Sheet-Pan Chicken Meatballs with Apple, Sage & Gruyere
These mini meatballs are a dinnertime favorite all year long. They have flavors reminiscent of early fall (cider, apple, and sage), yet they’re light enough to top a bed of summer-fresh greens. And, bonus—the Cider Yogurt Sauce doubles as a delicious salad dressing! One batch makes 22-28 meatballs, so freeze some if you’re only feeding two (make-ahead and freezing instructions can be found in Tip A below).
- 1 c. (heaping) shredded Gruyere cheese
- 1 medium sweet apple (like Honeycrisp), coarsely grated (use box or paddle grater)
- 1 small yellow onion, coarsely grated (use box or paddle grater)
- 3 large or 5 small garlic cloves, minced or finely grated
- 3 tbsp. chopped fresh sage
- 1 egg white from XL egg, lightly beaten
- 1.5 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
- 1/8-1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes (adjust to desired heat level)
- 1.5 lbs. ground chicken breast or thigh (I recommend using a combination of both)
- 1-2 tbsp. olive oil
- 6 oz. plain Greek yogurt (0% or full-fat)
- 3 tbsp. apple cider or apple juice
- 1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp. pure honey or maple syrup
- 1 medium garlic clove, grated
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/8 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
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Combine the first 9 Meatball ingredients (Gruyere through red pepper flakes) in a large bowl. Then add the ground chicken and mix with your hands until the ingredients are evenly distributed (work quickly and gently as you do not want to over-work the chicken). Using a 2 to 3-tablespoon scoop, portion the mixture into 22-28 meatballs and place them at least 1 inch apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place the entire baking sheet in the fridge for the meatballs to set-up for approximately 30 minutes. (See TIP A below for make-ahead and freezing instructions.)
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Using a silicone brush, lightly brush the top of each meatball with olive oil. Then transfer the sheet pan of meatballs from the fridge to the top-most rack of a pre-heated 400° oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through and just slightly golden on top and bottom (turn-on your oven's broiler for the last 2-3 minutes if desired).
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Whisk the Sauce ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.
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Transfer the finished meatballs to a serving plate or bowl and drizzle with the Cider Yogurt Sauce. Serve the remaining sauce on the side.
TIP A: These meatballs are a great make-head meal. After portioning them into meatballs in Step One, put the baking sheet into the freezer (instead of the fridge) for 30-60 minutes. Once the meatballs have firmed-up, transfer them to an airtight container between pieces of parchment paper. Store in the freezer for up to 2 weeks. Defrost in the refrigerator before baking.