Sheet Pan Chicken Meatballs & Charred Broccoli
Sheet Pan Chicken Meatballs and Charred Broccoli has it all: delicious Asian-flavored chicken meatballs coupled with charred broccoli for a healthy weeknight dinner and simple clean up by using one sheet pan to bake it all.
We’re keeping things healthy by using chicken for the meatballs and baking them rather than sautéing them in oil. The flavor is Asian, helped along by the addition of ginger, garlic and toasted sesame oil. The broccoli is lightly tossed in oil and kosher salt and when roasted and charred, it gets a nutty flavor to it. And, finally, the sauce is a thick barbecue-style sauce that’s used to glaze the meatballs prior to cooking and again before popping the broiler on for a quick char.
The sauce is a combination of ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, rice cooking wine, honey, soy sauce, ginger and pepper. Simmer this until it starts to thicken, which usually takes about 5 minutes.
Once the sauce is made, cut the broccoli into small florets and 1/2-inch pieces of trimmed stems. Set these on the baking sheet, toss with oil and salt and then push to the edges of the sheet pan so that the meatballs can sit in the middle of the pan.
Make the meatballs by combining the ground chicken, egg, scallions, garlic, ginger, Panko, sesame oil , salt, pepper and water in a bowl. Using wet hands, form the chicken mixture into golf ball-sized meatballs. Place them on the sheet pan surrounded by the broccoli and brush with some of the glaze. Bake until the meatballs are cooked through, about 15 minutes.
Then, heat the broiler, brush with more glaze, and broil until the broccoli is charred along with the meatballs, about 5 minutes.
Serve the meatballs and broccoli over cooked rice and sprinkled with sesame seeds, if desired.
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Sheet Pan Chicken Meatballs & Charred Broccoli
Makes: 4 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 23 minutes
Total Time: 43 minutes
Ingredients
Sauce:
- 2/3 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbsp rice cooking wine or water
- 2 tbsp honey
- 4 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp peeled, finely grated ginger
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Meatballs & Assembly:
- 2 heads of broccoli (about 1½ lb.)
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil, divided
- 2 & 1/2 tsp kosher salt, divided
- Crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1 large egg, beaten to blend
- 4 scallions, thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
- 2″ piece ginger, peeled, finely grated
- 1/3 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- Cooked rice and sesame seeds (for serving)
Instructions
Sauce:
Mix ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, wine (if using), honey, soy sauce, ginger, and pepper in a small saucepan. Measure out ¼ cup mixture into a small bowl; set aside for glazing meatballs later. Bring remaining mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally and reducing heat if needed, until sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Transfer sauce to a small bowl.
Meatballs & Assembly:
Place a rack in upper third of oven; preheat to 450°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Trim broccoli stems and remove from crown. Peel off tough outer skin; slice crosswise into ½” pieces. Cut florets into 2″ pieces. Toss on prepared baking sheet with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and a few pinches of red pepper flakes (if using). Push to the edges of baking sheet to create a space for meatballs. Brush space with remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil.
Mix chicken, egg, scallions, garlic, ginger, panko, sesame oil, pepper, remaining 1 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 cup water in a medium bowl. Using wet hands, form into fifteen 1½”-diameter meatballs. Arrange on baking sheet; brush with some of the reserved glazing mixture. Bake until meatballs are cooked through, 14–18 minutes. Remove from oven; heat broiler. Brush meatballs with remaining glazing mixture; broil until broccoli is charred and meatballs are browned in spots, about 5 minutes.
Spoon meatballs and broccoli over rice in bowl. Drizzle with sauce and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Recipe from Bon Appetit
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