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Cranberry Apple Chicken Meatballs
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5 from 1 vote

Cranberry Apple Chicken Meatballs

These cranberry apple chicken meatballs are a festive holiday favorite, packed with sweet dried cranberries, juicy apples, and delicious flavor.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chicken apple meatballs, cranberry apple chicken meatballs, cranberry apple meatballs, cranberry chicken meatballs
Servings: 7 servings
Author: Shawna Clark

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground chicken
  • 1/2 cup grated apple about one medium apple
  • 1/3 cup dried cranberries roughly chopped
  • 1 egg whisked
  • 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Instructions

  • Roughly chop the dried cranberries so their flavor is evenly distributed throughout the meatballs.
  • Peel the apple and grate it using a box grater or a food processor fitted with a grating disc. Make sure to grate, not blend, so the texture stays just right.
  • Add the ground chicken, grated apple, dried cranberries, whisked egg, panko breadcrumbs, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper to a large bowl.
  • Mix everything together until it is well combined.
  • Use a 2-teaspoon cookie scoop to portion the mixture, then roll each scoop into a ball. Place the meatballs on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
  • Bake the meatballs at 400°F for 17-20 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
  • Let the meatballs cool, top with optional cranberry sauce or gravy, and enjoy!

Video

Notes

  • Cranberry Sauce & Gravy: You can top the meatballs with cranberry sauce or gravy, or make a simple sauce by mixing 1/3 cup of cranberry sauce with 1/4 cup of chicken broth. Spoon it over the meatballs and serve extra on the side for dipping.
  • Protein Options: You can swap the ground chicken in this recipe with ground chicken breast, ground turkey breast, or lean ground turkey.
  • Larger Meatballs: Use a large cookie scoop and bake the meatballs for 22 to 26 minutes, or until they reach an internal temperature of 165°F.
  • Apple Prep Options: If you don’t want to grate the apple, finely chop it.
  • Apples to Use: We love using Pink Lady apples, but Fuji, Gala, or Honeycrisp apples will also work.
  • Onion Swap: Omit the onion powder and use 1/4 cup of sautéed onion for extra depth of flavor.
 
WW Points: 1 point per serving; This recipe makes 28 meatballs, each serving is 4 meatballs
To see your WW Points in the WW app for this recipe click here! Or, please manually add the ingredients to the recipe builder.

Nutrition

Serving: 4meatballs | Calories: 148kcal | Carbohydrates: 14.2g | Protein: 16.6g | Fat: 2.8g | Saturated Fat: 0.7g | Cholesterol: 74mg | Sodium: 125mg | Fiber: 1.2g | Sugar: 7.6g