Name: BBQ Chicken Meatballs
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 large egg; 1/4 cup plain breadcrumbs; 2 large garlic cloves, minced; 1 tablespoon taco seasoning; 1/2 black pepper; 1 pound ground chicken; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 cup BBQ sauce

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Tender chicken meatballs coated in BBQ sauce make a great main dish or appetizer. They’re easy to make with a couple of shortcuts and ready in about 25 minutes.

I’ve been making versions of these BBQ chicken meatballs for years, starting in 2015 when I first made them. Since then, I’ve fiddled with the recipe, taking it from a bit of a complicated process to something decidedly simpler, and that’s what we have today – my newest, favorite way to make BBQ chicken meatballs.

The meatballs are tender and soft, with a light glaze of BBQ sauce. I use a couple of easy shortcut ingredients in this recipe so it only takes about 25 minutes to make. You can serve them as a main dish or an appetizer, but more about that in a minute. Let’s talk ingredients first:

Ingredients

Ground chicken: There’s no reason you can’t use ground turkey, pork, or beef, too – it’s an easy way to switch up the recipe.
Plain breadcrumbs: If you have seasoned ones on hand, use them – they’ll work fine.
Taco seasoning: This makes things easier – no need to raid the spice rack and measure individual spices.
BBQ sauce: Use your favorite storebought brand.
Egg
Garlic
Black pepper
Olive oil

How to Make Them

☑️ Make the Ground Chicken Mixture

I like to mix the egg, breadcrumbs, and seasonings first so they are well combined before adding the chicken. This makes it easy to mix it all evenly once you add the meat.

☑️ Roll the Meatballs

Scoop approximately 2 tablespoons of the mixture to form each meatball. This will get you about 20 meatballs. Place them on a plate.

☑️ Brown the Meatballs

Heat the oil in a large nonstick pan over medium heat. Place the meatballs in the pan and brown them, turning them often until they are golden brown on all sides.

☑️ Simmer the Meatballs

Adjust the heat to medium and add the BBQ sauce. Stir to coat the meatballs and simmer them in the sauce for a few minutes or until they are cooked through (165°F). The sauce will thicken as it simmers.

the meatballs and reduced sauce in a pan.

Different Ways to Serve Them

You can serve these chicken meatballs a few different ways. I like them with rice or potatoes with a veggie like green beans or broccoli on the side.

I also like to make BBQ Chicken bowls with rice and a simple coleslaw on the side.

They’re great in sandwiches and wraps, too. Or, you can refrigerate them and add them to salads for easy lunches.

Or, serve them as an appetizer or snack for parties and game days. Just pile them in a bowl with some blue cheese dip or ranch dressing on the side for dipping.

More Chicken Meatballs