It was super spicy but delicious.
Looking for something a different. I read this recipe and thought it sounded good. I ran to the store to get a few things that I need. This was so good, that I am thinking about bringing it to a friends birthday party. The friends family is a huge fan of spicy foods, and I believe these meatballs will be hit. I will make them a bit smaller, and serve them in a crockpot to keep them warm. Can’t wait to share.
This was a huge hit with my family although
I cut the hot sauce in half and added 2 tblsp.
Of apricot jam. Thinking that they would find too
Spicy. But it wasn’t!!!! Great recipe especially grinding my own chicken breasts and thighs.
Very well received at a church supper. I made them as printed, but will also play with the recipe. The sauce is delicious and would work for other meats and veggies. Thanks for this!
These were great. I’ll be making them again!
Love this recipe!! I have made the Hawaiian BBQ and the Firecracker sauce and both were great. I also, make extra for the kids (18 months to 3 years old) that I don’t dip. The Firecracker sauce was too hot for us with the red pepper flakes (I only used 1/4 tsp) so I remade the sauce omitting it. They were a big hit with everyone and I’ve already shared the recipe. I made them small by using a rounded teaspoon. It made 48 balls and I cooked for 10 minutes. I served them on a platter with additional dipping sauce on the side. They are yummy at room temperature too!!
Made these for dinner tonight & this recipe is a KEEPER! Will definitely make for our first football party this season 😀a
THis looks so good! What a yummy one to bring as an appetizer instead of BBQ meatballs.
I made these meatballs and they were delicious. They tastes like an Asian dish. The simple ingredients and easy to make. Lord willing I will definitely make these again. Maybe for a potluck.
I made this with ground turkey and my family absolutely loved it and asked when we can have it again! It is spicy, but my kids loved it!
This is a really good recipe! Not too hot, not too sweet, just right. I will definitely be serving these at parties!
Thank you for a great recipe!
Super easy recipe. I used ground turkey and they turned out great. I did find the sauce a little too sweet but i think cutting the brown sugar in half would make it perfect. I’d make again for sure!
Hi. I love these I’ve made them a couple times but just wondering if you know the nutrition facts? How many calories per serving?
Can you use shredded chicken in the place of the ground chicken?
I used Panda Express sweet chili sauce worked great!
Simple and absolutely delicious. I used ground turkey (not the super lean) and accidentally used a whole teaspoon of paprika, but it still came out great. This makes PLENTY of sauce for the purpose of glazing and drizzling the meatballs. If you wanted to serve this as a stir fry with rice and veggies, you could double it, but it makes a good bit.
How do you think they’d taste with Frank’s Buffalo Hot Sauce?
It should work just fine!
I’ve made this recipe twice now. Love it! However I added green onion and fresh parsley to the meatballs. They tasted better and had a nicer look to them. Thanks for the recipe!
I also substituted the pinko with ground ritz crackers. My son has nut allergies and he can eat ritz. Very good!
Hi! I love this recipe as it is, but was Wondering if it is at all keto friendly or could possibly substituted for that? Thanks!
I make a Keto buffalo chicken meatball recipe that uses Almond flour instead of Panko or regular breadcrumbs. You could try that, but I don’t know how much you would use. Definitely not a cup.
This recipe has become a family favorite for any gathering we have.
Hi. The photo shows a chopped herb garnishing the meatballs – is this parsley – I couldn’t see where a herb for garnish was mentioned in the ingredients list. Can you kindly advise please? Thank you.
Parsley!
Delicious!!
These were fantastic & easy to make! Made them a little larger and had them as a dinner entree. A little ranch dressing on the side for dipping made for a fantastic contrast to the hot flavor. Also had them on a toasted bun with melted cheese. Delicious!!
These are so good and a nice change. I used 2lbs of ground chicken and it made 53 small (1.5 tbl) balls. I didn’t have fresh garlic so used 2 tsp of ground. I initially did not add the pepper flake and it ended up being hot enough for us. I cooked at 450 for 5 minutes, then flipped the balls and cooked for another 4. Otherwise they get dark on the bottom. I put the sauce on at the end and served in crock pot. Delicious!
This was a really hot sauce. We are used to hot receipes but I certainly will have to use less peppers and hot sauces. My husband said it had a good taste. I will try them agai.
We really liked this! My little guy keeps asking if I’ll make “spicy meatballs” for supper again.
These meatballs are delicious! I made them for a party for the first time and was a bit nervous since I’ve never made them before, but they were perfect and delicious! People loved them and actually thought they were store bought (because not too many people cook these days). I don’t like Frank’s sauce and instead keep Valentina hot sauce which is what I used and they came out great. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Made this tonight as a appetizer for a neighborhood party and they were a hit! Love sweet and spicy! They were delicious and gone in no time. Several requests for the recipe. I made mine a little smaller – about 2 tbsp which was a perfect appetizer size and made 24 meatballs. So easy to make. Thanks for the great recipe!
I made this tonight and my husband and I loved it! Will be making it again! Thanks!
Hi there! Can the hot sauce be switched with sriracha?
Thanks!!
I think someone else mentioned in the comments below that they did that but I’m not sure how spicy it would make the firecracker sauce if you were to replace all the hot sauce with sriracha. It just depends on personal preference!
Hi Marzia! These are amazing! My husband was a little worried when he saw the spicy ingredients but he gobbled up his dinner & went back for seconds! Here we are & he’s asking for your recipe again. Kudos to you! He is a “bit” choosy. I found your recipe but I can’t save it to Pinterest. Oh no! I wonder if there is something going on with the link? When I try to save it, the Pinterest screen goes black.
Such a great idea. I made a variation of this recipe with pork instead of chicken and sandwiched the meat patties between slices of lotus root cooked in your Firecracker sauce. Worked really well.
This looks soooooooo good. Only problem is, I have to be careful with anything hot and spicy. What can I substitute the hot sauce for? Thanks!
I don’t think you can replace all the hot sauce, unfortunately, but you could swap a good portion of it for ketchup to help take away some of the spice. Also, just omit the red pepper flakes.
Hi, looking at the picture of these meatballs looks so appealing. I didn’t see, within the recipe, what the green bits could be. My thought is chopped basil leaves but I didn’t see that listed as a garnish. Please help.
It’s chopped parsley. Just for pictures, really!
Delicious!! Simple and quick to make. Definitely will make again.
I absolutely loved these meatballs and they were such a hit at the party.
Frank’s hot sauce is delicious, but make sure you cook it long enough or you don’t get the rich flavour.
I made 1 batch but ate quite a few when l got them out and made 2 more batches.
Delicious!
Made these for a party and everyone loved them!! Delicious!
Amazing! My husband loved them I skipped the red pepper flakes and added a tablespoon of honey! Used blue cheese for dipping sauce it was fantastic!
Delicious! Love that they were baked not fried. I only needed one batch of sauce because dipping didn’t seem necessary. Quick and easy!
Fun, new way to fix chicken. Spicy sweet sauce that isnt too spicy, can be served on side for dipping. Will definitely make again! Great food to bring to a party or to serve at casual dinner party. Teenagers would love this one while gathered around bonfire…great alternative to the typical pizza.
Made this recipe for my boyfriend and he and I both LOVED it!! I used 93% lean turkey and followed the recipe exactly. Got 18 meatballs out of it. These also make great leftovers! Thanks for the recipe!!
I wish l had leftovers 😜
I’ve made these a few times for parties. I make it them the day before, keeping the sauce separate. I double the sauce. Then the day of, I put them in a crockpot on warm with the sauce. They go in a flash.
I agree with you. I too made twice the amount of sauce. Crock pot is the way to go.
I used turkey, but, they were a little dry.
Hey ladies I’m thinking about making this for a family reunion. I’m just curious about how much you got out of this recipe. I want it to be a decent amount. I noticed she said to double for extra sauce. But if I double the amount of meatballs I’m afraid of messing up the sauce? Any tips or advice?
Great recipe! I added two tablespoons of riccotta to moisten the meatballs even more!
Made these and turned them into mini patties for sliders…they were a hit! I even made a gluten free version with GF panko. Topped with homeade Kale Chips and Peperjack cheese…..I will definitely be making these again!
Going to make these today for a party! Can you go ahead and make the sauce earlier like 2-3 hours before cooking the meatballs? Can’t wait to taste!!
Yes, I think that should be fine. You may need a little water when reheating the sauce as it may thicken a bit as it sits though.
Oh my goodness – those knots are so cute! The meatballs are amazing and I think this could be easily called a piece of art more than just a recipe or a blog post. Thanks so much for your motivation!
Oh my thes e are absolutley fantastic. An instant family favorite. I used a small dipper(.75 maybe) for appetizer size and i got at least 40 meatballs. They puffed up a lot during cooking.
Really yummy! These were a big hit at my house! i used Louisiana Hot Sauce instead of Frank’s, and also added some cayenne to the meatballs for an extra kick!
Can you substitute honey for the brown sugar? If so, how much do you think?
Honey may work for this recipe but without recipe testing, I can’t say for sure if it’ll thin out the sauce too much. Usually, honey and brown sugar are a 1:1 ratio, but 1 cup seems like a whole lot for this. I’d start out with about ½ cup and adjust with additional honey as desired.
I loved it ..it’s yummy!!!!
Very easy and tasty.
All 3 of my boys loved these! Yummy and spicy – these are a winner!
My family loved this recipe! I was concerned my kids wouldn’t be able to handle the spice so I cut down the Frank’s hot sauce and used ketchup to to make the needed 1/2 cup. Delicious!
Delicious! Great recipe! I added green onion. My kids requested I make it again. Thanks for sharing this great recipe!
These were so incredibly delicious and easy to make. I took leftovers for lunch and 12 couldn’t come fast enough. This recipe is a definite keeper.
Do you have the nutritional information for these?? Can’t wait to make them!
I dont have them calculated off hand Nataliya, but you can plug the URL for the recipe into myfitnesspal.com and it will calculate it for you!
What are the green flakes I see in the picture?
Just parsley for pictures. It’s not really part of the recipe.
Delicious! Was a big hit for Super Bowl party!
Is there nutrition for this recipe? Looks awesome
Hi Heather, I don’t have it calculated off hand but if you paste the link to this page in myfitnesspal.com it’ll generate it for you 🙂
My family loved this recipe. Especially the sauce!
Made these tonight and added a little BBQ sauce to tone down the spice. I paired the finished meatballs with an avocado cream sauce for dipping. Turned out great! Pretty darn spicy otherwise, so I recommend tasting the sauce as you make it and toning it to your liking.
These are the best chicken balls recipe I have ever made. It’s the perfect blend of hot and sweet. Thanks for sharing!
I loved these! Great recipe!
Hi, could you put these over rice or how do you serve them during a meal time? Can’t wait to make them!!
Hi Anne, that’s actually exactly how I serve these! I’d make additional sauce if you’d like to drizzle some on the rice too!
I just made these for NYE. SO GOOD! Thank you!
Wondered if I could use frozen chicken or turkey meatballs and just add the sauce. Cook them in the crockpot for a few hours. What do you think?
Hi Julie! If you’ve used frozen chicken or turkey meatballs in a slow cooker before, then it should work out just fine! I haven’t, so it would be difficult for me to say. Maybe if you sauté the meatballs in a bit of oil to just sear the outside and let them finish in the slow cooker with the sauce?
I made this Saturday for my husband. He loves spicy food. He raved about them so much that I am sending him the link to this page so his co-worker can try it. I know that we will be making this recipe many times in the future. Thank you for this yummy recipe!
Since you are the most recent comment I’m hoping you’ll remember how many meatballs you got out of this recipe. I’m making them for a Mew Years get together so I’m trying to decide if I should double or triple the recipe. Thanks!
These were the best! Thanks for the recipe!
What about doubling the sauce and letting the meatballs sit in the sauce in a crockpot on warm? I’m looking to make these for thanksgiving.
My best guess is that they should be fine for a few hours on the ‘warm’ setting. Haven’t tried it before but I do think that should work!
Hey Samantha! Did you end up making these for Thanksgiving? I’m getting ready to make them now and am thinking of just baking them tonight and keeping on warm in the crockpot tomorrow. I’m just wondering if you made them, how did they turn out?
Thanks!
Nicole
Samantha, did you tru the crockpot? I would like to bake and freeze in sauce and put in crock later
Thanks!
Hi, what herb did you put on last? Is that parsley?
Yup, it’s parsley 🙂
In a pinch, could you use ground beef instead?
Sure, think it should work out just fine! 🙂
I made these today and they were very well liked.
I left out the red chile flakes and added some ketchup to the sauce to cut the heat a bit since I was dealing with non-spicy food people.
I cooked the meatballs in a 550 degree convection oven to try and get some browning in the short cooking time and I glazed them 3 times to try and build up the glaze.
Broke out the kitchenaid with the grinder attachment to grind up some boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
Good recipe. Thanks.
OMG!!!! I just made these meatballs and they were great! I followed the recipe exactly. It is spicy but I loved it!
OMG Marzia! These firecracker meatballs are awesome! Even my husband, who does not get excited about food, raved about them, lol! I subbed with ground turkey only because that is what I had and it turned out great. Thanks for sharing such a great recipe!!! 🙂
So delicious! I made it for the fourth of July, and my family LOVED it! Definitely will make this in the future.
I love these meatballs! I am going to be making them tonight, but wondered if instead of making meatballs do you think they would turn at well as a burger patty?
Glad to hear it! Not sure about the burger patties, Abby, this would require further recipe testing. I’m worried the patties may not hold.
I love this recipe Marzia! I made them for a hot nibbles party and I had people asking for more! It has since become a firm favourite in our household. Thank you! Great job!
Holy spicy!
Will be Tring tonight thanks dear!!
I saw this recipe on Pinterest and decided to try it today. Best decision ever!! I added minced onions, ginger, and chipotle pepper seasoning to the sauce. This is a keeper!
I made these today and they were fantastic. I was surprised to be able to get Franks sauce in Australia but it is in the regular supermarkets. I found the sauce thickened enough on cooling to glaze. The meatballs were moist (I used ground chicken thighs) and although the panko felt strange to the hands when mixing (because they are hard) it all mixed well. Will be making again.
Made these this afternoon as a trial run…. Loved it! I recommend thickening the sauce a little bit with a cornstarch and water slurry to make it more of a glaze. Delicious! Thanks for the recipe!
made these for the afc championship game. They were a hit. i plan on using the sauce for more.yum
Made these for a family Christmas party. They are awesome. I used ground turkey and I mixed them up the day before so the garlic flavor really marinated in the meat. Super easy and will be making them again. The sauce would make an amazing stir fry sauce I think.
Looks yummy. Can I use usual breadcrumbs instead of panko
Unfortunately I can’t say if regular breadcrumbs would work. I’ve only tested the recipe with panko.
Great recipe! The only thing I found difficult to do was roll the sticky chicken meat into balls. It doesn’t roll as smoothly as ground beef does. I wonder if anyone has a trick to make this easier. Thanks for the recipe!
I find that wetting your hands with a bit of water in between rolling made things a breeze. Took care of that stickiness problem. Hope this helps!
I found that turkey isn’t as sticky. Also, I’ve use a cookie scoop when making alot and don’t want to roll- just scoop onto the baking sheet- not completely round, but I’m ok with that.
I made this recipe for dinner tonight with rice. I followed the recipe exactly, except i used sriracha as opposed to Franks or another hot sauce. The meatballs were quick to mix and get on the cooking sheet and they were done on time and they on their own are delicious. The sauce was also easy to prepare and glazes the meatballs beautifully. I opted to not use the red pepper flake and it was a nice heat. I will definitely make these again. Great, easy and tasty recipe.
Can these be frozen for a later use
These were fantastic. Entire family loved them!! Followed the recipe to a t except for adding a T of chopped parsley to the chicken balls for taste and color. GREAT RECIPE!!!
Can these be frozen for later use,I want to have them for Christmas ,thanks in advance for a reply
Unfortunately we’ve never had leftovers to freeze! They’re always gone in a flash!
What about using the sauce over shrimp? This reminds me of a similar dish at a local restaurant….
Sure! That sounds yummy!
Hello! I was wondering if I would be able to
Make these in a slow cooker? If so, what changes would I need to make to the recipe?
Unfortunately i’ve never tried making them in the slow cooker, Megan so i’m unsure if the recipe will actually work. This would definitely require addition recipe testing before I could say for sure!
I was going to ask the same question. I want to make this for a Christmas party and be able to keep them nice and warm, so I may cook them as described in the recipe, then place them in a slow cooker with some additional sauce.
Yes, I think that should work. I would keep it on warm rather than ‘low’ just to make sure they’re not drying out as they sit. Additional sauce is always a good idea 🙂
Fantastic recipe! I will definitely be trying it soon! Thanks for sharing 🙂
making tonight, exited to try!
These look yum..can you tell me how spicy they end up?
They weren’t too spicy for our taste. You could leave the red pepper flakes out if you’d like it to be more mild!
These look awesome! My boyfriend would love them too. Definilty putting these on the list. I think I could make them into a dinner or stirfry kinda with veggies and rice too. What do u think?
Yup! Definitely, Julie! I’ve don’t it with a little steamed broccoli and white rice on the side before. Drizzled the firecracker sauce on the broccoli and rice, so good! I would suggest doubling the sauce if you guys like a little more gravy in your stirfrys! 🙂
I love this easy and quick recipe! I’ll give it a try!
Hope you enjoy it Olivia, thanks for commenting! 🙂