Football and finger food go together like peanut butter and jelly, cookies and milk and all the other timeless combinations you can think of. However, when it comes to game day parties, we like to keep things simple. No need to get all fancy with any complicated recipes that take a long time to put together. No, we like to keep things simple, especially when tailgating in the wintertime. And what could be more simple than serving up meatballs? Meatballs always make a great savory finger food and are perfect for keeping the body warm against the bitter cold. These mouthwatering meatballs are made with either ground beef but you can substitute them with ground turkey if you’d like to opt for less calories; the choice is yours. Serve them up in a sweet and spicy sticky glaze made with sweet chile sauce and Sriracha. However, the secret is in the spices–ground cumin and ginger takes the sauce to a whole new level. It’s truly a flavor explosion, in all the best ways possible! These meatballs can be prepared in bulk ahead of time and kept hot inside a crockpot or a food buffet warmer. In the event you make a large batch, you can even freeze them and pull them out for any future parties when needed.
The flavor of ginger is optimal to many fall and winter recipes. Its potent fragrance and spiciness gives warmth to many recipes, something that the holidays are always in need of. Melissa’s Ground Ginger is ginger root in powder form and makes it easy to flavor a variety of items from spice rubs to marinades and even desserts. While fresh ginger root has a fiery, pungent taste, the ground-up form is a lot more warm, mellow and subtle, making it great for adding a nice subdued kick to recipes. Melissa’s Ground Cumin is wonderful in savory recipes as an aromatic spice with a distinct pungent flavor and strong aroma. This spice is often roasted before grinding, which gives it a toasted, nutty flavor that’s simply divine with beans, chicken, curries, lamb, potatoes and other delicious savory dishes.
Spicy Glazed Meatballs
Yields: 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients
- 1 lb of ground beef or ground turkey
- 1 cup of panko bread crumbs
- 1 egg
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup of parsley, chopped
- 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon of garlic chile sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon of salt
- Chopped mint leaves, for garnish
For the glaze
- 1 cup of ketchup
- 1/3 cup of sweet chile sauce
- 1 tablespoon of Sriracha
- 2 tablespoons of reduced sodium soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons of ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons of ground ginger
1. Start off with making the meatballs. In a bowl, mix together the ground meat, egg, onion, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, garlic chile sauce, parsley and salt. Add the bread crumbs and use your hands to mix them in.
2. Roll the meat mixture into 1-inch balls. Add the vegetable oil into a skillet and heat up over medium heat. Cook the meatballs in the hot oil for about 5 to 6 minutes, making sure to cook them evenly on all sides.
3. Place a paper towel onto a plate. Transfer the meatballs onto the plate to drain off any excess oil.
4. In a small saucepan, combine the ketchup, sweet chile sauce, Sriracha, soy sauce, cumin and ginger together and bring to a slow simmer until the mixture has thickened.
5. Place the meatballs into the glaze, making sure they’re all well coated. Transfer them to a serving dish. Insert a toothpick into each meatball to making serving them easier. Garnish with mint leaves.