Butter Chicken Meatballs with Roasted Veggies

I was looking for something sort-of comfort-ish, but still fairly healthy as that crisp cold weather was kicking in last week. We are fans of Indian food in our home with son particularly partial to anything served with rice. We eat a lot of Butter Chicken (both home cooked and take out) and I was looking for a slightly different version and found a recipe for Butter Chicken Meatballs and tweaked it slightly to fit our own likings.

A few notes: I pan-fried my meatballs (I like that extra brown on the outside that comes with cooking them in oil) but you can also air fry the meatballs instead. I also leave the spice pretty mild to accommodate our 11-year old that is very dramatic about anything remotely spicy (cue the eye roll) but feel free to add cayenne pepper or a bit of chili oil to heat things up a bit.

Butter Chicken Meatballs

Serves 4

Chicken Meatballs

• 1 lb ground chicken
• 1 1/2 tsp freshly grated ginger
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper
• 1 c. panko breadcrumbs
• 2 tbsp whole milk or half-n-half
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp cilantro (can be left out)

Butter Chicken Sauce

• 2 tbsp olive or avocado oil
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp butter or ghee (salted or unsalted butter both work)
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 tsp. freshly grated ginger
• 1 tsp. freshly minced garlic
• 2 tsp. garam masala
• 1 1/2 tsp. turmeric
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp yellow mustard seeds
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 16oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 c. water
• 1 c. heavy whipping cream
• 1 tbsp sugar

1. Make the meatballs: Add all meatball ingredients to a large bowl. Combine using your hands (I like to wear gloves). Roll about small portions (eyeball it – you know how big or small you want your meatballs but typical size is about 1 1/2 tbsp). Aim for about 18 meatballs in order to feed four. Set the meatballs aside on a plate.
2. Pan-fry the meatballs: Heat 1-2 tbsp of olive or avocado oil in a large, deep pan over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and cook for about 6-8 minutes per side. Set aside on a plate. (Note: they will likely still be a bit raw in the center but when you add them back into the sauce, they will finish cooking.) For air-frying, spray with olive oil spray and cook at 400 degrees F for about 10 minutes.
3. Make the sauce: In the same pan, over medium to low heat, add another 1 tbsp of olive oil and the butter. Once the butter melts, add the onion and cook for about 3 minutes, or until softened. Add the garlic and ginger & cook for another 30-60 seconds. Stir in tomato paste and then add garam masala, mustard seeds, cumin, turmeric, salt and pepper. Stir to combine and then add crushed tomatoes, water, cream and sugar. Stir to fully combine and bring to a simmer.
4. Add meatballs to the sauce: Add the meatballs to the sauce, stir to coat all of them with the sauce, then simmer for about 10-15 minutes. Cut open one meatball to test that they are fully cookied.
5. Serve: Serve with rice and feel free to drizzle with chili oil for extra kick. Sprinkle with cilantro and you’re good to go!

My Tips

You can make this vegetarian but cutting up your favorite vegetables like bell pepper, broccoli, peas, tomatoes, or potatoes. The sauce is so delicious that it can stand on it’s own without the meatballs.

If you’re thinking you don’t want to add the sugar, please do not skip this step. You can use honey if you prefer, but that bit of sweetness cuts the acidity of the tomatoes.

If your sauce is too thick for your liking, add a couple splashes of water until it fits your liking. If the sauce is too thin, let it simmer for an extra 5-10 minutes. The sauce will naturally thicken as it reduces.

The meatballs can be made up to 24 hours in advanced as long as you keep them refrigerated (obvi). You can also freeze them well in advance and either cook them from frozen or thaw overnight. Same with the sauce. Feel free to make it and put it into a ziploc bag and freeze until you are ready to eat. This is a great freezer ready meal!

I like to serve this with roasted veggies. Cut up bell pepper, zucchini, sweet potato and onions (you judge what you want and how much!). Drizzle with olive oil and salt, and roast for 15-20 minutes. Super simple and pairs nicely with the strong flavors of the butter chicken meatballs.

Be sure to check out my favorite tuna salad recipe and some of my go-to fall and winter comfort recipes.

(Photos by: Abby @ The Betty Edit)