Apricot Chicken Meatballs

Delicious Homemade Apricot Chicken Meatballs – tender meatballs in a Sweet Asian inspired Apricot Sauce.  Perfect for dinner or as an appetizer.

Today my neighbour texted me and asked if I fancied going on a bike ride along by the lake we live next to. I must admit, despite several cups of coffee. I was set for chilling on the sofa for the rest of the day.

But with the sun shining gloriously outside, I figured I should force myself to get out and get some fresh air and exercise.

I actually enjoyed the bike ride and was so glad I went in the end. I borrowed a bike from my neighbour, as I haven’t owned a bike since we moved to Canada. The only set of wheels I own is a set of Roller Skates (which I LOVE by the way), but the route we were taking was a bit too far on a pair of skates.

We cycled out of our subdivision and across to the lake, all the way down to the marina and then crossed over and back through to the road home. Spotting several little baby rabbits along the way – so cute!!

I enjoyed it so much, I am now contemplating buying a bike. We have a little exercise bike in the basement, but cycling stationary doesn’t appeal to me in the slightest. I like the company, so would rather go outside and get fresh air and go for a cycle with a friend.

Once we got back, we chilled out in the garden with a glass of iced sparkling water and some fresh fruit – nice and healthy. It’s great how a little bit of exercise inspires healthier eating.

If I didn’t force myself to go, I probably would have vegged in front of the tv and wasted syns on food I didn’t really even want. It was one of those days!!

After a nice afternoon, I wanted something quick and easy for dinner. So decided on a meatball dish using the ground chicken I had in the fridge. Ground chicken really doesn’t take long to cook, it has a tendency to be quite dry if you overcook it. So I just seasoned, formed into meatballs, baked for 10 mins in a hot oven and then got making a nice sauce to coat them in.

So I just seasoned, formed into meatballs, baked for 10 mins in a hot oven and then got making a nice sauce to coat them in.

I am a sucker for just searching through my fridge or cupboard for inspiration for sauces and that was when the jar of apricot spread caught my eye. Combining with some Soy Sauce, ginger and garlic it made a delicious Asian style glaze.

The kids loved these Apricot Chicken Meatballs with some syn free chips, corn on the cob (which I cooked in minutes the instant pot) and some sautéed zucchini. I even topped my corn on the cob with a little feta and chili flakes and put in under the broil for a few minutes. Omg so good!!

These Apricot Chicken Meatballs would be perfect with some stir fried veg and egg fried rice or noodles too for a more traditional Asian style dish. I had overdone the rice a bit lately and really fancied chips, so of course, that’s what I went for.

Got a party planned or maybe a taster at your Slimming World group? Why not make some of these to take along. Add a little cocktail fork into each meatball and guests can just grab one as they please. Delicious!!

I sprinkled these Apricot Chicken Meatballs with some chopped spring onion and a teeny pinch of sesame seeds (I don’t bother synning these, as it is such a tiny amount the syns would be negligible).

Apricot Chicken Meatballs

Yield: 3 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

This recipe is gluten free, dairy free, Slimming World and Weight Watchers friendlyExtra Easy - 1 syn per servingOriginal/SP - 1 syn per servingWW Smart Points - 4Gluten Free - use a gluten free soy sauce (like Tamari)

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Ingredients

• 500g (17.5oz) of extra lean ground chicken or turkey
• salt
• black pepper
• spray oil
• 3 tbs of apricot fruit spread (3 syns)
• 3 tbs of soy sauce (not dark)
• 1/2 cup of water (120ml)
• 1/4 tsp of garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp of ginger
• 2 spring onions, chopped
• small sprinkle of sesame seeds (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 220c (425f)
2. In a bowl season the ground chicken with salt and black pepper
3. Form into 15 meatballs
4. Place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
5. Spray over the top with spray oil
6. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes
7. When meatballs are almost done, add the apricot spread, soy sauce, water, garlic powder and ginger to a frying pan over a high heat, whisking until it starts to bubble, reduce down and thicken.
8. Add in meatballs and continue to simmer until sauce thickens and coats all the meatballs. 
9. Serve sprinkled with spring onion and sesame seeds and your choice of sides.

Notes

Apricot fruit spread can vary in syns so you may need to adjust syns accordingly

I just add a tiny pinch of sesame seeds so the syns are negligible in 1 serving, Don't got overboard!!

Nutritional information is an estimate and is to be used for informational purposes only.

Ingredients can vary greatly from brand to brand and therefore it would be impossible to give accurate information. Also double check syn values of sinned ingredients as different brands can vary. 

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 3 Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 223Total Fat: 5.8gSaturated Fat: 1.5gCholesterol: 131mgSodium: 1123mgCarbohydrates: 5.8gFiber: 0.8gSugar: 5.2gProtein: 34.4g

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