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    Home » Recipes

    Fried Chicken Meatballs with Carrots and Apples

    Published: Feb 17, 2020 · Modified: May 14, 2022 by Emily

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Chicken, apples, and carrots form an amazing trio in these easy fried chicken meatballs. They are delicious anytime of the day, and also make an easy freezer meal. Both kids and adults love them!

    An electric skillet cooking chicken meatballs with carrots and apples.
    Jump to:
    • 🍎Ingredients
    • 🍽 Equipment
    • 🔪 Instructions
    • ✨ Top Tips
    • ❄️ Freezing
    • 🥗 Side dishes
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Reviews

    The great thing about these meatballs is that they are SO versatile. I love to eat them for breakfast, giving me a boost of protein to start my day. Tasting just as good cold as they do warm, and I often pack them in my kids' lunchbox. They make a great dinner that both kids and adults love. They would even be great to take to a party or served as an appetizer. Trust me, you'll want to have this recipe saved in your food arsenal.

    🍎Ingredients

    • 1 small onion
    • 1 large carrot
    • ½ large apple granny smith, honey crisp, or cosmic crisp
    • 16 oz ground chicken
    • 1 tsp dried thyme
    • ½ cup panko bread crumbs
    • 1 tsp chicken bouillon
    • salt and pepper
    • vegetable oil for frying

    The thing I love about this recipe is that along with ground chicken, these meatballs have both veggies AND fruit lurking inside. (Yes, I say lurking because it feels more like I'm tricking my kids into eating it if I use that word. I love tricking my kids).

    These tasty bites have both shredded carrots and apples inside, giving them a sweet taste. But then you also have the onions and thyme making them feel savory. It's the perfect collision of worlds.

    A close up of several fried chicken meat balls with carrots and apples.

    🍽 Equipment

    • This recipe calls for grated carrots, onions and apples. Grating those carrots and apples on a regular grater is a great forearm exercise and absolutely doable. But to make this recipe even faster and easier, I highly recommend some kind of food processor. If you have a Bosch, like I do, I recommend this food processor that attaches right on to it. They also make ones for KitchenAid. If you're looking for a stand alone appliance, this one has great reviews on Amazon.
    • When frying these meatballs, it's really important to keep the heat on a steady, medium-low temperature. This will ensure the inside gets fully cooked, while the outside doesn't get burned. I like to use my electric skillet for this step, because it lets me know exactly what the cooking temperature is, and keeps it steady at what I set it at. I keep it at 275*

    🔪 Instructions

    1. Grate the onion, carrot and apple into a large bowl. Add in the ground chicken, thyme, bread crumbs and bouillon. Thoroughly mix all the ingredients together with a large wooden spoon or your hands.
    2. Roll the chicken mixture in to 1½ inch balls and season the tops with salt and pepper to taste.
    3. Pour a thin layer of vegetable oil into an electric skillet, or in a non-stick pan on the stove. Heat oil over medium-low heat (275°). Once the oil is hot, fry the chicken meatballs until lightly golden and cooked through. This should take 4-5 minutes. Meatballs should be turned every minute or so to evenly brown.
    4. Meatballs are done when the center has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

    ✨ Top Tips

    • Look for pre-ground chicken at the store, or ask the butcher at your grocery store if they can do it for you. Trust me when I say that trying to grind your own chicken can be really messy and gross. Totally doable though, and will probably save you money.
    • Try to keep your meatballs around 1 ½ inches in diameter. If you make them too big, the outsides will burn before the centers cook completely.
    • I highly recommend using a meat thermometer to check the center of your meatballs for doneness. They will be fully cooked and safe to eat when the center reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. If you cook them too much past 165 degrees, your meatballs will be tough and dry.
    • If you want them to be larger, form them into a patty shape, instead of balls. This will ensure they cook all the way through. If you do this, you can serve them like a chicken burger on a bun.

    ❄️ Freezing

    This recipe is a great freezer meal! When I make it, I usually make a double batch, cooking up half of it immediately and freezing the other half for future use.

    For the half I'm freezing, I don't form the chicken mixture into balls. I just put it in a freezer-safe container, like a ziplock bag, and pop it into the freezer. When I'm ready to use it, I defrost and then form it into balls and fry.

    It's best to let it defrost slowly in the fridge, but you could also defrost it in the microwave.

    A child's hand is taking a fried chicken meatball from a pan that is full of meatballs.

    🥗 Side dishes

    These chicken meatballs pair well with so many things. You could serve them with some fresh fruit and a green salad. They could even go on top of the salad.

    You could also roast some veggies, like Brussels sprouts, broccoli, or sweet potatoes to go on the side.

    The following recipes would also be great side dishes for this recipe:

    Summer Squash Rice Pilaf by the Incredible Bulks

    Honey Lime Quinoa Fruit Salad by the Recipe Critic

    Garden Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette by My Recipes

    📖 Recipe

    Fried Chicken Meatballs

    Chicken, apples and carrots form an amazing trio in these easy fried chicken meatballs. They are delicious anytime of the day, and also make an easy freezer meal.
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 9 minutes
    Servings: 20 meatballs
    Calories: 84kcal
    Print

    Ingredients

    • 1 small onion
    • 1 large carrot
    • ½ large apple granny smith, honey crisp, or cosmic crisp
    • 16 oz ground chicken
    • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
    • ½ cup panko bread crumbs
    • 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon
    • salt and pepper
    • vegetable oil for frying

    Instructions

    • Grate the onion, carrot and apple into a large bowl. Add in the ground chicken, thyme, bread crumbs and bouillon. Thoroughly mix all the ingredients together with a large wooden spoon or your hands.
    • Roll the chicken mixture in to 1½ inch balls and season the tops with salt and pepper to taste.
    • Pour a thin layer of vegetable oil into an electric skillet, or in a non-stick pan on the stove. Heat oil over medium-low heat (275°). Once the oil is hot, fry the chicken meatballs until lightly golden and cooked through. This should take 4-5 minutes. Meatballs should be turned every minute or so to evenly brown.
    • Meatballs are done when the center has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
    Please give this recipe a rating!Or leave me a comment to let me know what you think

    Nutrition

    Calories: 84kcal | Carbohydrates: 3.4g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 4.6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 44mg | Potassium: 84mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 1.1g | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg

    This recipe has long been a favorite in our family. It is adapted from a recipe in a book called, "Super Foods for Babies and Children." But this is not just kid food! Give it a try today!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. JAy says

      February 21, 2020 at 8:57 pm

      Amazing! Looks yummy. Definitely pinning this recipe to be tried later! Thanks for sharing!!

      Reply
      • Emily says

        February 21, 2020 at 10:02 pm

        Thank you! Come back and let me know what you think once you've tried them!

        Reply
    2. Yemi King says

      February 22, 2020 at 8:45 am

      Looks great, they dont have ground chicken over the counter like they do in America (my family live in NJ and I live in England) but I will see if a local butcher can do it for me, I'd really like to try this out!

      Reply
      • Emily says

        February 22, 2020 at 4:32 pm

        I hope that he can do it for you. If not, I've actually made this before by cutting the chicken into really small pieces. It was a longer process, but worked.

        Reply
    3. Gabi says

      May 15, 2020 at 6:24 pm

      I'm about to try everything on your blog LOL! Pinned for later 🙂

      Reply
      • Emily says

        May 16, 2020 at 8:25 pm

        Thank you! That makes me feel so happy!

        Reply
    4. Marie says

      August 27, 2020 at 4:36 pm

      5 stars
      These look great! I love putting apple in ground chicken.

      Reply
    5. Alexandra says

      August 27, 2020 at 6:15 pm

      5 stars
      So tasty - so many delicious ways to enjoy these meatballs!

      Reply
    6. Taleen | Just As Tasty says

      August 27, 2020 at 7:35 pm

      5 stars
      You had me at fried chicken! Love that you've added apples and carrots to these meatballs, sounds delicious!

      Reply
    7. Andréa janssen says

      August 28, 2020 at 2:16 am

      5 stars
      Fried chicken meatballs, a really delicious appetizer. Love the combination with apples.

      Reply
    8. Angela says

      August 28, 2020 at 2:19 am

      5 stars
      I love meatballs, i will try this recipe look so yummyyy 🙂 thank you

      Reply
    9. Michele says

      August 28, 2020 at 6:44 am

      5 stars
      My grandkids loved these tasty meatballs!

      Reply
    10. Sue says

      August 28, 2020 at 12:05 pm

      5 stars
      I love everything I see here and will be trying these on my "picky" 4-year-old granddaughter. I predict a huge success!

      Reply
    11. Amy says

      August 28, 2020 at 4:25 pm

      5 stars
      This was delicious! Not sure why I never thought to do chicken meatballs before!

      Reply
    12. Swathi says

      August 28, 2020 at 8:57 pm

      5 stars
      This fired chicken meatballs with carrots and apples sounds great appetzier.

      Reply
    13. Capri says

      August 28, 2020 at 9:27 pm

      5 stars
      I love the carrot and apple in the meatballs! So delicious

      Reply
    14. Emily says

      August 29, 2020 at 7:02 am

      5 stars
      The addition of the apples to these chicken meatballs is genius! Everybody loved them.

      Reply
    15. Chef Dennis says

      August 29, 2020 at 5:28 pm

      5 stars
      This is making me hungry!

      Reply
    16. Mama Maggie's Kitchen says

      August 29, 2020 at 6:47 pm

      5 stars
      My mouth is literally watering. My family would love this.

      Reply
    17. Sanna says

      August 31, 2020 at 2:04 am

      5 stars
      It’s very easy and simple recipe. My son will definitely try it out.

      Reply
    18. Natalie says

      August 31, 2020 at 6:04 am

      5 stars
      Oh I love this recipe. I will make this for my son. He loves fried chicken. Thanks for sharing this lovely recipe!

      Reply
    19. Debra says

      August 31, 2020 at 5:19 pm

      5 stars
      Exactly what my kids keep asking for. Love the addition of apples!

      Reply
    20. Barbara says

      April 26, 2022 at 11:04 pm

      Has anyone "cooked" these in the air fryer?

      Reply
      • Emily says

        April 30, 2022 at 3:50 pm

        I haven't tried these in the air fryer yet, but that is a great idea. After reading several other air-fried chicken meatballs recipes, I think they would work out just fine. Set your airfryer to 370 and cook for 15 minutes. The recipes I saw recommended spraying the meatballs with a little oil. If you try it, let me know how it works out!

        Reply

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    Hi! I'm Emily!

    I'm a mother of 4, trying to expand my kids' taste palate beyond buttered noodles. Shopping in the bulk section of the grocery store has helped us try new and healthy ingredients, and I hope to spread the bulk shopping love to you! Enjoy! 

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