These Indian Spiced Chicken Meatballs are sure to be a hit!!! Tender, succulent and packed with wonderful spices. This is the deliciousness of curry in easy to eat meatball form. The perfect party appetizer, or serve with rice and dhal for a great midweek meal!.
What spices should I use in these chicken meatballs?
The wonderful thing about these meatballs is they have such a great depth of flavour but without the hours of cooking.
The moisture in the chicken meat, soften the spices so they are balanced and well rounded without any raw spice flavour.
The spices I like to included in my Indian chicken meatballs are:
- ground coriander
- ground turmeric
- garam masala
- curry powder (get my recipe)
They are all mild spices that create an aromatic and flavor packed meatball rather than a spicy meatball.
If you like things spicy then add some red pepper flakes (I would suggest 1 teaspoon to get the heat going)
Can I make my own ground chicken for this recipe?
I tend to buy my ground chicken (chicken mince) from the butchers, but on occasions if I find chicken on special offer I will mince my own. It is easy to do in the food processor.
You can use chicken thighs, chicken breast or my favourite is a mixture of 3 chicken thighs and 1 chicken breast.
I chop them into chunks and then pulse chop in the food processor until I have a course mince. Then proceed with the recipe as normal.
This recipe for Indian chicken meatballs also works well with ground turkey.
As there are no binders in this recipe I wouldn't suggest substituting in ground beef. Ground beef tends to be less sticky than ground chicken and the meatballs don't stay together well. If you want to use beef then I would suggest adding an egg and ½ cup of breadcrumbs to the mixture. (this will stop them being GF and paleo)
These indian chicken meatballs make the perfect party bite, as they are easy to eat straight from a skewer/cocktail stick and they are delicious served hot, warm or room temp.
If you want to serve these as part of a meal, I like to serve them with dhal and rice. (Dahl recipe here)
You could add a vegetable curry instead. My current favourite is this chickpea and potato curry from my friend Richa over at My Food Story.
Enjoy x
Why not pin this recipe for Indian Chicken Meatballs for later. Pin it here
Indian Chicken Meatballs
Ingredients
You can change the measurement from US to metric at the bottom of this list
- 1 onion
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- 2 teaspoon curry powder (get my recipe)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- small handful of fresh coriander
- 1.1 lb ground chicken (chicken mince)
Instructions
- Peel the onion and garlic and place them into the food processor. Whizz on high powder until you have a onion smoosh.
- Add the ground coriander, turmeric, garam masala, curry powder and salt then pulse to combine
- Finally add in the coriander and pulse to just chop.
- Tip the onion mixture into a large bowl and add in the chicken mince.
- Use you hands to mix everything together.
- Use a tablespoon measure to scoop out a ball of mixture and smooth into a ball.
- Repeat until all the mixture has been used.
- To cook, heat a small amount of all in a frying pan and cook the meatballs for 3-4 minutes before turning and cooking for a further 3 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
Indian Chicken Meatball Anecdote
(aka my recipe ramble for those who love the waffle)
I LOVE LOVE LOVE meatballs! For me they are the perfect little bite!
AND you can mix up the flavour with so many different things!
PLUS you can serve them in so many different ways!
My favourite way is as an appetizer like these indian chicken meatballs, but for other appetizer meatballs checkout my
Or add them to a soup like these two nourishing and amazing soupy dishes:
I have a meatball collection if you want to check it out 😉
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Nicole says
I love Indian Inspired recipes! These look great and your photos look amazing too!
Claire McEwen says
Thank you Nicole 😀
Veronika's Kitchen says
What a great recipe! I love how you use the spices) Saving the recipe for later!)
Claire McEwen says
Thank you Veronica, they are so packed with flavor thanks to those spices.
Julie says
I love strong, bold flavors -- one of my biggest complaints about chicken meatballs is that they're usually pretty bland and dry. I love the combination of spices you used here; can't wait to give it a try!
Claire McEwen says
These are definitely not bland 😉
I agree though so often they are dry. In this recipe the whizzed up onion helps tp keep them moist.
Amanda Mason says
These look divine! I love all the ingredients in these meatballs and I love that I can use ground chicken or turkey! These would make for a perfect snack!!!
Claire McEwen says
They are a great snack, my kids are happy with a little bowl of these after school, or watching the game they are great to just nibble on 😀
Sharon says
The aroma and taste of all the spices sound so good. I bet these chicken meatballs are a hit whenever you make them.
Claire McEwen says
They really are, they are always the first thing to go at parties 😀
Kiki Johnson says
What a great recipe! The spice mix you are using sounds just divine and I can literally smell these through the screen! I love that you are using a lean chicken mince to cut down on the fat !
Claire McEwen says
Hehe, how could would scratch and sniff blogs be!!! 😉
I love using chicken mince it works so well with flavors and is lower fat...winning!
Veena Azmanov says
I love Indian anything!! These sound incredible and love how easy they are to make. Cilantro is always a perfect herb with Indian spices. Saving for later.
Claire McEwen says
Thank you Veena, I love how packed with flavor these are!
Whitney says
These look delightful! They look light and full of flavor, you can never go wrong with curry! These will be perfect for the next potluck, as they're so unique compared to your standard party meatball, thank you!
Claire McEwen says
Thank you Whitney, I find everyone loves them, as they aren't spicy just packed with flavor. Definitely one for a potluck 😀
Elaine @ Dishes Delish says
I love everything about these meatballs, from the use of chicken to the herbs and spices. Perfect! I can't wait to make these!
Claire McEwen says
Thank you so much Elaine 😀
Rachel says
I think I could pop a whole bowl of these things into my my mouth. The curry sounds so flavorful and the look so savory. Yum!
Claire McEwen says
If I make them for the kids I always have to get them on their plates quick as I am terrible at just picking at them before I serve them 😉
Shelley @ Two Healthy Kitchens says
My family looooooves Indian foods and flavors, and we're always looking for healthier recipe ideas, so I' am absolutely thrilled to find this gorgeous recipe! So often, meatballs are full of fat and calories, so this much-leaner option is perfect, especially with all those fantastic, flavorful spices! Definitely pinning to share!
Claire McEwen says
Thank you so much Shelley, I couldn't agree more. I love using chicken mince to make meatballs 😀
Abby @ WinsteadWandering says
I've recently rediscovered the wonders of ground chicken, and now I can't get enough. I love the spices you used, and I really love that golden crust you got on the meatballs!
Claire McEwen says
Thank you Abby, isn't ground chicken just the best!
April says
I love the flavor in these, and they're so easy to make!
Claire McEwen says
Thank you April, they really are so quick and easy aren't they 😀
Sues says
I am all about Indian spices and love that chicken meatballs are a bit healthier than usual, so these are just perfect for me! I would want them all to myself 🙂
Claire McEwen says
Hehe. I agree! In our house there is always a bit of a stand off over the last meatball 😉
Nellie Tracy says
These meatballs are fabulous! So easy and delicious.
Claire McEwen says
Oh so happy you enjoyed them 😀
Jenn says
I love that this recipe doesn't need any binders to keep these tender, juicy meatballs together! Fantastic combination of spices and flavor!
Claire McEwen says
Thank you Jenn, they are always a hit (with kids and adults)
Zubia khan says
Its so easy and delicious chicken meat balls recipes - perfect for Iftar recipes. I'll must try this
Claire McEwen says
Thank you so much 😀
Just Jo says
Oh my these look fab Claire! I have to mince my own chicken but that's no hardship - I am adding these to my to make list asap!
P.s. love that little penguin aw lol
Claire McEwen says
Oh thank you Jo. I had forgotten that chicken mince isn't easily available back in the UK.
When I re-read this post I thought I must use the icons more often!!! Wonder what else they have!
Jane says
These are so good!! Just made them but into rissoles, baked them after popping them on the sandwich press for a couple of minutes. Thanks x
Lesli Schwartz says
These Indian meatballs looks amazing! Can't wait to make them!
Dorothy Dunton says
Hi Claire! These would not last long here, Gary always hovers about the kitchen if I'm making something he really likes (as in everything)! He is especially fond of curried anything! I usually bake my meatballs on a rimmed sheet pan with a cup or so of broth. They brown, plus they stay really moist.