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Slow Cooker Chicken Apple Butter Meatballs Recipe
This cozy slow-cooker dish pairs tender chicken meatballs with a rich, warmly-spiced apple butter sauce to create the perfect fall dinner or crowd-pleasing appetizer. Best of all, its incredibly easy to make just mix, shape, and let the slow cooker do all the work for a delicious, low-effort meal. These apple butter meatballs strike the perfect balance of sweet and savory flavors.
Ingredients
- 1 small Granny Smith apple (about 6 ounces)
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1/2 cup panko (Japanese-style breadcrumbs)
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme, plus more for garnish
- 3/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups apple butter (such as White House)
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 3/4 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Decorative toothpicks
Directions
- Prepare the apple: Peel the Granny Smith apple, discarding the peels. Grate it using the largest holes on a box grater to yield about 2/3 cup of grated apple. Place the grated apple into a large mixing bowl.
- Mix the meatball ingredients: To the bowl with the grated apple, add the ground chicken, panko breadcrumbs, beaten egg, kosher salt, thyme, poultry seasoning, and black pepper. Stir until everything is just combined.
- Shape the meatballs: Using your hands, shape the mixture into meatballs, about 2 tablespoons each. You should get around 18 meatballs.
- Prepare the sauce: In the bowl of a 6-quart slow cooker, combine the apple butter, chicken stock, Worcestershire sauce, and chicken bouillon granules. Stir the mixture well to combine.
- Add the meatballs: Gently place the formed meatballs into the slow cooker, ensuring they are submerged in the sauce.
- Cook the meatballs: Cover the slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 2 hours or on LOW for 4 hours. Stir halfway through the cooking time to ensure even cooking and allow the sauce to thicken enough to coat the meatballs.
- Finish the sauce: Once the meatballs are cooked through and the sauce has thickened, stir in the unsalted butter until melted. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt if necessary.
- Serve: Transfer the meatballs and sauce to a platter. Insert a decorative toothpick into each meatball and garnish with freshly chopped thyme.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
- Calories: 566
- Fat: 21g
- Carbohydrates: 62g
- Protein: 32g
Nutrition Breakdown (per serving):
- Total Fat: 21g (27% of daily value)
- Saturated Fat: 8g (40% of daily value)
- Cholesterol: 185mg (62% of daily value)
- Sodium: 880mg (38% of daily value)
- Total Carbohydrate: 62g (23% of daily value)
- Dietary Fiber: 3g (12% of daily value)
- Total Sugars: 43g
- Protein: 32g (64% of daily value)
- Vitamin C: 1mg (1% of daily value)
- Calcium: 68mg (5% of daily value)
- Iron: 3mg (15% of daily value)
- Potassium: 1035mg (22% of daily value)
The Story Behind Slow Cooker Chicken Apple Butter Meatballs
The Slow Cooker Chicken Apple Butter Meatballs recipe is a modern twist on traditional meatball dishes, blending the cozy flavors of fall with the convenience of slow cooking. Apple butter, a rich and spiced fruit spread, has roots in colonial America, where it was used as a method to preserve apples through the winter. Combining this with tender ground chicken creates a dish that is both nostalgic and innovative, offering a sweet-savory balance that is unique to contemporary American comfort cuisine.
Regional Characteristics
This dish is most popular in the Midwestern and Northeastern United States, where apple orchards are abundant and seasonal cooking traditions emphasize hearty, warming meals. The use of apple butter highlights regional agricultural products, while the slow cooker technique reflects the practical, homey approach to cooking that is common in these areas. The flavor profile is lightly spiced and subtly sweet, making it distinct from heavier tomato-based meatball dishes that dominate other regions.
How It Differs from Similar Dishes
Unlike classic Italian or Swedish meatballs, which rely on tomato sauce or cream-based sauces, these meatballs are coated in a spiced apple butter glaze. This creates a unique combination of sweet and savory flavors, and the addition of fresh grated apple inside the meatballs adds moisture and texture. While cocktail meatballs often use grape jelly or barbecue sauces for sweetness, this recipe emphasizes a natural fruit flavor, making it lighter yet still indulgent.
Typical Serving Occasions
Slow Cooker Chicken Apple Butter Meatballs are versatile and can be served as appetizers at parties, finger foods during holiday gatherings, or as a main entre for a cozy family dinner. They are often presented on platters with toothpicks for easy serving, making them ideal for entertaining. During fall, they pair beautifully with roasted vegetables, mashed potatoes, or a crisp salad for a balanced meal.
Interesting Facts
- Apple butter has been a staple in American kitchens since the 17th century, originally made to preserve surplus apples from orchards.
- Using ground chicken instead of beef or pork reduces the dish's fat content while allowing the apple butter to shine as the main flavor component.
- The slow cooker method enhances the melding of flavors, giving the meatballs a tender texture and ensuring the apple butter sauce deeply infuses the meat.
- This recipe has become a modern fall favorite because it combines nostalgia, ease of preparation, and a gourmet taste without complex techniques.
- Garnishing with fresh thyme not only adds aroma but also provides a subtle herbal counterpoint to the sweetness of the apple butter.
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FAQ about Slow Cooker Chicken Apple Butter Meatballs Recipe
Comments
Stephanie Rivera
08/20/2022 10:58:25 PM
No need for sauce, just a bit more apple and a touch of garlic and voila! The flavor improved slightly. The original recipe was decent, but didn't quite suit my family's taste.
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