Spicy Chicken Meatballs with Avocado Dip

By Christina Stanley-Salerno
Serves:
makes 18 meatballs
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These meatballs are perfect for serving your crew while watching a big game, or you can hand these out to the parents at your kids' parties. These finger-foods are healthier than chicken wings but so delicious your crowd won't even miss the old standby.

Ingredients
  • 2 pounds ground chicken
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ cup seasoned breadcrumbs
  • 1 ½ chipotles in adobo, finely chopped (use more if you like it extra hot!
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • ½ cup of chopped cilantro, divided
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 2 ripe avocados
  • 1 large clove garlic
  • ¼ cup sour cream
  • juice of ½ lime
Instructions
    1.

    Make the meatballs:

    Combine ground chicken, egg, breadcrumbs, chopped chipotle, cilantro, salt, and pepper. Mix with your hands until just combined; do not over mix.

    2.
    Roll chicken into 18 balls (each meatball should be approximately the size of a golf ball).
    3.
    Preheat a large frying pan with olive oil over medium-low heat. Place half of the meatballs into the frying pan (do not overcrowd the pan).
    4.
    Allow meatballs to cook for about 3-4 minutes on the first side and then turn meatballs with a fork or a thin metal spatula to begin cooking them on the opposite side. Cover frying pan and turn the heat to low. Allow balls to cook for another 8-10 minutes or until they are fully cooked through (no pink inside).
    5.
    6.

    Make the avocado dip:

    In a food processor, combine avocados, garlic clove, sour cream, and remaining cilantro. Season with salt, pepper, and a squeeze of lime to taste. Process until completely smooth (about 2 minutes). Place in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve

Tips

Do not make dip too far ahead of time; prepare it no more than 20 minutes before you serve. Sprinkle extra lime juice and cover dip before placing it in the fridge to keep it from turning brown

Don't like chicken? Swap in ground beef.

Want an extra kicK? Add ½ jalapeno to the avocado mixture before processing.

Company is late? Keep meatballs warm in a 200 degree oven.

Storing? A can of Chipotle In Adobo Sauce yields quite a few chipotles. Pop the leftover peppers into a small freezer bag. Store for up to 6 months. Whenever you need them again, just thaw and use.

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