Tandoori Chicken Meatballs

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Richly spiced tandoori chicken meatballs have all the flavor of Indian takeout in an easy-to-make meatball form. Enjoy them on their own as an appetizer or over rice for a simple weeknight dinner.  

Tandoori chicken meatballs

The timing for this month’s edition of Progressive Eats couldn’t be more perfect. We’re sharing a menu for a ski weekend party, and as I’m writing this, the first snowflakes of this winter’s first big snowstorm are starting to fall. Warm and cozy food and drinks are definitely on order for tomorrow! (The ski weekend theme was also a great excuse to pull out my favorite moose bowls!)

I’ve had tandoori chicken meatballs on my “to-make” list for months and I’m so glad that I finally decided to make them happen. They’re really easy to make – they’re baked, so you don’t even need to deal with frying them – and they’re really good. I seasoned the meatballs as well as the yogurt sauce that they’re coated with, so there’s tons of flavor in each bite.

Tandoori chicken meatballs

Like traditional tandoori chicken, which is marinated in a highly seasoned yogurt-based sauce and baked in a hot oven, these meatballs have just a thin coat of sauce on them – they aren’t “saucy” at all. I think they’re perfect as they are, but you could make a double batch of yogurt and save half to use for dipping.

These tandoori meatballs are delicious as an appetizer or as part of a buffet spread (think of them as an alternative to Swedish meatballs) but they also make a delicious dinner served with basmati rice and peas.

More Meatball Recipes

Tandoori chicken meatballs
Tandoori Chicken Meatballs 2

Tandoori Chicken Meatballs

4.17 from 6 votes
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Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 246kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 pound ground chicken breast
  • ¼ cup unseasoned bread crumbs
  • 1 egg
  • ¼ cup cilantro chopped
  • ½ lemon juiced
  • 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon coriander
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

For the yogurt sauce

  • ½ cup plain yogurt
  • 1 garlic clove minced
  • ¼ teaspoon coriander
  • /4 teaspoon paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric
  • lemon wedges for serving

Instructions

  • Heat oven to 350F. Spread the oil onto the center of a rimmed baking sheet.
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine the chicken, bread crumbs, egg, cilantro, lemon juice, and spices. Mix gently to combine. Form into 12 balls (a medium cookie scoop is perfect for this.) Arrange the meatballs on the baking sheet.
  • Bake 10 minutes. Turn the meatballs over and bake another 10 minutes.
  • In a small bowl, combine the yogurt and remaining spices. Coat the cooked meatballs in yogurt sauce and return to the baking sheet. Bake an additional 10 minutes.
  • Serve with lemon wedges.
Nutrition Facts
Tandoori Chicken Meatballs
Amount Per Serving
Calories 246 Calories from Fat 108
% Daily Value*
Fat 12g18%
Cholesterol 8mg3%
Fiber 1g4%
Protein 30g60%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Tried this recipe?Mention @HealthyDelish or tag #HealthyDelish!

progressive-eats-logo1 Join Us for a Weekend Ski Party!

Appetizers

Bacon Wrapped Chicken Stuffed Jalapeno Bites
Tandoori Meatballs
Slow Cooker Asian Style Wings

Drinks

Brandy Avondale
Totally Decadent Hot Chocolate with Amaretto

Soup

Loaded Potato Leek Chowder

Main Course

Polenta ‘Lasagna’ with Swiss Chard

Bread

Three Cheese Fondue

Veggies/Side Dishes

Broccoli Cheese Toasties
Orange Pomegranate Salad with Fennel Pollen and Toasted Quinoa

Desserts

Hot Chocolate Custard
Chocolate Lava Cakes

Welcome to Progressive Eats, our virtual version of a progressive dinner party. This month’s theme is Weekend Ski Party and is hosted by Susan Pridmore who blogs at The Wimpy Vegetarian. Don’t consider yourself snowed in…consider it a party!

If you’re unfamiliar with the concept, a progressive dinner involves going from house to house, enjoying a different course at each location. With Progressive Eats, a theme is chosen each month, members share recipes suitable for a delicious meal or party, and you can hop from blog to blog to check them out.


We have a core group of 12 bloggers, but we will always need substitutes and if there is enough interest would consider additional groups. To see our upcoming themes and how you can participate, please check out the schedule at Creative Culinary or contact Barb for more information.

lauren

Hi, I'm Lauren!

I'm a certified plant-based cook and enthusiastic omnivore who loves looking for creative ways to make weeknight meals more nutritious. I'm the author of Heathy Eating One Pot Cookbook and Healthy Meal Prep Slow Cooker Cookbook. I also blog at The Busy Foodie. Read more...

 

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38 thoughts on “Tandoori Chicken Meatballs”

  1. This looks so good! I’m thinking of serving this with some naan and extra yogurt sauce. Question: I have a premade tandoori seasoning blend. Could I simply add a tablespoon or so of that instead of all of the other spices?

    Reply
  2. I just made the meat mixture and it smells amazing, but it is a little wet and won’t really hold form. It’s in the fridge overnight, but I might have to add some more bread crumbs. Yogurt sauce tastes bomb.

    Reply
    • oh no! I’m not sure what would cause it to be so wet… it should be pretty dry. Did you accidentally mix the oil into the chicken? Maybe your lemon was exceptionally juicy…

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