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Prep time
30 minutes
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Cook time
20 minutes
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Serves
4
Author Notes
These jalapeño chicken meatballs are made with a small amount of yogurt to keep them moist and tender, and served with a cooling yogurt dip to balance them out (though the broccoli is equally delicious dipped in there, too).
If you’re someone who loves heat, keep the seeds and membrane of the jalapeño intact, as that’s where most of the pepper's heat comes from. While the broccoli is cut into small florets so that it cooks quickly, you can reserve the thicker stalks and stems for stock, or cook them on a separate sheet pan in the oven—they won’t all fit on one—and serve all together. —yasminfahr
Test Kitchen Notes
Keep a small amount of space in between each meatball and broccoli floret on the pan to encourage delicious crispy brownness. If they're too close together, they'll steam rather than crisp up. —Jess Kapadia
Ingredients
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4 cups
broccoli florets, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
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2 tablespoons
olive oil
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kosher salt
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1 1/2 teaspoons
ground cumin
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1 teaspoon
red pepper flakes
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2
limes, zested, 1 cut into thin rounds and 1 halved
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1
large egg
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1
small jalapeño, seeded and minced
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2/3 cup
grated Parmesan or pecorino, plus more for garnish
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3/4 cup
plus 3 tablespoons full-fat Greek yogurt or skyr
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1/2 cup
panko breadcumbs
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1 tablespoon
plus 2 teaspoons cilantro or parsley leaves, roughly chopped
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1 pound
ground chicken
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freshly ground black pepper
Directions
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Heat the oven to 425°F. On a sheet pan, coat the broccoli with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes until it has a light sheen to it. Rub the lime rounds in the residual oil and scatter around the pan.
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Whisk the egg in a mixing bowl, then add 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, the jalapeño, Parmesan or pecorino, 3 tablespoons yogurt, panko breadcrumbs, 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro or parsley, half the lime zest, and the ground chicken, gently combining until the mixture is evenly dotted with green spots.
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Lightly wet your palms and roll the meat into 1 1/2-inch loose (not tightly packed) meatballs. You’ll have about 20 meatballs.
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Nestle the meatballs on the sheet pan between the broccoli, placing some of the lime rounds on top of the broccoli and meatballs to make more room as needed.
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Bake, flipping the broccoli halfway and turning the sheet pan around for even cooking, until the meatballs are cooked through and the broccoli tips are crisp, 15 to 18 minutes. For more color on the tops of the meatballs, place them under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes.
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While the meatballs are baking, combine 3/4 cup yogurt with the juice of half a lime and 2 teaspoons chopped cilantro or parsley in a small serving bowl, and season to taste with salt.
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Remove the meatballs from the oven, squeeze the lime half over the entire pan, season with black pepper, and sprinkle with extra cheese.
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Serve the meatballs with the yogurt sauce.
Yasmin is a recipe developer and cookbook author. Her first book, Keeping it Simple, is full of easy, weeknight one-pot recipes. Say hi to her online @yasminfahr!
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