Orange Chicken Meatballs

Orange Chicken Meatballs are an easier, healthier version of traditional orange chicken with fewer calories and fat but all of the same great flavor.

Traditional fried orange chicken from your favorite Chinese takeout restaurant is certainly delicious, but it’s a lot of work to make your own at home. Not to mention, even though it’s a tasty treat, it’s not the healthiest choice that you make.

When I have a dish I like that’s tasty but I know I shouldn’t eat on the regular, I like to come up with a healthier make at home version.

Which is exactly what I did with this fried orange chicken situation.

What I came up with were these orange chicken meatballs. Not only are they healthier, they’re quick and easy to make. Plus, they taste really amazing.

These tasty little meatballs have just the right flavor you would expect with orange chicken and adding water chestnuts to the meatballs give them a nice little crunch. This mimics the crispiness of the fried version.

If that wasn’t enough reason to convince you to give this recipe a try, these meatballs are also versatile. They’re great on their own as a party appetizer and just as great as a main dish served over rice.

Ingredients needed for Orange Chicken Meatballs

You’ll find the complete recipe below in the recipe card

• Water chestnuts
• Ginger paste
• Green onions
• Ground chicken
• Panko bread crumbs
• Soy sauce
• Garlic
• Orange juice
• Rice Vinegar
• Ketchup
• Sriracha sauce
• Corn starch

How to Make Orange Chicken Meatballs

• Combine all meatball ingredients in a bowl.
• Mix with your hands until ingredients are well incorporated.
• Form into 1 inch meatballs.
• Place meatballs in a 9×13 baking dish.
• Bake uncovered for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile whisk together all ingredients for the sauce, except for cornstarch in a sauce pan.
• Heat until mixture comes to a boil.
• Whisk in cornstarch mixture and stir until sauce has thickened.
• Remove from heat and set aside.
• After 15 minutes, remove meatballs from the oven.
• Pour sauce evenly over meatballs.
• Return to oven and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
• Serve on their own as an appetizer or over rice for a main dish.

FAQs for Making Orange Chicken Meatballs

What kind of ground chicken should be used?

• I’ve tried this recipe with both regular ground chicken as well as ground chicken breast and both work equally well when making these orange chicken meatballs. It’s really a personal preference. If you can’t find ground chicken or don’t have any on hand, ground turkey would also work well in this recipe.

What kind of orange juice should I use?

• I suggest using orange juice without any pulp. Otherwise, any brand that you like will work. Since the recipe only calls for 1 cup of orange juice, I would also suggest buying a small, single serve bottle of juice if you are not a regular orange juice drinker. I’ve been able to find this size at my regular grocery store.

Are the water chestnuts necessary?

• I definitely feel that they’re necessary. The crunch that they give to the meatballs is very pleasing and somewhat mimics the crunch of fried orange chicken.

What if I like my meatballs to be spicier?

• If you want more spice, add more sriracha to the sauce to suit your taste.

Can these be frozen?

• These can be frozen. To reheat, defrost completely and reheat either in the microwave in 1 minute increments, stirring in between, or on the stove top at medium low heat.

ENJOY!