Coconut Chicken Meatballs are a fried meatball recipe with the most juicy chicken meatball inside! Serve this meatball recipe at your next party!
A Tasty Fried Meatball Recipe
The first thing about fried food is that it needs to be crispy. Soggy fried food is bad.
One of the things I’ve learned since cooking in the last year is how to fry something the right way. I had no idea before that there was a right way and a wrong way to fry, but I guess there’s a right and wrong way to do just about anything.
These fried chicken meatballs are one of my favorite appetizers to serve at parties! Everyone flips for these meatballs and I can guarantee you, you had better have the recipe ready to hand out.
How Do You Make Coconut Chicken Meatballs?
Start heating up your pot with oil over medium heat. If you have a thermometer that clips on the side of your pot it’s ideal for this recipe. These meatballs fry at a lower temperature than most deep fry recipes. You want the chicken to cook through (obviously) but not burn the coconut in the breading.
Mix up the filling for the meatballs and let the mixture sit in the fridge for a couple of hours to let the flavors all come together.
I used a 1 1/2 tablespoon scoop to and I ended up with about 24 meatballs. I emptied the scoop right into my coconut/breadcrumb mixture and tossed it around before I picked it up. A lot less messier meatball rolling that way.
Once the oil gets to about 325 degrees add in your first batch of meatballs. Usually you would fry at a little higher temperature but you don’t want the coconut to burn so I knocked the heat down just a little. Give them 3-4 minutes, turning them around about halfway through.
Drain the fried meatballs on paper towel lined plates and start your next batch. You might have to wait until your oil comes to temperature again to start frying…just be patient.
Try out these Coconut Chicken meatballs for dinner or you next party – don’t be afraid of the deep fry, just deep fry right. There’s even a healthy slice of pineapple on top for you.
Looking For More Meatball Recipes?
- Cheeseburger Meatballs
- Chicken & Broccoli Meatballs
- Grandma’s Sunday Meatballs and Sauce
- Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
Coconut Chicken Meatballs
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 6 Servings 1x
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeIngredients
- 1 lb. ground chicken
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 c. crushed pineapple, drained (reserving juice from can)
- 3/4 c. regular breadcrumbs
- 1/2 t. garlic powder
- 1/2 t. onion powder
- 3/4 t. salt
- 2 T. reserved pineapple juice
- 1/2 c. flour
- 1 c. panko breadcrumbs
- 1 c. coconut flakes (sweetened)
- vegetable or canola oil for frying
Instructions
- Mix the ground chicken, 1 egg, crushed pineapple, breadcrumbs, garlic and onion powders, salt and the pineapple juice together in a bowl and chill for 1 hour.
- Set a large pot filled halfway with oil to heat over medium heat. While the oil is heating start scooping out the meatballs.
- Set out 3 bowls for coating the meatballs, one with an egg mixed with 1 tablespoon of water, another with the flour and another with the panko breadcrumbs and coconut flakes combined together.
- Using a 1 1/2 T. scoop, portion out a meatball and dip it first in the flour, shaking off any excess, then in the egg and then in the panko/coconut mixture.
- Place on a sheet tray or a board and repeat with the remaining chicken.
- Once the oil comes to 325 degrees carefully place in a few meatballs at a time, being careful not to crowd the pot.
- Fry the meatballs for 3-4 minutes, then remove one and cut into it to make sure the mixture is cooked through and no pink remains.
- Place the meatballs on a plate lined with paper towels and repeat until all the meatballs are fried.
- Serve with toothpicks and a piece of pineapple if desired.
Recipe Notes
You can keep these meatballs in the oven at 250º for up to an hour.
- Category: Appetizers
- Method: Deep Fry
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: meatball recipe, chicken meatballs, coconut chicken, appetizer recipes, cocktail meatball recipe
