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Vietnamese Chicken Meatballs

Vietnamese Chicken Meatballs
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Try these super tasty and easy Vietnamese Chicken Meatballs for your next party.

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs, trimmed of visible fat and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
  • 3 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
  • 3 small shallots, finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 stalk of fresh lemongrass, tender white inner bulb only, minced
  • 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro, plus 1/3 cup leaves for serving
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped mint, plus 1/3 cup leaves for serving
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 head Boston or red leaf lettuce, leaves separated
  • 1 small seedless cucumber—peeled, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
  • 1 small red onion, halved and sliced
  • Asian chili sauce, for serving

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°. Position a rack in the top third of the oven. In a food processor, pulse the chicken until coarsely ground; transfer to a bowl. Add the fish sauce, shallots, garlic, lemongrass, chopped cilantro and mint, cornstarch, salt and pepper and mix with your hands.
  2. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the sugar on a plate. Using slightly moistened hands, roll the chicken mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls. Roll the meatballs in the sugar until they are evenly coated. Transfer the meatballs to the prepared baking sheet and bake them for 15 minutes, until they are lightly browned and cooked through.
  3. Meanwhile, arrange the lettuce, cilantro and mint leaves, cucumber and onion on a platter. Transfer the meatballs to the platter and serve with chili sauce.

Notes

  • Meatball Tips

  • Make Ahead – The meatballs can be made up to two days ahead and gently reheated on the stove or in the microwave.

  • Keep Things Cold – You want to keep the fat from melting and breaking down before you cook the meatballs, so keep your meat and ingredients as cold as possible. Make the mixture in a chilled bowl, and if you are adding precooked ingredients like onions, let them cool down completely before adding.

  • Be Gentle – If the meatballs are packed too tightly and compactly, they’ll turn out tough, rubbery, and chewy. Oil your hands so that the mixture won’t stick to them and gently and quickly form the meatballs.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://goingmywayz.com/vietnamese-chicken-meatballs/