Chicken meatballs lightened up with zucchini in place of breadcrumbs and simmered in scrumptious balsamic harissa sauce. Ready in under 40 minutes and are mild enough for the kids. Serve as a main dish with brown rice, quinoa, salad or as an appetizer. Healthy comfort food at its best. These were soooo good!
I love meatballs, especially chicken!!! I could never be vegan but I’m doing my best to eat plant based as much as I can.
These were so juicy and tender. Traditionally harissa sauce is used in lamb dishes but after opening my first jar, I immediately thought of chicken or turkey. Although harissa would go so well with everything – beef, lamb, fish, even chickpeas in this sauce would make an amazing vegan dinner!
If you have never tried harissa it tastes like red pepper sauce with a kick => delicious. And the amount of kick is up to you. Mina Harissa currently offers 3 kinds of sauces – classic (which I used), red mild and green spicy, which consist of 6 simple ingredients: red bell pepper, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, vinegar, red chili pepper & salt. Contains no preservatives or anything artificial. You can buy it in Whole foods, Dean & DeLuca, Stop & Shop, Harris Teeter, The Fresh Market, Vons, H.E.B and Fairway. You can also find it online on Amazon and Vitacost.
Being from Ukraine I’m totally up for that kind of stuff. My mom always made canned peppers and sauces from various types of peppers, including spicy ones.
I have used harissa in both meatballs and the sauce. Also the addition of balsamic vinegar was brilliant. It added even more depth of flavour to the dish!
I love using shredded zucchini instead of breadcrumbs to save on calories and I just love the texture. It also makes the meatballs gluten free and paleo.
With an upcoming month of celebrations, you can serve these meatballs as an appetizer. They also freeze well and can be made ahead.
Enjoy!
Disclosure: I was compensated for my time to develop this recipe. I recommend only products I love, tried myself and are approved by Clean Eating lifestyle.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless & skinless chicken breasts, ground*
- 1 cup zucchini, finely shredded & liquid squeezed out (measured before squeezing)
- 1/4 cup green onions, finely chopped
- 1 egg, large
- 1 large garlic clove, crushed
- 2 tbsp Mina harissa
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp olive oil, extra virgin
- 1/3 cup parsley, finely chopped
- 3 tbsp Mina harissa
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 15 oz can tomato sauce
- 3 oz tomato paste
Directions
- In a large mixing bowl, add Meatballs Ingredients and thoroughly mix with your hands.
- Preheat large non-stick skillet on medium heat; using small scoop or your hands, roll 40 golf size ball meatballs and add to the skillet. Cook on both sides until golden brown, about 3 - 4 minutes per side. No need to cook through. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- Using the same skillet on low - medium heat, add olive oil and swirl to coat. Add onion and garlic; cook until translucent, about 4 - 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add remaining Sauce ingredients, stir and bring to a boil.
- Add meatballs and gently spoon sauce over them. Cover, reduce heat to low and cook for 15 minutes and then for 5 more minutes uncovered. If the sauce becomes too thick add some water. Serve hot as a main meal with brown rice, quinoa or salad, or on their own as an appetizer.
Nutritional Info
Servings Per Recipe: 8
Amount Per Serving = 5 meatballs:
Calories: 207.1
Total Fat: 3.3 g
Cholesterol: 81.9 mg
Sodium: 812.9 mg
Total Carbs: 13.9 g
Dietary Fiber: 1.9 g
Protein: 27.9 g
WW Points+: 5