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A black bowl containing rice and topped with meatballs, roasted peppers, cucumbers, caramelized onions, marinated chickpeas, tomatoes, and olives.

Chicken Shawarma Meatballs

Course: Appetizer, Dinner, Lunch, Main Course, Sandwich
Cuisine: Compliments many cuisines
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 4 6 meatball servings
Calories: 444kcal
Author: Ten Pound Cake Company
This quick and easy recipe, Chicken Shawarma Meatballs, combines ground chicken, chickpeas, and warm and toasty spices in flavorful baked meatballs.
Print Recipe

Equipment

  • 1 medium-sized bowl
  • 1 cutting board
  • 1 knife
  • 1 sheet pan (13 x 9)
  • 1 rack (Should fit the sheet pan)
  • 1 scoop (.75 ounce size if you are making 24 meatballs)
  • 1 pastry brush
  • 1 large pot and lid (for making rice if you are making shawarma bowls)
  • 1 box grater

Ingredients

Chicken Shawarma Meatballs

  • 8 ounces ground chicken breast (458 grams)
  • 8 ounces ground chicken thigh (458 grams)
  • 1 15 ounce can of chickpeas (425 grams)
  • ½ cup fresh bread crumbs (.8 ounce/22 grams)
  • 1 egg
  • 1¼ teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1½ teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¾ teaspoon ground coriander
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric
  • ¼ teaspoon cardamom
  • 1 pinch cayenne pepper
  • 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon garlic, minced (4 cloves)
  • ½ cup plain yogurt (3.6 ounces/101 grams)

Marinated Chickpeas

  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon chopped fresh dill

Tzatziki Sauce

  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • ½ cup plain yogurt (3.6ounces/101 grams)
  • ½ cup sour cream (3.6 ounces/101 grams)
  • ⅓ cup grated English cucumber with water squeezed out
  • ½ teaspoon chopped fresh dill
  • ½ teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1 pinch kosher salt
  • 1 pinch ground black pepper

Meatball Glaze

  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1½ teaspoons lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions

Chicken Shawarma Meatballs

  • Preheat oven to 425°
  • Prepare baking pans. Place a wire rack over a sheet pan of the same size. Coat the rack with cooking spray or olive oil.
  • In a medium-sized bowl, give ⅓ cup of chickpeas a rough mash.
  • Add 8 ounces ground chicken breast and 8 ounces ground chicken thighs to the bowl.
  • Add ½ cup of fresh bread crumbs.
  • Add 1 tablespoon of minced garlic, 1 tablespoon of chopped parsley, 1 teaspoon of lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
  • Using your hands, mix everything together.  Only mix until the ingredients are incorporated.
  • Mix together all the spices - cumin, smoked paprika, kosher salt, coriander, turmeric, cardamom, and cayenne.
  • Add one egg, ½ cup of plain yogurt, and the spice mix to the bowl.
  • Again mix everything only until all ingredients are distributed.  The meatball mixture will be wet.
  • It helps to use a small scoop to make the meatballs, about 1 ½-inch in size or .75 ounce in weight.   You can also use two spoons - one to scoop and one to help remove the meatball from the other spoon.
  • Place the meatballs on the rack. The recipe makes 24 meatballs.
  • Place the sheet pan and rack in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
  • Combine the meatball glaze ingredients. I microwave the glaze for 8 seconds to help warm the oil which helps to release the scent of the garlic.
  • Brush each meatball with the glaze.

Marinated Chickpeas

  • Make a quick dressing of 2 teaspoons of minced garlic, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, ½ teaspoon of kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, and ½ teaspoon of chopped fresh dill.
  • Toss the remainder of the can of chickpeas with the dressing.

Tzatziki Sauce

  • Using a box grater, shred ½ of an English cucumber on top of a paper towel.
  • Fold the paper towel and squeeze the cucumber, releasing water. Try to squeeze out as much as possible.
  • Mix the cucumber with one minced clove of garlic, plain yogurt, sour cream, fresh dill, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

Notes

Total amounts of ingredients - 
minced garlic - 3 tablespoons
lemon juice - 2 tablespoons
olive oil - 4 tablespoons
plain yogurt - 1 cup
chopped dill - 1 teaspoon
Suggested uses of meatballs - 
hors d'oeuvres
pita sandwich
chicken shawarma bowl
 

Nutrition

Calories: 444kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 163mg | Sodium: 1061mg | Potassium: 837mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 784IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 154mg | Iron: 2mg