Sweet & Spicy Firecracker Meatballs

These sweet & spicy meatballs were a bit hit at the Oscar's party I attended last week. They are super easy to whip up, pack a punch and a great source of protein while you inhale loads of carbs during a typical party.

If you are not a big fan of heat, add a bit less red pepper flakes to your sauce.

INGREDIENTS

(makes approx. 35-40 meatballs)

Meatballs:

2 pounds ground Chicken

1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic

1 ½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

2 Eggs

3/4 cup breadcrumbs (I use Panko and think they work best)

1 teaspoon paprika

Sauce:

1/2 cup Frank's hot sauce

1 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

Directions:

Preheat oven to 475 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a saucepan over medium high heat, combine all the sauce ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat and let sauce cool.

In a large bowl combine the ground chicken, garlic, eggs, panko crumbs, paprika and salt & pepper. Mix together (I use my hands) until well combined, but do not over mix. Shape meat into a 2 Tbsp size ball (give or take).

Place your formed meatballs on baking sheets and bake for 12-14 minutes until the meatballs are cooked through. Once the meatballs are baked, add them to the sauce and toss everything together.

***I made ahead of time for a party where I would be serving in a crock pot. I doubled the sauce and used the extra to place in the bottom of the crock pot so the meatballs wouldn't dry out during rewarming. You can also make extra sauce for dipping if you like.

enjoy!