Lemon Grass Chicken or Pork Meatballs With Sassy Peanut Sauce
Makes 48 meatballs
It’s important to use ground thigh meat in this recipe as it’s much more meatball friendly and makes a juicier meatball than regular ground white meat. You can make the meatball mixture the day before and the sauce up to a week ahead.
¼ cup Thai sweet chili sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon sambal oelek or Sriracha sauce
1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger or ginger paste
1 ½ tablespoons minced fresh garlic
2 tablespoons finely minced fresh lemon grass or lemon grass paste
1/3 cup thinly sliced green onion
1 teaspoon granulated onion
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1- 1 1/2 cup plain panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup Shredded/Flake Coconut
1½ pounds ground chicken thigh meat or Ground Pork
48 Skewers
For garnishing:
Sassy Peanut Sauce (see accompanying recipe)
Fresh cilantro leaves
Lime wedges
1. In a large bowl, combine the sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, sambal oelek, vinegar, ginger, garlic, lemon grass, green onion, granulated onion, kosher salt and ½ cup of the panko crumbs. Stir well to combine, and then add the chicken meat. With clean hands, mix the bread crumb mixture into the chicken well. If the mixture seems to be too wet, add up to another ¼ cup of panko crumbs and mix in well.
2. The recipe can be made to this point, covered tightly, and refrigerated for up to 1 day in advance.
3. When ready to cook the meatballs, preheat oven to 400 degrees or use a grill or Smoker. Note: if using a grill rotate every 2 min to avoid burning. 165* internal Temp for Chicken, 160* IT for Pork.
4. Thoroughly spray a rimmed baking pan with cooking spray. Scoop up level tablespoonfuls of the chicken mixture, shape into 48 balls, and place, spaced apart, on the baking sheet.
5. place 4-5 on skewers allowing for separation between meatballs (Grill or Smoker only)
6. Bake for about 4 minutes, then flip the meatballs over and cook for about 4 minutes more, until lightly browned and cooked through.
7. Serve immediately on a platter, drizzling the meatballs with a little peanut sauce. Scatter the platter with cilantro leaves and tuck in lime wedges for squeezing. Serve the remaining sauce on the side. Chef’s Note:
Sassy Peanut Sauce Makes 1¼ cups
1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
1 tablespoon finely minced ginger
½ cup water
¼ cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
¾ cup creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
½ teaspoon sambal oelek or sriracha Asian hot sauce
1. Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and process until smooth. If using unsweetened peanut butter, taste the sauce and add a pinch more sugar if desired.You can make the sauce up to a week in advance and hold refrigerated. Serve at room temperature.