Kung Pao Chicken Meatballs
Published 9/20/2024
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Get sassy with dinner and make our Kung Pao Chicken Meatballs! This is a Fit Foodie classic and a personal favorite of mine. They’re super simple to whip up, too, because the chicken meatballs are baked and then tossed in a simple homemade kung pao sauce.
If you don’t know what to make for dinner. Make these Kung Pao Chicken Meatballs ASAP. Remember FFF’s Healthy Kung Pao Chicken that we posted 1,000 years ago? Well, we based this sauce off of that very recipe. Why? Because it’s gotten rave reviews from so many FFF readers, we thought we’d re-invent it with an amazing baked chicken meatballs recipe!
I do want to make a quick note that this kung pao sauce is NOT authentic. It’s very much a “Minnesota-nice, I’ve got about 5 minutes to make dinner” kind-of-sauce.
What You Need for Kung Pao Chicken Meatballs
We actually tested this recipe with both ground chicken and ground turkey, and both of them work. YAY! Here’s what else you need for the ground chicken meatballs:
- onion
- flour (any kind)
- rolled oats
- sriracha
- salt
- pepper
- garlic
Make them g/f: You can easily keep these flavorful kung pao meatballs gluten-free by using a gluten-free flour blend and certified gluten-free rolled oats. We love the texture rolled oats give these baked meatballs and I’m sure you will too!
You Must Try Our Kung Pao Sauce
Once you’ve got your meatballs in the oven, it’s time to make the kung pao sauce! Now, I’m sort of biased about Fit Foodie’s kung pao sauce, but it’s pretty damn good! I love it mostly because it’s made with honey and not another refined sugar. It’s also super basic with just 5 total ingredients.
- soy sauce (or tamari)
- sriracha
- red chili sauce
- honey
Is this kung pao sauce super spicy?
I would say it’s medium or…Minnesota spicy? You can totally control the spice by adding more soy sauce and/or honey!
How to Serve Your Meatballs
- Appetizer: these meatballs are perfect for a high-protein app. Just pop a toothpick in each one!
- Make it a meal: serve your meatballs over white rice and your favorite veggie such as air fryer broccoli.
More Meatball Recipes
- Green Curry Sweet Potato Chicken Meatballs
- Red Coconut Curry Meatballs
- Healthy Rosemary Thyme Balsamic Meatballs
- Sweet and Sour Meatballs Skewers
More Stir Fry Recipes
- Kung Pao Shrimp
- Our Best Healthy Stir Fry Recipes
- Honey Ginger Chicken Stir Fry
- Healthy Sweet and Sour Chicken
- Instant Pot Beef and Broccoli
Baked Kung Pao Chicken Meatballs
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- 1 lb. ground chicken
- 1/3 cup finely diced yellow onion
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup white whole wheat flour, option to sub all-purpose or gluten-free all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup rolled oatmeal
- 1 tablespoon sriracha
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
For the Kung Pao Sauce
- 4 tablespoons soy sauce, option to tamari or coconut aminos
- 2 tablespoon sriracha
- 2 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
- 2 tablespoon honey
Instructions
- First, preheat oven to 400ºF and spray a baking sheet with coconut oil cooking spray. Set aside.
- Next, prep chicken meatballs mixture by placing all ingredients into a large bowl mixing until combined.
- Using a tablespoon cookie scoop (note: these are bite-sized, not giant!), scoop out a heaping scoop of mixture and mold into a ball with your hands. It works best if your hands are slightly wet with water. Place on baking sheet and repeat.
- Bake meatballs at 400ºF for 25-28 minutes or until the top begins to turn golden brown.
- While the meatballs are cooking, prep the kung pao sauce, by mixing all ingredients together in a small bowl.
- Once the meatballs have slightly cooled, toss in sauce. Serve hot!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Oh WHAT IS LIFE. This looks to die for!!
Made these over the weekend and was a little nervous with the sriracha but they turned out awesome! My fiancé had 4 and went for more and i swatted his hand because I wanted to save them for the beginning of the week! haha! SO GOOD!
YAY! I am so glad you loved them. It does seem like a lot of heat, but the honey really balances things out.
Do you have a brand of chili paste you recommend? Is it a sweet chili paste? Thanks!
Yes! I use the kind with the chicken on the label! You can get it an any grocery store. The bran is Huey Fong Sambal Oelek! http://amzn.to/1HMVbn0
Those pretty things look delicious! I pint them for a later trial. Thanks! cathy
These meatballs turned out great for me! I can’t believe how good they are!! I’m bringing them as apps for my upcoming holiday parties and not telling anyone they are actually healthy. haha Thanks 🙂
YAY!!!!! So glad you loved them. I’ve made them 3 times since posting and actually ate them as part of a stir fry! NOM.
These meatballs are perfection!! Seriously drooling right now 😉
I’ve already made them 3 times 🙂
Gah! I am OBSESSED with meatballs. I don’t know what has gotten into me either but this year its all about them balls. Ha.
Some of us never grow up…
We be all about them ballz.
I love making meatballs, and I’ve been wanting to try your kung pao. How perfect! I’m excited now 😀
YOU WILL LOVE THIS!!! The kung pao sauce is OUT OF THIS WORLD amazing.
Way to add some POW to Kung Pao! 😉
🙂
SO GLAD THIS HAPPENED. But wait… do you have a sub for the sauce? 😉 :-p Muahaha
😛 Don’t evennnnnn.