Made with fresh herbs, sweet apple and celery, they’re packed full of flavour and fresh ingredients.
You could make a big batch of these baked chicken and apple meatballs (this recipe makes 20) and serve them for the whole family with pasta or mashed potatoes.
Summary:
Prep: 10 minutes
Cooking: 20 minutes
Ages: Toddlers to Teens
Difficulty: Easy peasy
Makes: 20 mini meatballs
Can I freeze chicken and apple balls?
These baked chicken and apple meatballs are freezer friendly and will keep for up to three months in an airtight container, ready to defrost for a quick dinner when you’re in a pinch for time!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 chicken fillets either minced, ground in a blender or finely diced (about 250 grams)
- 1 medium onion, peeled and grated
- 1 pink apple, grated
- ¼ large celery stalk, very finely chopped (about 10 grams)
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley leaves
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1.5 slices wholemeal bread
- 1 egg, beaten
- 100 grams plain flour
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a saucepan over a low heat.
- Add the minced garlic, followed by the grated onion and let them soften for 1-2 minutes.
- Add in the chopped parsley and thyme leaves. Stir for another 1-2 minutes.
- Add in the grated apple, and finely chopped celery. Stir everything and cook for about 3 minutes. Remove from the pan when golden.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) fan setting. Grease an oven tray with oil spray.
- Take 1.5 slices wholemeal bread. Toast them a little and cut off the crusts. Place in a small mixer and blend until you get a fine, soft breadcrumb mixture. Empty into a large mixing bowl.
- Add in the cooked apple, celery, onion, garlic and herb mixture. Add the minced or ground chicken breasts.
- Lightly beat 1 egg and add this in as well.
- Mix with your hands until well combined.
- Form the mixture into a batch of mini meatballs about 2-3 cm diameter by squeezing and rolling in your hand. An ice cream scoop can also be very useful too for scooping out the mixture.
- Place 100 grams plain flour on a plate or shallow bowl.
- Roll each meatball in the flour until coated. Shake off any excess.
- Place on the oven tray and drizzle 1 tablespoon oil over the meatballs.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until the tops are golden, turning them over halfway through. Serve with your favourite sides, pasta, rice and veggies.
Toddler chicken and apple meatballs – our step-by-step guide:
Sautee the onion, garlic and herbs
Using a medium sized saucepan or frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil.
Add the garlic and grated onion, then the chopped parsley and thyme leaves.
Cook for a few minutes to release the flavours.
Cook the grated apple and celery
Add the grated apple and finely chopped celery to the pan.
Cook for a few more minutes.
When they’re all golden remove them from the pan and place in a large mixing bowl.
Blend the breadcrumbs
Prepare the oven by preheating it to 180°C (350°F) fan setting.
Grease an oven tray with oil spray or olive oil.
Using one and a half slices of wholemeal bread, lightly toast them and remove the crusts.
Blend in a blender until you get smooth, soft breadcrumbs.
Add them to the large mixing bowl with the cooked apple, celery, onion, garlic and herbs.
Create the chicken and apple meatball mix
In your large mixing bowl, add in the ground chicken breasts and the lightly beaten egg to the breadcrumb, apple and celery mixture.
Mix well until all the ingredients are combined.
Roll out your chicken and apple meatballs
Either using your hands or an ice cream scoop, make balls of the meatball mixture.
You can make them in whatever size of meatball you prefer. We liked ours as mini meatballs around 2-3 cm diameter to keep them small.
Roll them in flour
Pour out 100 grams of plain flour onto a plate and roll each chicken and apple meatball around in it.
Shake off the extra flour and place on your greased oven tray.
Drizzle in olive oil
When all the meatballs are ready and laid out on the tray, drizzle them all with olive oil.
Bake for 20 minutes until golden
Cook the meatballs for about 20 minutes or until the tops are golden and the chicken is cooked through.
We recommend turning them over halfway through cooking time.
Enjoy these yummy toddler meatballs!
Yummy chicken and apple meatballs
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 chicken fillets, minced or ground (about 250 grams)
- 1 onion peeled and grated
- 1 pink apple grated
- 0.25 large celery stalk very finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley leaves
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1.5 slices wholemeal bread
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- 100 grams plain flour
Instructions
-
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a saucepan over a low heat.
-
Add the minced garlic, followed by the grated onion and let them soften for 1-2 minutes.
-
Add in the chopped parsley and thyme leaves. Stir for another 1-2 minutes.
-
Add in the grated apple, and finely chopped celery. Stir everything and cook for about 3 minutes. Remove from the pan when golden.
-
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) fan setting. Grease an oven tray with oil spray.
-
Take 1.5 slices wholemeal bread. Toast them a little and cut off the crusts. Place in a small mixer and blend until you get a fine, soft breadcrumb mixture. Empty into a large mixing bowl.
-
Add in the cooked apple, celery, onion, garlic and herb mixture. Add the minced or ground chicken breasts.
-
Lightly beat 1 egg and add this in as well.
-
Mix with your hands until well combined.
-
Form the mixture into a batch of mini meatballs about 2-3 cm diameter by squeezing and rolling in your hand. An ice cream scoop can also be very useful too for scooping out the mixture.
-
Place 100 grams plain flour on a plate or shallow bowl.
-
Roll each meatball in the flour until coated. Shake off any excess.
-
Place on the oven tray and drizzle 1 tablespoon oil over the meatballs.
-
Bake for 20 minutes or until the tops are golden, turning them over halfway through. Serve with your favourite sides, pasta, rice and veggies.
