By now you know me well enough to know that I can’t just leave well enough alone. I thrive on combining and mashing up classic recipes and reinventing them into something new and exciting. Today, I’m turning my love of meatballs into these Nashville Hot Chicken Meatballs and when I tell you that these are completely unnecessary but at the same time very much necessary. They’re a great appetizer or meatballs and would be perfect if included in your Super Bowl menu this weekend. That’s a not-so-subtle hint. And just in case you forget, these Nashville Hot Potatoes or Nashville Hot Chicken Tenders would also be great!
In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, egg, breadcrumbs, milk, salt, black pepper, granulated garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, and hot sauce until well combined. Shape into 1 inch balls, you’ll get around 15 meatballs.
Set up a dredging station by placing the flour in one bowl, the whisked eggs in a second bowl and the panko breadcrumbs in a third. Dredge the meatballs by rolling in flour first, then in egg and finally in panko until well coated. Set aside.
Fill a large saucepan with about 2 to 3 inches of oil. Set over moderate heat and bring up to 350°F. Once the temperature is reached, carefully lower a few meatballs at a time and fry, turning often, until golden brown and fully cooked through, about 5 minutes.
Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to soak up the excess grease. Transfer to a wire rack set over a baking sheet and keep warm in a 250°F oven while you fry the remaining meatballs.
To make the Nashville hot sauce, carefully whisk together the spices, brown sugar, and 3/4 cup of the hot frying oil until dissolved and evenly combined.
**Tip: If you want to make these a bit spicy and sweet, you can also whisk in some honey into this mixture to give it a bit more depth.**
Immediately pour the Nashville hot sauce over the fried meatballs and serve with ranch and pickles.
If you want to make these ahead of time, you can fry up the meatballs, let them cool completely and then freeze. Then just rewarm in the oven or air-fryer and toss around in the hot sauce right before serving.
**Tip: If you do go this route, you can refrigerate the cooking oil that is needed and then just rewarm before whisking in the sugar and spices.**
If you want a more classic Nashville hot chicken, you can totally coat some breast pieces or breast tenders in the same way as the meatballs, fry and then proceed as directed. These are a fun twist on a classic beloved recipe. Give it a try and be sure to let me know what you think below. As always thank you for reading and following along.
Nashville Hot Chicken Meatballs
Equipment
- Mixing Bowls
- Pot
- Baking Sheet
- Wire rack
- Glass Measuring Cup
Ingredients
Meatballs:
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 cup breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Couple dashes hot sauce
Everything else:
- 2 large eggs whisked
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- Vegetable oil for frying
- 3 tablespoons cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated onion
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- Kosher salt and coarse black pepper
- Ranch for serving
- Pickles for serving
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, egg, breadcrumbs, milk, salt, black pepper, granulated garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, and hot sauce until well combined. Shape into 1 inch balls, you'll get around 15 meatballs.
- Set up a dredging station by placing the flour in one bowl, the whisked eggs in a second bowl and the panko breadcrumbs in a third. Dredge the meatballs by rolling in flour first, then in egg and finally in panko until well coated. Set aside.
- Fill a large saucepan with about 2 to 3 inches of oil. Set over moderate heat and bring up to 350°F. Once the temperature is reached, carefully lower a few meatballs at a time and fry, turning often, until golden brown and fully cooked through, about 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to soak up the excess grease. Transfer to a wire rack set over a baking sheet and keep warm in a 250°F oven while you fry the remaining meatballs.
- To make the Nashville hot sauce, carefully whisk together the spices, brown sugar, and 3/4 cup of the hot frying oil until dissolved and evenly combined. Immediately pour the sauce over the meatballs. Serve with ranch and pickles. Enjoy!
great appetizer, could eat these anytime, love the spiciness especially, thank you!