The inspiration for this recipe came from a Thai chicken wings and peanut sauce recipe from the Better Homes and Gardens Skinny Slow Cooker magazine.  I was initially intrigued because I love the combination of peanut butter with asian flavors.  The Thai Peanut Sauce that I ended up making was a winner, but I was not happy with the chicken thighs that I made in the crockpot.  I decided that I would try to come up with another chicken dish to pair with the successful and satisfying sauce.

My idea?  A Paleo thai chicken meatball!  I have had a lot of success with ground chicken, and wanted to combine the chicken with Asian flavors that would marry well with the tang and sweetness of the peanut sauce.  The zest of a lime, fresh ginger and garlic in the meat mixture are all flavors that are prominent in the peanut sauce.  I also used onion to add a little more moisture and texture to the meat.  The cilantro provides a little extra flavor to the meatballs, but the amount can be adjusted to a 1/2 teaspoon if you are not a big fan of cilantro.

If you are strictly Paleo, these meatballs certainly do not have to be paired with my Easy Thai Peanut Sauce.  They are delicious enough to stand on their own, or be served with my Paleo Mayonnaise combined with a little Sriracha Chili Sauce to make a Sriracha Mayo sauce.

Taylor and I enjoyed these meatballs served as an appetizer with just the peanut sauce, on top of a salad, and as miniature wraps inside of leaves of napa cabbage.  The wraps were probably my favorite preparation.  I chopped up a sweet bell pepper, a fresh plum tomato, and dressed it all with a little peanut sauce and Sriracha chili sauce.  It ended up being a little messy, but that is why we always stock plenty of napkins in our house!

Ingredients

• 2 pkgs (each 1lb) ground chicken
• 1 sm yellow onion, finely minced
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• zest of 1 lime
• 1 tbs fresh ginger, grated
• 1 large egg, slightly beaten
• 1/4 cup full-fat coconut milk
• 1/2 cup almond meal/flour
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp dried cilantro or 1 tbs fresh cilantro
• for peanut sauce:
• 1/2 cup natural peanut butter (crunchy or smooth)
• 1 tbs coconut aminos or low sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp dried ginger or 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tbs fresh lime juice

Instructions

• 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• 2. In a large bowl, add onion, garlic, ginger, lime zest, coconut milk, egg, almond meal, salt, black pepper, cayenne, cilantro, and mix well
• 3. Add both packages of ground chicken and mix all ingredients together with your hands until evenly distributed, let rest for a few minutes,
• 4. Wet hands to more easily form meatballs about 1-2 tablespoons in size
• 5. Place meatballs on a baking pan covered in nonstick aluminum foil or parchment paper
• 6. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until cooked through
• 7. Meanwhile, in a small nonstick pot, add peanut butter, water, coconut aminos/soy sauce, ginger, garlic and red pepper flakes
• 8. Heat on low/medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until all ingredients are immediately incorporated
• 9. Serve meatballs with sauce drizzled on top or on the side
• 10. Enjoy!