Super tasty Chicken Balls made easy to impress at your next party. Chicken Balls stuffed with ham, cheese and garlic, coated in a golden crumb of crunchy Panko breadcrumbs.
These are not only great for entertaining, also make for a fun dinner or sandwich replacement in your kid’s school lunch boxes.
CHICKEN BALLS
These Chicken Balls are great as entertaining food, or as I have done, cooked then frozen in small portions for easy to grab dinners for the kids, just serve with steamed rice and salad.
TIP: I have used Panko breadcrumbs as they are larger than normal breadcrumbs which gives a crunchier crumb. I pretty much only ever use Panko when needing breadcrumbs.
LUNCHBOX LEFTOVERS
Check out my Chicken Balls Lunchbox post, using these Chicken Balls in school lunches the next day.
Don’t waste the rest of that packet of Panko breadcrumbs, make some of these recipes…
INGREDIENTS
- CHICKEN MINCE – I personally try to use organic chicken mince from the supermarket, but any chicken mince is perfectly fine. As an alternative, you can try turkey mince.
- MOZZARELLA OR CHEDDAR – I prefer mozzarella or cheddar as I find these melt the best, but you can use your preferred cheese.
- BREADCRUMBS – I like to use Panko breadcrumbs as I find they have more of a crunch compared to regular breadcrumbs but you can use any breadcrumbs you like including GF.
- HAM – you can leave this out if ham isn’t your thing or you can add the same amount of vegetables instead. Such as grated zucchini or finely chopped capsicum.
- GARLIC – for flavour.
- EGG – The binder for the breadcrumbs to stick to the balls.
- FLOUR – you can use GF flour if desired.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS FOR CHICKEN BALLS
Can I use Turkey for these balls?
Yes! A great alternative meat for these balls is ground turkey.
Do I have to use Panko breadcrumbs?
No, you don’t, you can use any breadcrumbs you like. I just prefer to use Panko breadcrumbs.
Can I make these dairy free?
Yes you sure can! Swap out the cheese for either Vegan cheese or nutritional yeast.
Can I use different spice variations?
This recipe calls for garlic and parsley, but don’t be afraid to mix in other spices like Italian seasoning, smoked paprika for a different smoky note or even a pinch of red pepper flakes for some heat.
Are chicken balls the same as chicken nuggets?
Not at all as these are a lot healthier, but if your kids only like ‘chicken nuggets’ you could shape these to look like chicken nuggets.
HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN BALLS
STEP 1
Combine chicken mince & breadcrumbs, then roll into balls.
STEP 2
Mix together cheese, ham, garlic & parsley, then stuff into balls.
STEP 3
Roll balls in flour, egg then breadcrumbs to coat.
STEP 4
Cook either by shallow frying or in the oven, until golden and crispy.
Chicken Balls
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 24 1x
Description
Super tasty Chicken Balls made easy to impress at your next party. Stuffed with ham, cheese and garlic, coated in a golden crumb of crunchy Panko breadcrumbs.
Ingredients
- 500g chicken mince
- 100g / 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- Salt & pepper
- 50g mozzarella or cheddar cheese, grated
- 50g ham, finely diced
- 1 garlic clove, finely diced
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 75g / ½ cup plain flour
- 1 egg, lightly whisked
- Extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil for shallow frying
Instructions
SHALLOW FRY METHOD
Pre heat oven 200°C.
In a bowl combine the chicken mince and half the breadcrumbs. Season well with salt and pepper. Shape level tablespoons of mixture into balls.
Use your fingers to combine the cheese, ham, garlic and parsley in a bowl. Take a ball, make a deep indentation in the centre, fill this with the cheese & ham mixture, then fold the chicken around to enclose. Reshape into a ball and repeat until all have been filled.
Have ready 3 shallow dishes, one with flour, one with egg and the last with the remaining breadcrumbs. Coat each ball first in flour, then egg and finally roll in the breadcrumbs. Repeat until all balls are coated.
Pour oil into a high sided fry pan, or saucepan, so it is about 1cm deep. Heat over medium heat and cook the balls in batches, turning constantly. Once golden, place on a plate lined with paper towel to drain. Once drained spread balls onto a baking tray and place into the hot oven for a further 5-10 minutes until cooked through.
OVEN METHOD
Pre heat oven 200°C.
Spread half the panko crumbs on a baking tray and spray with oil. Bake for 3 minutes until just golden. Scrape into bowl straight away to stop them from darkening further in the hot tray.
In a bowl combine the chicken mince and the remaining half of the breadcrumbs. Season well with salt and pepper. Shape level tablespoons of mixture into balls.
Use your fingers to combine the cheese, ham, garlic and parsley in a bowl. Take a ball and make a deep indentation in the centre, fill this with the cheese & ham mixture, then fold the chicken around to enclose. Reshape into a ball and repeat until all balls have been filled.
Have ready 3 shallow dishes, one with flour, one with egg and the last with the toasted breadcrumbs. Coat each ball first in flour, then egg and finally roll in the breadcrumbs. Spread out onto a baking tray, repeat until all balls are coated and spray lightly with oil.
Bake in oven for 15 – 20 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through.
Notes
You can fill and roll each ball, then freeze or leave in fridge until later if you want to reduce prep time on the day.
- Prep Time: 30 min
- Cook Time: 15 min
TOMATO RELISH DIPPING SAUCE?
These Chicken Balls go perfectly with a Tomato Relish dipping sauce. You could put in the time to make your own or grab a good quality jar, like the one from Crunch Preserves.
www.crunchpreserves.com.au
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