These quinoa, pear and chicken balls are so simple to make, you can prep them in just 15 minutes.
Serve them hot with some pasta and veggies for a nutritious family meal.
Summary
Prep: 10 mins
Cooking: 10 mins
Ages: Toddlers to teens
Difficulty: Easy peasy
Makes: 12 chicken balls
Are chicken balls healthy?
There are so many health benefits to these quinoa and pear chicken balls.
Quinoa is the superfood everyone is talking about.
It’s gluten free and contrary to popular belief it’s not a grain, but a seed.
This little seed is high in protein, magnesium, iron, Vitamin B6, antioxidants and fiber.
Quinoa is such an adaptable grain alternative that it can be used in a variety of recipes like salads, sides to meat dishes or in meatballs as we have done here.
For these chicken balls the quinoa adds texture and an earthy taste to balance out the sweetness of the pear. Kids won’t even know they’re eating a ‘health food’.
Pears on the other hand are a great source of dietary fibre and contain copper, vitamin C and vitamin K. They also have a mildly sweet flavour that kids love and that goes great with chicken.
Chicken is a good source of lean protein, and it’s also rich in selenium, phosphorous and niacin.
Chicken breasts are known to control the body’s homocysteine amino acid levels which is good for the heart.
Rather than deep frying these chicken balls we have chosen to cook them in just a few tablespoons of oil.
This gives them their crispy texture while also keeping them lower in fats than the deep fried alternatives.
Ingredients
- 1 chicken breast fillet, minced ( you can blend it in the food processor)
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon tomato paste
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 2 spring onions, diced
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- ½ cup cooked quinoa (90 grams)
- 1 pear, peeled and grated
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon flour
Instructions
- Dice the spring onions and parsley.
- Peel the pear and grate it.
- Mince the garlic.
- Mix them together in a bowl together with the minced chicken breast, lemon juice, tomato paste, egg, cooked quinoa and flour.
- Form small balls of the mixture with floured hands and set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and shallow fry the balls until they are golden brown on all sides.
- Turn them over regularly to ensure that all sides are cooked. The balls are done cooking when the outside is crispy and golden and the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink.
- Serve with some pasta and veggies for a delicious family dinner.
Chicken balls with quinoa and pear – our step by step guide:
Dice your spring onion and parsley.
Peel and grate your pear and mince the garlic clove.
Gently squeeze the grated pears to get rid of any excess juice.
Add the remaining ingredients
Put the parsley, spring onions, crushed garlic and grated pear in a bowl.
Mix in the lemon juice, tomato paste, minced chicken breast, cooked quinoa and flour.
Shape the chicken balls
Flour your hands and form small balls out of the chicken, pear and quinoa mix.
We made small meatballs which came to 12 chicken balls out of this recipe.
Cook the meatballs
Heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan and cook the chicken balls until they are golden brown on all sides.
You’ll need to pick up the pan and give it a good shake to turn the balls over in the oil. Or, use tongs to gently turn them in the oil.
Be careful not to smush them. You want them to retain their rounded shape.
Enjoy these chicken balls with quinoa and pear balls with some pasta and veggies as a healthy family supper.
Chicken balls with quinoa and pear
Ingredients
- 1 chicken breast fillet (170 grams) minced or blended
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp tomato paste
- 1 clove garlic crushed
- 2 spring onions diced
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley leaves chopped
- 1 egg beaten
- ½ cup cooked quinoa (90 grams)
- 1 pear peeled and grated
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp flour
Instructions
-
Dice the spring onions and parsley.
-
Peel the pear and grate it.
-
Mince the garlic.
-
Mix them together in a bowl together with the minced chicken breast, lemon juice, tomato paste, egg, cooked quinoa and flour.
-
Form small balls of the mixture with floured hands and set aside.
-
Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and shallow fry the balls until they are golden brown on all sides.
-
Turn them over regularly to ensure that all sides are cooked. The balls are done cooking when the outside is crispy and golden and the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink.
-
Serve with some pasta and veggies for a delicious family dinner.
