Isn’t it amazing how certain types of food are featured in nearly every food culture in the world, often with their own unique and distinct flair? Kind of like a representation of humans in general. We are all so uniquely different, but strip away those toppings, dressings and flavourings and we are all the freaking same. An empanada by any other name may not taste the same, but they all have the same idea. And think about croquettes? How many different versions of those do we have out there? What about meatballs? Whether it’s beef, pork, chicken or vegetarian “meatballs”, we all have a favourite, sometimes more than one.
Today I’m putting my own little spin on meatballs with these Sri Lankan Curry Chicken Meatballs and serving them in a Sandwich with Sweet and Spicy Mango Chutney and a side of thin fries!
This is how I comfort food.
So here I took the classic meatball sandwich and gave it a juicy, flavourful twist with these curry chicken meatballs that were cooked in a delicious, spicy sauce.
Growing up, my family didn’t eat beef. So chicken meatballs (the frozen kind) were the preferred kind, our go-to snack as kids. They came in these little packages with a small sachet of spice mix already in them, and all we had to do was add water or coconut milk and cook them for a pretty awesome meatball curry. I’ve been craving for them recently and that got me making these meatballs at home from scratch. I made these in a tomato based spiced sauce and usually I love eating these with steamed rice.
But this time, I stuffed these bad boys in homemade hot dog buns and made a killer chicken meatball sub!
I also paired them with thin potato fries. I know, I know, there’s nothing green in these pictures and the thin potato fries do not help my cause there either, but this meal was the result of one of those days where it was either comfort food or nothing at all. A salad would obviously be a healthier choice for a side dish (if you decide to take that route), but these delightful thin potato fries have a special place in my memories from childhood. My dad’s nanny, who stayed with our family even after I was born (right up until my grandmother passed away, actually) used to make potato fries this way, and I loved ’em! They are crunchy and insanely delicious and I could snack on them all day long! I still think of her every time I make them or eat anything similar.
This recipe makes about 22 meatballs that are about 2 inches in diameter, and if you use homemade hot dogs buns, that will fill 7 sandwiches plus 1 extra meatball for you to eat (the rest of the family don’t need to know). But of course, you can use whatever kind of bread roll you prefer. 🙂
These meatballs are seriously fantastic! I used a combination of both white and dark meat to make these, because I love the texture of chicken breast, but I also love chicken thighs because they stay nice and juicy. So a 50-50 mix of each ensured that I had bite-sized chicken meatballs that were the perfect combo of juicy and delicious and had perfect texture and flavour. The addition of lightly caramelized onions also increased the flavour! They bring an additional layer of sweetness and since they are already cooked, they mix and blend easily with the chicken.
The result is flavour-laden curry chicken meatballs that you’d be tempted to eat, all on their own, till they are all gone!
- 12 oz skinless, boneless chicken thighs
- 12 oz chicken breast (skinless, boneless)
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp pepper
- 200g onion chopped and caramelized
- 1 tsp curry powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 6 tbsp bread crumbs
- 1 egg yolk
- 100g onions, minced or chopped finely
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cm ginger grated
- ½ tsp cayenne
- 1 tsp pepper
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp curry powder
- ½ tsp cumin powder
- ½ tsp coriander powder
- ½ tsp cinnamon powder
- ½ cup ketchup
- 2 tbsp sugar
- ¾ cup chicken stock or water
- 1 bread roll or homemade hot dog bun
- 3-4 chicken meatballs and sauce (depending on the length of the bun)
- 2 slices of Provolone cheese
- 2 heaped teaspoons of Sweet and Spicy mango chutney (better if the chutney is cold)
- Cilantro (optional)
- Cut the chicken pieces into cubes and place them in the food processor and process until you have minced them. Add the caramelized onions and spices and salt, and pulse for a few seconds until everything is mixed through.
- Transfer this chicken into a bowl and mix in the bread crumbs and the yolks using your hands. Make sure everything is mixed well.
- Using a small scoop (like the one you'd use for cookies), separate the chicken into small portions. Using slightly wet hands, roll them into smooth balls and place them in a non stick tray or container until you are ready to brown them.
- In a non stick pan, heat a couple of tablespoons of oil over medium high heat and fry the meatballs in batches until they are brown all over (not cooked through). Place them aside.
- Heat a couple of tablespoons of oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Place the onions, garlic and ginger and mix well.
- When the onions start to turn translucent, add the cayenne pepper, black pepper, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, curry powder and salt. Saute for about 30 seconds just to roast the curry powder. Add the ketchup (tomato sauce), sugar and chicken stock (water) and mix well.
- Add the meatballs at this stage and gently mix them with the curry sauce. Bring the curry to a simmer and cook the chicken meatballs for about 10 minutes. Leave them to cool slightly.
- These meatballs will taste better the next day. Can be easily frozen at this stage as well.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/ 180°C.
- Cut the buns along the side but not all the way through. Butter the insides of the bun.
- Place the chicken meatballs along with some of the sauce inside the bun, and then two slices of provolone cheese on top of the meatballs.
- Place the buns on a baking tray and transfer them to the oven to toast the bread and melt the cheese.
- Once the cheese has melted, remove the sandwiches from the oven, and when they are cool enough to handle, spoon some Mango Chutney over the melted cheese.
- Top with some Cilantro and serve.
Let me tell you, this curry chicken meatball sandwich is the real deal! Imagine, homemade hot dog buns, perfectly crusty on the outside and oh-so-soft on the inside, stuffed with curry chicken meatballs, cooked in a spiced tomato based sauce, topped with melted provolone cheese and a cold, sweet, spicy mango chutney… with a side of crunchy potato fries… And meatball juices and sauce running down your hands as you bite into your sandwich and take big, happy mouthfuls… And a cold beer to wash it all down afterwards. If this was my last meal, I wouldn’t be complaining.
Do you know all the different types of meatballs in the world? I only know of a few, but here’s an article with lots more. It’s pretty fascinating and makes me realize how much more there is to discover about food!
Which ones have you tried? 🙂
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I will be sharing these recipes at FoodieFriDIY , Fiesta Friday and Saucy Saturday.
I made this last night along with the homemade bread. I would say it is a good sandwich but i will definitely reduce or even omit the sugar that goes into the curry sauce as the ketchup is sweet enough and the mango chutney is also sweet. The sandwich tasted so sweet with all this sugar. It also lacks the crunchy factor and the sour factor to make it more balanced. But over all not bad.
Thank you Adam! 🙂
Regular ketchup is definitely much sweeter than the brand that we buy – so I agree, reducing the sugar was a good call! I am glad that you liked it after making the adjustments to your taste. The crunch factor definitely comes from the potato fries though 🙂
Thank you very much for your feedback and letting me know how the recipe turned out for you!
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Wow!! That is INSANELY delicious comfort food!! 🙂
This looks amazing!!! I’m drooling 🙂
I have lots of meatball recipes (some posted) but not one with a curry sauce – just love the spices in curries. I’m with you Dini, comfort food does not mean “green” to me. Fabulous recipe and thanks for sharing – those fries look awful good too!
This looks so good …I want one for lunch right now 🙂
I need this for lunch! Seriously, I do!
Your recipes are glorious,
Thank you so much Pam!! 🙂 That makes me very happy! I hope you visit again soon 😀
Oh my word! Your sandwich looks AMAZING! It’s definitely being shared and #onthemenu!
Thank you so much Christie!! 🙂
Wow!! Amazing looking sandwich!! 🙂 Love the flavor profile! 🙂 Stopping over from friday favorites!
Cathy
Dini I sure wish my computer would give me take out because I would love one of these sammies!
Your curry chicken meatballs would go good with anything. Great combo of flavors.
This looks amazing! Perfect summer sandwich!
Oh my goodness, this sandwich looks seriously delicious! Don’t skimp on the napkins messy but delicious are the best recipes. I had a hard time deciding which photos I wanted to pin… so I pinned one of each.. Take care
Thank you so much for Pinning! I really appreciate it 😀
That’s my favourite kind of sandwich/burger too! A good backup of napkins and hopefully room for seconds! 😉
Dini when you say “from scratch” you don’t mess around! I LOVE that you cooked and ground the chicken yourself. I can’t wait to do this myself. I may forgo the bun. But I’m keeping the fries. Love your inventiveness. I hope that’s a word…. xo
OMG these look amazing!! Really fantastic!!! I love the flavors in them and pretty much everything else about them 🙂
Thank you so much Mila! 🙂 We loved eating these and the mess was worth it! :p