Soft Chicken Meatballs For Babies, Toddlers, Kids (BLW)
Soft chicken meatballs for baby made with ground chicken, vegetables, soft avocado and seasonings, no bread or flour needed. These baby chicken meatballs are suitable for 6-7 month old babies and up, baby led weaning (BLW) as finger food, including toddlers and older kid’s school lunch box. Egg free meatball version included.
Ingredients
- 1 lb (454g) ground chicken
- 3/4 avocado
- 1 medium carrot
- 1 small onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 egg
- 1.5-2 tbsp tomato paste (lemon juice or some mustard will also work)
- 1/3 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp sage (or basil)
- 1/3 tsp sea salt (for babies 12 months +)
Eggless Chicken Meatballs
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese (grated) (as eggs substitute)
- 3-4 tbsp bread crumbs (or almond flour (grain free version))
Instructions
Prepare The Ingredients
- Prep the vegetables (onion, carrot, garlic): clean and peel and throw them in a food processor along with avocado and seasonings.
Mix The Ingredients
- Pulse the ingredients a few times until finely chopped, then add the egg and tomato paste, pulse another few times until incorporated.
- Then add the ground chicken and mix by hand or with a spatula. Don't mix in the food processor it will make the texture very wet and will be harder to handle.
- If you can't find pre-made ground chicken, use your food processor to finely ground some chicken breasts. If you can, add some thigh meat as well for a more round flavor.
Form The Meatballs
- Use a small cookie or ice cream scoop to evenly portion out the meatballs. Place one by one in a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, or if you have mini muffin pan, use that, it will help keep the shape better.To help with stickiness when rolling: lightly dampen hands with some oil.
Bake The Meatballs
- Place in a 400-degree F oven and bake for 20 minutes until slightly golden browned. They usually have a lighter color than those made with red meat. You can turn the broil function for the last minute or two of baking for a more golden surface.Baking the meatballs is easier, healthier and mess free. But you can also fry them if you like.
Egg Free Chicken Meatballs Version
- Keep everything the same, you just need to replace the egg with parmesan cheese and add some bread crumbs (or flour) in order to absorb the extra moisture. Add them at the end with the meat and mix by hand.For the grain free / gluten free version opt for a nut/ seed flour or arrowroot flour.
Notes
- For more flavor you can add some parmesan cheese to the original recipe and some chopped fresh herbs like parsley, basil, spinach or kale.
- Store in the refrigerator for 3-5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months in an airtight container.
- Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat on the stove. In a pot add a touch of water or stock and the meatballs, cover and let them steam inside at low temperature for 10-15 minutes. Or just pop them out of the freezer and place them on a backing sheet. Cover with foil and reheat at 170C /350F until heated through.
Nutrition
Serving: 1meatballCalories: 47kcalCarbohydrates: 1.55gProtein: 3.77gFat: 3.04gPotassium: 159mgFiber: 0.7gSugar: 0.44gVitamin A: 446IUVitamin C: 1.4mgCalcium: 6mgIron: 0.34mg
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