Firecracker Meatballs are tender baked chicken meatballs coated in a sweet, spicy, and tangy homemade firecracker sauce. The sauce combines hot sauce, honey, sriracha, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger for plenty of bold flavor in every bite.
These meatballs are perfect when I want something with a little more heat than traditional meatballs. I can serve them with toothpicks for an easy party appetizer or spoon them over rice to turn them into dinner.
Why I Love Firecracker Meatballs
About the Ingredients ⭐
For the meatballs
- Ground Chicken: Keeps the meatballs tender and works well with the bold firecracker sauce.
- Garlic: Fresh minced garlic adds flavor throughout the meatballs.
- Green Onions: Add mild onion flavor. Save a little extra for garnishing.
- Panko Breadcrumbs: Help hold the meatballs together while keeping the texture light.
- Eggs: Bind the meatball mixture together.
- Onion Powder: Adds extra savory flavor without adding more chopped onion.
- Salt & Black Pepper: Simple seasonings that bring out the other flavors.
For the Sauce
- Frank’s RedHot Sauce: Gives the sauce its tangy heat and classic hot sauce flavor.
- Honey & Brown Sugar: Balance the heat with sweetness and help create a sticky sauce.
- Sriracha: Adds another layer of heat with a little garlic flavor.
- Soy Sauce: Adds salty, savory flavor to balance the sweetness.
- Rice Wine Vinegar: Adds acidity and tang to the sauce.
- Garlic & Ginger: Give the sauce plenty of bold flavor.
- Red Pepper Flakes: Optional, but perfect if you want your firecracker meatballs even hotter.
Be sure to check out the full recipe and ingredient list below
How to Make Firecracker Meatballs
For the meatballs:
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease it.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground chicken, minced garlic, green onions, panko breadcrumbs, eggs, onion powder, salt, and black pepper. Mix gently with your hands until just combined. Do not overmix, as this can make the meatballs tough.
- Form the mixture into 1½-inch meatballs (about golf ball-sized) and place them on the prepared baking sheet. You should end up with approximately 30-35 meatballs.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the meatballs are golden brown and cooked through (internal temperature reaches 165°F).
For the firecracker sauce:
- While the meatballs are baking, make the sauce. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the hot sauce, honey, sriracha, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, minced garlic, ground ginger, brown sugar, and red pepper flakes.
- Bring the sauce to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves and the sauce thickens slightly (about 5-7 minutes).
- Taste the sauce and adjust the sweetness or heat level to your preference by adding more honey or sriracha.
Assemble/Serve:
- Once the meatballs are done baking, carefully transfer them to a large mixing bowl.
- Pour the prepared firecracker sauce over the meatballs and gently toss until all the meatballs are evenly coated in the sauce.
- Transfer the coated meatballs to a serving platter. Sprinkle with extra chopped green onions for garnish, insert a toothpick into each Firecracker Meatball, and serve warm. Enjoy!
Tips I Found Helpful. 💙
- Don’t overmix the meatballs. Mix the ingredients just until combined so the chicken meatballs stay tender.
- Keep the meatballs the same size. This helps them cook evenly and finish at about the same time.
- Wet your hands. Ground chicken can be sticky, so lightly damp hands make the meatballs much easier to roll.
- Give them a little space. Arrange the meatballs in a single layer without crowding them so they bake evenly.
- Cook the sauce until slightly thickened. Let it simmer long enough for the sugar to dissolve and the sauce to become glossy.
- Adjust the heat. Leave out the red pepper flakes for less heat or add them if you want an extra-spicy firecracker sauce.
- Coat them while they’re hot. Toss the freshly baked meatballs with the warm firecracker sauce so they’re evenly coated.
- Check the temperature. Ground chicken should reach 165°F in the center before serving. 🌶️🔥
More Meatball Recipes I Love
FAQs about firecracker meatballs
Yield: 30
Firecracker Meatballs
No Ratings
Tender chicken meatballs coated in a sweet and spicy homemade firecracker sauce. 🔥
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
25 minutes
Total Time
45 minutes
Ingredients
For the meatballs:
- 2 lbs ground chicken
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 green onions, finely chopped (plus extra for garnish)
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
For the firecracker sauce:
- ½ cup Frank's Red Hot Sauce
- 3 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp sriracha
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes (optional, for extra heat)
Instructions
For the meatballs:
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease it.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground chicken, minced garlic, green onions, panko breadcrumbs, eggs, onion powder, salt, and black pepper. Mix gently with your hands until just combined. Do not overmix, as this can make the meatballs tough.
- Form the mixture into 1½-inch meatballs (about golf ball-sized) and place them on the prepared baking sheet. You should end up with approximately 30-35 meatballs.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the meatballs are golden brown and cooked through (internal temperature reaches 165°F).
For the firecracker sauce:
- While the meatballs are baking, make the sauce. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the hot sauce, honey, sriracha, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, minced garlic, ground ginger, brown sugar, and red pepper flakes.
- Bring the sauce to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves and the sauce thickens slightly (about 5-7 minutes).
- Taste the sauce and adjust the sweetness or heat level to your preference by adding more honey or sriracha.
Assemble/Serve:
- Once the meatballs are done baking, carefully transfer them to a large mixing bowl.
- Pour the prepared firecracker sauce over the meatballs and gently toss until all the meatballs are evenly coated in the sauce.
- Transfer the coated meatballs to a serving platter. Sprinkle with extra chopped green onions for garnish, insert a toothpick into each Firecracker Meatball, and serve warm. Enjoy!
Notes
Don’t overmix the meatball mixture or the meatballs can become dense. Lightly wet your hands if the ground chicken is sticky when rolling. Make the meatballs similar in size so they cook evenly. Cook chicken meatballs to an internal temperature of 165°F. Toss the hot meatballs with the warm firecracker sauce just before serving.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
10Serving Size:
3Amount Per Serving: Calories: 994Total Fat: 38gSaturated Fat: 10gUnsaturated Fat: 27gCholesterol: 408mgSodium: 3323mgCarbohydrates: 86gFiber: 5gSugar: 30gProtein: 80g
