Crispy Garlic Butter Chicken Balls
Crispy bite-sized chicken hot appetizer with a herbed garlic butter center. A chicken Kiev-style fried meatball for parties and game day.
Equipment
- Dutch Oven for frying
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 1 t ground black pepper
- salt to taste
- 2 oz unsalted butter
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 c Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese grated or shredded
- 1 bunch fresh parsley
- 1/2 c all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1 c Panko breadcrumbs
- 3 c sunflower or vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Read me first: We will be rolling marble-sized balls of cold garlic butter and then wrapping the seasoned ground chicken around each butter marble. Then, the prepared raw balls will go into flour, egg, then panko and deep frying them until crisp and cooked through.
- Preparation: Lay a length of parchment or wax paper to a plate. This will hold the garlic balls and the whole plate will go into the freezer or fridge to get hard and cold.On another plate or baking sheet, lay paper towels for draining the fried meatballs. Set aside. Add the oil to a high-sided frying pan and set to medium heat, increasing to medium-high. Temp should become 350F for frying.
- In a large bowl: Season the ground chicken with salt and pepper. Mix well to combine. Set aside.
- In a food processor: Add parsley, butter, garlic, and grated cheese to a food processor and blend until well combined.
- Roll the garlic butter mixture into small balls, about 1 teaspoon each. Arrange on a plate prepared with parchment so they are not touching and chill until firm.
- Flatten a portion of the seasoned chicken in your palm, wrap it around a butter ball, and seal it completely so the butter won't leak out while cooking. Do them all at once and then set aside.
- Coat each ball in flour, then egg, then panko.
- Once the oil is hot: Fry four or five balls at a time (don't crowd the pan) in hot oil until golden and crispy.
Notes
Baking option: refrigerate the coated balls well to set the butter, then bake cold in a 375 degree F oven for about 15 minutes, until golden brown, turning during cooking for even crispiness.
Air fryer option: air fry for a crisp shell without deep frying. Dab with oil halfway through cooking or they tend to dry out.
Panko gives a much airier, crispier finish than ordinary breadcrumbs.
Ground turkey works in place of chicken, and any hard cheese like Parmesan can substitute for the Pecorino Romano.
Nutrition
Calories: 393kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 7gFat: 39gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 19gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 47mgSodium: 104mgPotassium: 158mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 0.3gVitamin A: 356IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 69mgIron: 1mg
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