Honey Chipotle Chicken Meatballs

I really love how simple, common ingredients can be combined into a flavorful and exciting dish.  And bonus points when most of those ingredients are PANTRY staples!!

Honey Chipotle Chicken Meatballs [I know I promised turkey meatballs, but I had a coupon for ground chicken instead]
Recipe adapted from Tracey's Culinary Adventures

1 lb ground chicken
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup honey
2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, seeds removed* and finely chopped
1 tsp adobo sauce
4 teaspoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil


*If you like more heat, leave the seeds in on one or both of the chiles

1.  Preheat oven to 375 F.  Heat a large, oven proof skillet over medium-high heat.

Use up all your garlic on Greek Tacos? 1/8 tsp good garlic powder = 1 clove

2.  In a medium bowl, stir the onion, garlic, salt, and black pepper together then add the chicken to the bowl and use your hands to mix just until combined (do not overmix).  Using your hands, pat the chicken mixture into an even layer at the bottom of the bowl and score into four sections.  Roll three golf ball-sized meatballs from each section (total 12 meatballs).

These brown up quickly so don't walk away!

3.  In a small bowl, stir together the honey, chiles,sauce, and vinegar.

Sweet heat.

4.  Add the oil to the heating skillet. Once it is shimmering, add the meatballs. Cook until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Move the skillet to the oven and bake the meatballs for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and pour the sauce over the meatballs. Bake for another 5 minutes (turning the meatballs in the sauce at the halfway point), or until the sauce has reduced to glaze the meatballs and the meatballs are cooked through, but not OVER cooked.  Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

Gavin thought the red dots were cranberries.

I will go ahead and say that if you don't like much heat, you might want to use only one chile.  Even with the seeds removed, the glaze still packed some good spice to it.  I loved how the sweet honey flavor gave way to the smokey warmth. of the chiles.

You could serve these with anything: rice, pasta, potatoes... They cooked up SO FAST that all I had time to do was throw some scrubbed potatoes in the microwave and steam some frozen veggies.  Dinner on the table in 20 minutes!!