These Low Calorie Chicken Meatballs make great appetizers for holiday gatherings and get togethers year around. They are just 52 calories and come with 6 different sauces. So you can choose your favorite, or make one big batch of meatballs, and toss them in different sauces for several appetizer varieties.
Ingredients You’ll Need:
- 1 pound ground chicken (or use turkey, beef, or pork)
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs (or gluten-free panko)
- 2 green onions
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- Choose your sauce below
Low Calorie Chicken Meatballs
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Healthy Chicken Meatballs Meal Prep and Storage
Meal Prep – Cook the meatballs according to the directions and toss in sauce, and then allow to cool completely. Add single servings into individual containers, or family sized servings into a large container.
Frozen Leftovers – Will hold in the freezer for 1 month.
Refrigerated Leftovers – Will hold in the refrigerator for 4 days.
Reheating – Add to the microwave for 2-3 minutes (defrosted) or 4-6 minutes (frozen) or add to a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and bake defrosted meatballs for 10-15 minutes in a hot oven (350-400 degrees). Cut one in half to check that it is warmed through.
Low Calorie Chicken Meatballs
More Low Calorie Appetizer Recipes:
Low Calorie Chicken Meatballs
Equipment
Ingredients
Homemade Teriyaki Sauce:
- ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce or gluten free Tamari
- ¼ cup water
- 1 ½ tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons fresh ginger grated or minced
- 2 cloves of garlic grated or minced
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
Homemade Meatballs:
- 1 pound ground chicken or use turkey, beef, or pork
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs or gluten-free panko
- 2 green onions minced
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
More Sauces to Try:
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- To a small sauce pan, combine the soy sauce, water, honey, brown sugar, rice vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, garlic and cornstarch.
- Heat over medium heat stirring continuously until the cornstarch dissolves and thickens up the sauce. Then remove from heat and set aside.
- To a large bowl combine the ground meat, egg, panko breadcrumbs, green onions, and 2 tablespoons of the homemade teriyaki sauce (if using a different sauce or glaze from above, use that instead).
- Mix the meatball mixture together until just combined (too much mixing will make tough meatballs).
- Roll out 20 small meatballs, adding to the prepared baking sheet as you work.
- Bake the meatballs in the hot oven for 25 minutes, until cooked through and browned.
- Add to a large bowl, and pour over the prepared sauce.
- Toss well, then move the meatballs to a serving platter, sprinkle with pepper flakes, and skewer (if you like) with toothpicks for easy snacking.
Nutrition
About the Author
Hi, my name is Audrey Johns and I am a 4 time best selling cookbook author! All 4 of my low calorie cookbooks are published by HarperCollins (the oldest publishing house in the US!) and have been featured on prominent TV shows like The Today Show, Rachael Ray and The Doctors. I am a low calorie and healthy recipe authority and my delicious recipes are tried and loved by thousands of readers.
After a one year 150 pound weight loss (and I’ve kept it off for 13 years!) I started sharing all of my low calorie recipes with the world. They are always all-natural and geared around weight loss and weight management. I have even made some of these recipes with my Biggest Loser pal Bob Harper! Check out my weight loss story, my best selling cookbooks, and my numerous TV appearances by clicking here.
Nutrition and Calories in Chicken Meatballs
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Article History:
- Originally written and published November 16, 2022 by Audrey Johns
- Most recent update November 9, 2023 by Audrey Johns