Jerk Chicken Meatballs with Mango Raisin Chutney

This past weekend, we hosted a meatball party! Ever since we ate at the fab restaurant The Meatball Shop in Brooklyn on our honeymoon, we’ve been slightly obsessed with the tasty little treats. I found out that the restaurant had a cookbook and my mom got it for Husbie for Christmas. The flavors featured in the book are absolutely delicious! Our menu for the meatball party was as follows:

Buffalo Chicken meatballs with Blue Cheese sauce
Jerk Chicken meatballs with Mango Raisin Chutney
Classic Beef and Ricotta meatballs with Tomato Sauce
Steak and Bacon meatballs with Mushroom Gravy
Greek meatballs with Pesto

The hit of the night? Jerk Chicken meatballs with Mango Raisin Chutney! They are the perfect blend of spicy and sweet. Here’s the recipe from The Meatball Shop Cookbook.

Jerk Chicken Balls
(makes about 2 dozen 1 1/2 inch meatballs):

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound ground chicken, preferably thigh meat
1 pound ground pork
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2 Habanero chiles, stemmed, seeded and minced
1 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
3 scallions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
3 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup bread crumbs

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Drizzle the olive oil into a 9×13 inch baking dish and use your hand to evenly coat the entire surface. Set aside.
2. Combine the ground chicken, ground pork, brown sugar, salt, eggs, chiles, allspice, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, cayenne (if using), thyme, scallions, soy sauce, garlic and bread crumbs in a large mixing bowl and mix by hand until thoroughly incorporated.
3. Roll the mixture into round, golf ball–size meatballs (about 1 1/2 inches), making sure to pack the meat firmly. Place the balls in the prepared baking dish, being careful to line them up snugly and in even rows vertically and horizontally to form a grid. The meatballs should be touching each other.
4. Roast for 20 minutes, or until the meatballs are firm and cooked through. A meat thermometer inserted into the center of a meatball should read 165°F.
5. Allow the meatballs to cool for 5 minutes in the baking dish before serving.

Mango Raisin Chutney
(makes 3 cups)

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 red onion, finely diced
2 ripe mangoes, peeled, pitted, and chopped
1 medium Yukon gold potato, cut into 1/4 inch dice
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons sweet paprika
2 tablespoons salt
1/2 cup dark raisins
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (including stems)

1. Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes.
2. Add the mangoes, potatoes, sugar, red pepper flakes, paprika and salt. Heat the mixture, over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until it begins to bubble. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the potatoes are tender but not falling apart, about 15 minutes, continuing to stir frequently so that the chutney does not stick to the pan. Stir in the raisins and cilantro and allow to cool before serving.

Enjoy! If you want the recipes for the other four delicious meatballs, you’ll have to go and get the cookbook!