Sweet Chilli Meatballs

  • 15MINS
  • 20MINS
  • Serves 4
  • 204KCAL

Our sticky Sweet Chilli Meatballs are a dreamy midweek dinner! Quick and easy to make, they’re low in calories, packed with flavour and delicious served with your choice of rice or noodles.

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NutritionPer Serving

  • Calories204
  • Carbs18g
  • Protein31g
  • Fat1.9g
  • Saturates0.5g
  • Sugars12g

The ingredients for Pinch of Nom's Sweet Chilli Meatballs are laid out on a kitchen counter, ready to begin cooking.

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!

Can you believe these sticky-sweet chicken meatballs can be made from scratch in just 35 minutes? An easy-peasy midweek meal, they’re family friendly, with just a hint of fakeaway flavour. 

To keep the calories nice and low we’ve used lean chicken mince to make the meatballs for this recipe. You should be able to find it in most supermarkets but, if you struggle to get your hands on some, you can always whizz up some chicken breast in a food processor. 

While your handmade meatballs are roasting in the oven, pop a pan on the hob to simmer the sweet chilli sauce. When it’s sticky and syrupy, mix everything together and serve with rice or noodles. 

Any leftovers will freeze and reheat like a dream, so don’t be afraid to make a few extra portions!

Pssst…you can also cook these meatballs in your air fryer! The full method is right here

What diets are these Sweet Chilli Meatballs suitable for?

This recipe can be enjoyed on dairy-free diets. 

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 Sweet Chilli Meatballs?

Nope!

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How many calories are in these Sweet Chilli Meatballs?

There are 204 calories per portion in these Sweet Chilli Meatballs, which means they fall into our Everyday Light category. 

This recipe is perfect if you’re following a calorie controlled diet, and fits 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 190°C and spray a baking tray with low-calorie cooking spray.

Step 2

To a large bowl add the mince, chilli, garlic, ginger, garlic granules, onion granules, chilli powder, breadcrumbs and a little salt and pepper. Mix together with your hands until fully combined.

Step 2 pinchofnom.com

Step 3

Divide the mixture into 12 and then roll into golf ball sized meatballs. Place onto the baking tray.

Step 3 pinchofnom.com Step 3 pinchofnom.com

Step 4

Cook for 20-25 minutes, turning halfway, until cooked through and turning golden brown on the outside.

Step 5

While the meatballs cook, spray a large frying pan with low-calorie cooking spray and set on a low heat. Add the chilli and garlic and fry for 4 minutes until softening. Add the ketchup, soy sauce, honey, sweetener, vinegar and water. Stir and bring to a very gentle simmer for 4 minutes until just thickening. Remove from the heat.

Step 5 pinchofnom.com Step 5 pinchofnom.com Step 5 pinchofnom.com

Step 6

Remove the meatballs from the oven and add to the pan. Stir to coat the meatballs in the sauce and serve with your choice of accompaniment.

Step 6 pinchofnom.com Step 6 pinchofnom.com

A close up shows Pinch of Nom's Sweet Chilli Meatballs served on a bed of rice. The meatballs are coated in a glossy, sticky sauce.

What could I serve with these Sweet Chilli Meatballs?

We like to serve these with rice, noodles or extra veggies! 

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How do you know when Sweet Chilli Meatballs are cooked?

You’ll need to cook these Sweet Chilli Meatballs in the oven until they’re cooked all the way through. This should take around 20-25 minutes. 

Here in the UK, the standard advice is to cook food until it has reached 70°C and maintained that temperature for 2 minutes. This is to keep you and your family safe! 

How long can you keep Sweet Chilli 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 in the fridge for around 3 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 Sweet Chilli Meatballs?

This recipe CAN be frozen, but please do remember to do the following:

  • Make sure that you freeze it as soon as it is cold enough.
  • Choose a container or a bag that is suitable for freezing.
  • Label your dish with the name of the recipe and the date that you froze it on.

How do I reheat Sweet Chilli Meatballs?

From chilled: Place in a microwavable container with a loosely fitting lid and heat for 4-7 minutes until piping hot.

From frozen: Allow to defrost overnight and reheat from chilled. 

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Sweet Chilli Meatballs

Our sticky Sweet Chilli Meatballs are a dreamy midweek dinner! Quick and easy to make, they’re low in calories, packed with flavour and delicious served with your choice of rice or noodles.
  • Prep Time
    15 MINS
  • Cook Time
    20 MINS
  • KCals 204
  • Carbs 18G

Ingredients

For the meatballs

  • 500 g chicken mince
  • ½ red chilli, deseeded and finely diced
  • 1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
  • 1 tsp fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
  • 1 tsp garlic granules
  • 1 tsp onion granules
  • ¼ tsp mild chilli powder
  • 20 g panko breadcrumbs
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • low-calorie cooking spray

For the sweet chilli sauce

  • ½ red chilli, deseeded and finely diced
  • 1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
  • 3 tbsp reduced-sugar and salt ketchup
  • 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 2 tbsp white granulated sweetener
  • 2 tbsp white wine or rice vinegar
  • 2 tbsp water

We use a fan assisted oven for all of our recipes. Check out our oven temperature conversion guide.

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Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 190°C and spray a baking tray with low-calorie cooking spray.
  2. To a large bowl add the mince, chilli, garlic, ginger, garlic granules, onion granules, chilli powder, breadcrumbs and a little salt and pepper. Mix together with your hands until fully combined.
  3. Divide the mixture into 12 and then roll into golf ball sized meatballs. Place onto the baking tray.
  4. Cook for 20-25 minutes, turning halfway, until cooked through and turning golden brown on the outside.
  5. While the meatballs cook, spray a large frying pan with low-calorie cooking spray and set on a low heat. Add the chilli and garlic and fry for 4 minutes until softening. Add the ketchup, soy sauce, honey, sweetener, vinegar and water. Stir and bring to a very gentle simmer for 4 minutes until just thickening. Remove from the heat.
  6. Remove the meatballs from the oven and add to the pan. Stir to coat the meatballs in the sauce and serve with your choice of accompaniment.

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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If you’ve made Sweet Chilli Meatballs and love it, let us know by tagging us in your photos!

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