Hunter’s Chicken Meatballs
You need to try our fresh twist on classic Hunter’s Chicken! With homemade meatballs instead of chicken breasts, this whole new way to enjoy a family-favourite is sure to go down a storm. We’ve baked them in the oven with spicy BBQ sauce, and topped them with plenty of melty, gooey cheese – of course!
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NutritionPer Serving
- Calories300
- Carbs13g
- Protein43g
- Fat8.3g
- Saturates3.8g
- Sugars7.7g
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For the full list of ingredients and comprehensive instructions, please see the recipe card below. Before you scroll, there’s important stuff in the blurb!
Your new-favourite way to enjoy Hunter’s Chicken flavours is here! We’ve swapped out classic chicken breasts for chicken meatballs, and baked them in a rich, Hunter’s-inspired sauce. It’s packed with moreish fiery flavours for only 300 calories per serving, cheesy topping included!
To guarantee there are no hidden nasties in our dish, we’ve prepared our meatballs from scratch using a tasty blend of reduced-fat chicken mince, garlic and seasoning. You can’t have Hunter’s Chicken without bacon, and we’ve made sure you’ll find the classic combination of flavours in every bite by combining smoked bacon medallions with our meatball mixture.
Turkey mince will work just as well as chicken, if you’d prefer to use it (we guarantee it’ll still taste too delicious to eat once!). You’ll be pleased to know that leftovers freeze like a dream, so you can easily introduce them to your midweek menu served with mashed potatoes or spaghetti.
What diets are Hunter’s Chicken Meatballs suitable for?
Hunter’s Chicken Meatballs can be enjoyed on gluten-free diets, as long as you substitute the Panko breadcrumbs for suitable alternatives. You’ll also want to substitute Henderson’s Relish for Worcestershire sauce.
You can make Hunter’s Chicken Meatballs suitable for dairy-free diets by swapping reduced-fat Cheddar cheese for a dairy-free alternative.
If you’re cooking for people with allergies, be extra careful when checking ingredients and preparing food!
Do you need any special ingredients to make Hunter’s Chicken Meatballs?
We’ve used Frank’s Buffalo Wings Hot Sauce to give our meatball sauce its rich, fiery flavour. You can swap it out for any hot pepper sauce you already have at home, or you can use Tabasco or Sriracha.
To save on time, we’ve used a ready-mixed blend of BBQ seasonings. We use the Classic BBQ Seasoning by Schwartz, but any dried BBQ blend should work a treat with this dish.
You’ll be able to find both of these items in the condiments aisle at most supermarkets.
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This post contains affiliate links: what this means
We love using Frank’s Buffalo Wings Hot Sauce to add a fiery kick of spice!
Classic BBQ Seasoning by Schwartz is also available on Amazon.
How many calories are in Hunter’s Chicken Meatballs?
There are 300 calories per portion in Hunter’s Chicken Meatballs, which means they fall into our Everyday Light category.
To cut down the amount of calories even more, you can simply halve the portion size and serve with a healthy accompaniment!
Hunter’s Chicken Meatballs are perfect if you’re following a calorie-controlled diet, and fit well with any one of the major diet plans such as Weight Watchers.
As a guide, an average man needs around 2,500kcal (10,500kJ) a day to maintain a healthy body weight. For an average woman, that figure is around 2,000kcal (8,400kJ) a day. Obviously, if your goal is to lose weight then you might want to adjust these slightly! You can read more about these recommendations on the NHS website.
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Place the minced chicken, bacon, breadcrumbs, garlic granules, salt and black pepper in a medium bowl. Add the egg a little at a time and mix until completely combined. You may not need to add all the egg; the mixture needs to hold together well enough to form into meatballs. Shape the mixture into 16 balls.
Step 2
Spray a large frying pan with low-calorie cooking spray and place over a medium heat. When the frying pan is hot, add the meatballs and fry for 2-3 minutes to seal and lightly brown on all sides. Remove from the frying pan and set aside on a plate while you make the sauce.
Step 3
Place all the sauce ingredients in an 18 x 27cm ovenproof dish and stir until mixed.
Step 4
Place the sealed meatballs on top of the sauce and cover tightly with kitchen foil. Place in the preheated oven and bake for about 45 minutes until the meatballs are cooked through; they should show no sign of pinkness inside and their juices should run clear.
Step 5
Remove the meatballs from the dish and set aside on a plate. Transfer the sauce mixture into a food processor or use a stick blender to blitz until completely smooth.
Step 6
Preheat the grill on a high setting. Return the meatballs to the ovenproof dish and pour the sauce over the top. Sprinkle the cheese over the top and place under the grill for a couple of minutes or until the cheese has melted and is golden.
Step 7
Serve at once with an accompaniment of your choice.
What could I serve with Hunter’s Chicken Meatballs?
These Hunter’s Chicken Meatballs make for a delicious slimming-friendly dinner with a variety of accompaniments. Any of these side dishes would go down a storm:
How long can you keep Hunter’s Chicken Meatballs in the fridge?
Once you’ve served this recipe, you’ll ideally need to eat it within 4 hours.
You can store any leftovers of Hunter’s Chicken Meatballs in the fridge for 1-2 days. Make sure that you allow them to cool before putting them in a container with a lid and chilling in the refrigerator.
Can I freeze Hunter’s Chicken Meatballs?
Yes, you can! This recipe can be frozen, but please remember to do the following;
- Freeze it as soon as it is cold enough.
- Use a container or bag that is suitable for freezing.
Don’t forget to add a label with what it is, and on what date you put it in the freezer!
How do I reheat Hunter’s Chicken Meatballs?
From chilled: Place in a microwave-proof container with loosely-fitting lid and heat for 4-7 minutes, or until piping hot.
From frozen: Allow to defrost thoroughly overnight, and then heat (covered) in the microwave for around 3-5 minutes. Stir occasionally. Cook for a further 5-7 minutes until piping hot.
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Hunter’s Chicken Meatballs
You need to try our fresh twist on classic Hunter’s Chicken! This whole new way to enjoy a cheese-topped classic is sure to go down a storm.
-
Prep Time
15 MINS
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Cook Time
50 MINS
- KCals 300
- Carbs 13G
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C. Place the minced chicken, bacon, breadcrumbs, garlic granules, salt and black pepper in a medium bowl. Add the egg a little at a time and mix until completely combined. You may not need to add all the egg; the mixture needs to hold together well enough to form into meatballs. Shape the mixture into 16 balls.
- Spray a large frying pan with low-calorie cooking spray and place over a medium heat. When the frying pan is hot, add the meatballs and fry for 2-3 minutes to seal and lightly brown on all sides. Remove from the frying pan and set aside on a plate while you make the sauce.
- Place all the sauce ingredients in an 18 x 27cm ovenproof dish and stir until mixed.
- Place the sealed meatballs on top of the sauce and cover tightly with kitchen foil. Place in the preheated oven and bake for about 45 minutes until the meatballs are cooked through; they should show no sign of pinkness inside and their juices should run clear.
- Remove the meatballs from the dish and set aside on a plate. Transfer the sauce mixture into a food processor or use a stick blender to blitz until completely smooth.
- Preheat the grill on a high setting. Return the meatballs to the ovenproof dish and pour the sauce over the top. Sprinkle the cheese over the top and place under the grill for a couple of minutes or until the cheese has melted and is golden.
- Serve at once with an accompaniment of your choice.
Looking for Slimming World Syns or Weight Watchers (WW) Points?
With ever-changing plans and point calculations, we have made the decision to remove WW Points from the website - referring to your individual plan or advice from your consultant is always going to give the most accurate results.
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Recipe notes
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12 comments
See what others have to say
RowenaMonday 5th February 2024
Hi. Could this be made in the Instant Pot? Thanks.
Cheryl LloydMonday 5th February 2024
We have this article about converting recipes for cooking in an Instant Pot that might be helpful 😊
https://pinchofnom.com/how-to-convert-recipes-to-your-instant-pot/
AngieWednesday 17th January 2024
Can you blend the sauce before cooking?
HollyMonday 5th February 2024
Hey Angie, we think it’s best to cook the sauce and meatballs in an ovenproof dish and then blitz the sauce. This will cook the vegetables in the sauce and add extra flavour from the chicken meatballs before blitzing, hope that helps!
April MetcalfeTuesday 1st August 2023
Can you make this in the slow cooker
Cheryl LloydFriday 9th February 2024
This article has some really good advice about to convert recipes for slow cooking 😊
https://pinchofnom.com/how-to-convert-recipes-to-a-slow-cooker/
BarbaraSunday 28th May 2023
Hi,
Could I make this in a slow cooker please?
Thanks
Cheryl LloydThursday 1st February 2024
We haven’t given this recipe a slow cooker method as we don’t feel that it will work that way.
LisaTuesday 28th February 2023
Hi where can I get the BBQ seasoning?
SharonTuesday 28th February 2023
Hi Lisa, you can buy BBQ seasoning in most large supermarkets; you’ll find it in the aisle with the herbs and spices. Alternatively, you can find it on Amazon. Hope this helps.
KittyKatWednesday 22nd February 2023
Could you mince chicken breasts instead of using chicken mince? And if so, how many breasts would you recommend?
SharonThursday 23rd February 2023
Hi KittyKat, yes, you could mince chicken breast if you prefer. You will need 500g of raw chicken breast, which will be about 3 to 4 skinless, boneless medium breasts. Hope this helps!
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