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This easy recipe for Hot Honey Chicken Meatballs has made its way to the top of my list of favorite meatballs. It’s a little spicy, a little sweet, and a whole lot of delicious! Whether served as an appetizer or as an entree over white rice, these flavorful chicken meatballs are too good to have just one of.
The words “hot” and “honey” are already exciting, but when put together in the same sentence?! Swoon.
And when hot honey sauce is covering homemade chicken meatballs? Double swoon.
While it can be totally tempting to use frozen meatballs, resist that urge and spend a little extra time using this easy homemade recipe. I promise it’s SO worth it!
I’ve served these spicy and sweet chicken meatballs with toothpicks on game day and over white rice for dinner. Every time, no matter how they’re served, they’re a huge hit!
Chicken meatballs doused in a sticky sauce made with ingredients like honey, cayenne pepper, butter, and garlic, is a dish pretty much no one can resist.
The chicken meatballs pair perfectly with the crazy good sauce, as they’re fairly neutral in flavor themselves. This is one of those recipes I really love serving over rice, and not just to balance out the meal… but because it absorbs the sauce perfectly, and I don’t want to miss a single drop!
Ingredients
- Ground chicken – You just need 1 pound of ground white meat chicken.
- Egg – If you’re able to, try to use free range organic eggs.
- Panko breadcrumbs – This will serve as the neutral flavored ingredient in the meatballs that holds them together.
- Flour – No need to get fancy! Plain all-purpose flour works best.
- Cayenne pepper – If you want the spice to be more spicy than sweet, add an additional teaspoon.
- Salt – Be very careful to not add too much!
- Garlic powder – You can add an additional teaspoon of this as well, if you’re craving a more noticeable garlicky flavor.
- Onion powder – This powder helps give the meatballs more depth, without overpowering their flavor.
- Oil – Vegetable or olive oil will both get the job done.
- Butter – You can use unsalted or salted butter, it just depends on your preference.
- Garlic – Finely mince the garlic for the best consistency.
- Chicken broth – Chicken stock will also work in a pinch.
- Honey – I try to use local organic honey when I can, but store-bought honey will also do the trick.
- Cornstarch – This is what will thicken the sauce to the desired consistency. If you’re all out, you can try using wheat flour instead.
Can I just make these with regular honey?
Yes, definitely. Just omit the cayenne pepper and these will just be honey chicken meatballs instead of the hot honey.
Honestly though, the little kick with the sweet is so good. Give it a shot – maybe start with 1/4 teaspoon instead if you’re sensitive to heat!
Can you use another ground meat?
Yes, you can use ground turkey! Ground pork is a little too fatty for this dish so ground turkey or ground chicken works very well!
How long will hot honey chicken meatballs stay fresh?
In an airtight container in the fridge, these meatballs will stay fresh for up to 3 days. Make sure to store all of the sauce, too! You don’t want any of it going to waste, and extra sauce also helps to keep the meatballs moist and not dried out when reheating.
Can I freeze chicken meatballs?
Yes, you sure can!
Once the chicken meatballs cool to room temperature, keep them in an airtight container and freeze them for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to reheat them, you can bake them at 350°F for about 18-20 minutes.
Then just toss them in your fresh hot honey sauce, and you’re off to the races! They’ll really be good as new.
More meatball recipes I love!
Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Meatballs
One Pot Sticky Asian Meatballs
Hot Honey Chicken Meatballs
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound (454 g) ground chicken
- 1 egg
- ½ cup (30 g) panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper powder, divided
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt, divided
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil
- 1 tablespoon (14 g) butter
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 ¼ cup (296 ml) chicken broth, divided
- ⅓ cup (113 g) honey
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
Instructions
- Add the chicken, egg, breadcrumbs, flour, 1 teaspoon of the cayenne powder, 1 teaspoon of the salt, garlic powder and onion powder together until combined.
- Form 2-inch balls out of the mixture and set aside on a plate.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat and cook the meatballs for 7-8 minutes, stirring often so that they cook thoroughly. (You may need to cook them in batches depending on how large your pan is.)
- Remove the meatballs from the pan and set aside on a covered plate for later.
- Add the butter, garlic and remaining cayenne and salt to the same pan and cook until the garlic becomes fragrant then add 1 cup of the chicken broth and the honey to the pan and whisk to combine.
- Bring it to a simmer and let it cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Stir the cornstarch into the remaining chicken broth then pour it into the sauce and whisk to combine.
- Let it simmer for 5-6 minutes or until it thickens significantly.
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the meatballs and serve with freshly minced parsley for garnish.
