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by Jessica May 11, 2022
These sticky BBQ chicken meatballs are so juicy and flavorful! Paired with crisp, refreshing broccoli slaw, this is an excellent weeknight meal that comes together fast.
I’ve got a go-to summer dinner for you today!
Sticky chicken meatballs in a sweet and tangy BBQ sauce, served with crispy, crunchy broccoli slaw. This.is.it.
It’s been a meatball kind of year over here! These ranch chicken meatballs I shared a few weeks ago are quickly becoming one of the most popular chicken recipes on the blog. They are so, so delicious!
The good news is that when I made those, I also tested a few different meatball recipes out. So I have even MORE to share with you.
This is hilarious because growing up, I didn’t even like meatballs. Well, I think I liked the ones that were made in a crockpot with jelly or something. But that was it!
These days, we all love meatballs. All kinds, any variation. Meatballs are also one of Jordan’s favorite foods!! They are something easy that I can prep for him. And while I don’t always do a fancy meatball, they are the best!
Enter these sticky BBQ chicken meatballs.
Oh my gosh – this is SUCH a good meal. I make the meatballs and brown them in the skillet. Then I transfer them to a plate and make the sticky sauce. Some BBQ sauce, honey and water is all it takes. Let that bubble a bit, add the meatballs back in and check the internal temp before serving. You want them to be 165 degrees F inside before eating.
These are so super delicious. Like, cannot get enough. You can serve them so many different wants – on sandwiches, in lettuce cups, even on SALAD! (Remember my meatball salad in The Pretty Dish?!)
Here’s how I like to serve them: with broccoli slaw.
Oh yes.
This is creamy, crunchy and refreshing with just a hint of sweetness. Now to make the broccoli slaw, I just buy it packaged. For years I had to make my own slaw – actually slice and shave everything! But these days, broccoli slaw is much more accessible and you should be able to find it in your local grocery story.
I keep it pretty simple here because I don’t want to outside the meatballs. It consists of plain greek yogurt, a touch of mayo, some apple cider vinegar and honey.
This dressing mixture is delightful. Of course, you can add in nuts or dried fruit if you’d like to bulk it up. Ia a few weeks, I’ll be sharing another incredible broccoli slaw side dish for your summer gatherings.
We LOVE these so much. They are so sweet and sweet, plus crunchy and crisp – the texture and flavor pairing is so complementary and wonderful. I love serving this with rice for some extra bulk in the meal – plus it just makes it all super fantastic. You gotta try them!
Sticky BBQ Chicken Meatballs with Broccoli Slaw
Sticky BBQ Chicken Meatballs with Broccoli Slaw
Yield: 4 people
Prep Time: 25 minutes mins
Cook Time: 20 minutes mins
Total Time: 45 minutes mins
These sticky BBQ chicken meatballs are so juicy and flavorful! Paired with crisp, refreshing broccoli slaw, this is an excellent weeknight meal that comes together fast.
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4.97 from 76 votes
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Ingredients
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced, plus more for serving
- ⅓ cup seasoned bread crumbs
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- kosher salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup BBQ sauce
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup water
- rice, for serving
broccoli slaw
- 1 (12 ounce) bag broccoli slaw
- ¼ cup plain greek yogurt
- ¼ cup mayo
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- kosher salt and pepper
Instructions
In a bowl, combine the chicken with the egg, garlic, onions, breadcrumbs, smoked paprika and a big pinch of salt and pepper. Mix until just combined and form the mixture into small meatballs. (Or large meatballs! Whatever you prefer!)
Heat the olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the meatballs in a single layer and brown on all sides. Once browned, transfer the meatballs to a plate.
In the same skillet, add in the BBQ sauce, honey and water. Whisk it together. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook for 1 minute. Add the meatballs back in and cook for a few minutes as the sauce thickens. You want the internal temperature of the meatballs to reach 165 degrees F before serving. Sprinkle with more green onions.
Serve with broccoli slaw and rice!
broccoli slaw
Place the broccoli slaw in a bowl.
In a smaller measuring cup or bowl, whisk together the yogurt, mayo, honey and apple cider vinegar with a big pinch of salt and pepper. Pour over the broccoli slaw and serve.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Author: How Sweet Eats
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Give me all the sauce.
posted in: Poultry, Recipes, Weeknight Meals 22 comments
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Leave a Reply
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Grace — Reply
Can’t wait to try these! What type of bread crumbs would you suggest using? I have Italian bread crumbs but not sure if that would throw the flavor off in this recipe. Thank you!
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Dorothy Williams — Reply
Can you post the chicken meatballs and broccoli slaw on my email It seems like a delicious recipe I like to try new things
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Melissa — Reply
Made a double batch of this last night and it was delicious! Perfect easy meal for spring and summer!
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Debbie — Reply
Just made these last night and everyone loved them. I’m curious what brand/type of bbq sauce you use? So many varieties out there. Thanks sm.
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Mandy Thome — Reply
This recipe was awesome! I made a double batch and it was so easy and quick. Thinking of trying the meatballs in my crockpot that has a the searing feature so I can make it for a crowd. This will be a go to recipe this summer, perfect balance with the rich barbecue meatballs and the tangy slaw!
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Brittany Cerminara — Reply
Awesome weeknight meal. Delicious & easy! Will be adding to the rotation.
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Alicia Mayers — Reply
Meatballs were delicious! Slaw too tangy for my family. Next time I will make myself a single serving of slaw 😁
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Kristy Warren — Reply
Chicken meatballs are my new love language
This is such a great recipe!!! -
Emily James — Reply
So delicious and easy! Absolutely will make again. I added a little hot honey to the bbq instead of regular.
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Meg — Reply
Perfect summer meal! Next time I’m going to try a spicy BBQ to balance out the tangy slaw.
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Christina — Reply
This
meatballs and broccoli slaw recipe is absolutely delicious!!! Thank you so much! -
Pingback: BBQ Chicken Meatballs | fudgingahead
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Susan — Reply
Made this for dinner tonight! Super easy and both the meatballs and broccoli slaw were so delicious! I made Jasmine rice to go with it! Perfect! Will make this again for sure!
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BearsFan — Reply
Thanks a bunch for sharing this recipe! It seemed like a lot to put together, but I made it tonight and what a winner!!!
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Rachel — Reply
Can you use frozen meatballs? Like a crockpot kinda thing?
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VM — Reply
Amazing!!! So good, I will be making again soon
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April — Reply
Wow!! So good!
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April — Reply
Forgot to say that I made it gluten free by using Rice Crispy ‘panko crumbs’.
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michelle — Reply
I made these last night for my family. We loved the tanginess of the BBQ sauce and the cool crunch of the broccoli slaw. It was a huge hit!
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Carrie — Reply
Delicious recipe!! Our whole family really enjoyed this!
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Leanne — Reply
Very good meatballs. I didn’t make the slaw but the meatballs came together nicely.
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Virginia Murphy — Reply
It’s snowing here in NY, but that doesn’t stop me from enjoying some BBQ! These chicken meatballs were fabulous! Made the recipe as written and it was perfect. I used Lillie’s Smokey Barbecue Sauce. Delish!
