Chicken Meatballs with Caramelized Onion and Leeks

Name: Chicken Meatballs with Caramelized Onion and Leeks
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 1.2 lbs ground chicken; 1 egg; 1/2 cup fresh parsley; 1/2 cup fresh cilantro; 1/2 cup breadcrumbs; 1/2 tsp turmeric; 1/2 tsp cumin; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp black pepper; 1/3 cup olive oil; 2 yellow onions; 2 leeks; 2 tbsp date syrup; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp black pepper; 1/4 tsp turmeric; 1 cup water; Olive oil

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 35

Total Time: 50

Hearty chicken meatballs cooked in a caramelized onion and leek sauce. Serve these over mashed potatoes or rice for a cozy weeknight dinner.

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Chicken Meatballs with Caramelized Onion and Leeks

I’ve recently been loving chicken meatballs as a hearty protein during the week. They’re easy to make, affordable, and can be enjoyed alone or cooked in a sauce for more flavor. These simple chicken meatballs are cooked in a sweet caramelized onion and leek sauce with a little date syrup and a few spices.

They’re the perfect combination of savory with a hint of sweetness, and make for the ideal cozy dinner served over creamy mashed potatoes.

Any recipe that can be made ahead and frozen is a winner in my book. These meatballs are so easy to whip up, and can easily be frozen and thawed as needed for a quick protein during the week. You can even double the batch, then cook them in their sauce when you’re ready to enjoy them.

I love serving them with rice, mashed potatoes or couscous for a hearty dinner.

What to serve with your chicken meatballs-

What you’ll need to make chicken meatballs

For the chicken meatballs-

ground chicken
parsley and cilantro
egg
breadcrumbs
spices: turmeric, cumin, salt & pepper

For the sauce-

yellow onion
leeks
date syrup
olive oil
cumin, salt & pepper

Prepare the chicken meatballs

Start by combing the ground chicken in a bowl with the chopped herbs, spices, breadcrumbs and egg. Using your hands, combine everything until evenly incorporated.

With oiled hands, form the meatballs using about 3 tbsp of the mix- you should get about 14-16.

Heat a skillet on medium heat with olive oil, and sear the meatballs for about 3 minutes per side to brown. Remove them from the pan and set aside.

Saute the onions for the sauce

Into the same pan, drizzle a little extra oil. Add the sliced onions and leeks, and saute for about 20 minutes, stirring every few minutes to brown the onions.

Once browned, add in the date syrup, seasonings and water to create the sauce. Bring the sauce to a boil and place the chicken meatballs back into the pan.

Lower the flame, and simmer the meatballs for about 15 minutes.

You should be left with a thick, sweet onion sauce to serve over the fluffy chicken meatballs. The flavors are so delicious together- perfect for shabbat, a holiday meal or a cozy weeknight dinner.

Chicken substitutes

While I love making this recipe with ground chicken, you can also make it using ground turkey or beef.

Make ahead and freeze

If you wanted to prepare this meal ahead of time, I would suggest prepping the chicken meatballs and cooking them fully on the pan. Once cooked, let them cool and freeze them in a ziplock bag or airtight container.

The sauce is best when made fresh, so when you’re ready to serve it, just saute the leeks and onion, add in the remaining ingredients, and simmer the chicken meatballs in the sauce until it thickens.