Fruity Chicken Balls are a great finger food for kids of all ages. Great for baby-led weaning (BLW), for toddlers or in a kids lunch box.
The first time that I made these fruity chicken balls was when Rory was a baby. He did baby-led weaning and I found that these were a great little finger food to have at home or to pop into a lunch box when going out and about.
The only way Rory would eat chicken as a baby was if it was thigh meat or minced and made into burgers or balls such as these. As he got older he was more able /willing to eat chunks of meat but even now, at two years old, he prefers meat served like this.
Now that Finn has started school I have been thrown into the world of lunch boxes. It is important to me that Finn has a healthy and varied lunch box as, after all, it makes up a third of his daily food. Lately I have been thinking of different foods that I can add to the lunch box and thought that these would be perfect; they can be frozen and taste really good cold.
I often serve these as part of a main meal or with a small salad at lunch time. Usually I cut up some fruit and vegetables to make fun little kebab sticks with them. I’m not sure why, but kids generally find food instantly more appealing when it is on a stick!
The reason I add milk soaked breadcrumbs to the mixture is to produce a lighter, more tender ball. If you or your kid have allergies then you can miss this out, they still taste great!
Fruity Chicken Balls
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion , finely chopped
- 1 carrot , peeled and grated
- 40 g fresh breadcrumbs (1 slice)*(optional)
- 2 tbsp milk* (optional)
- 1 small pear , peeled and grated
- 1 apple , peeled and grated
- 500 g chicken mince
- 2 tsp fresh chopped parsley
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- oil for frying
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a pan and fry the onion and carrot, over a low heat, until soft. (For around 5 mins)
- Add the milk to the breadcrumbs and allow to sit for 5 mins. (*Optional)
- Using your hands (or a sieve) squeeze as much water as you can out of the apple and pear.
- Add all the ingredients to a mixing bowl and mix with your hands until all the ingredients are mixed together.
- Form around 25 balls with your hands. Shallow fry for around five minutes, until golden on both sides.
Recipe Notes
*I add the soaked breadcrumbs to the mixture to produce a lighter, more tender ball. If you have an allergy then you can miss this out but the ball will be tougher.
Lucy Fellows says
May 21, 2017 at 6:46 pmHi Amy! Can you freeze the before cooking them? Thanks!
Sarah says
July 12, 2017 at 12:49 amHi, Love your recipes – I’ve just batch cooked a load and can’t wait to try them all with my little girl!
I’d love to try these but I can’t find chicken mince in the shops locally – do you think I could substitute with some cooked leftover chicken blitzed in the food processor?! Thanks in advance x
Amy says
July 18, 2017 at 3:32 amHi Sarah, thank you. Yes, you could blitz the chicken or you could use minced turkey if that is easier to find.
Hope they are a hit!
Hope says
December 1, 2017 at 5:03 pmCould these be baked instead of fried?
Amy says
December 4, 2017 at 10:51 amHi Hope, yes they could be. I should really give that option in my cooking instructions. I’d bake them for around 20 mins at 200C
Becky says
May 20, 2018 at 12:55 pmHi Amy,
Ah they sound yummy! Let’s hope the little munchkin likes them as she is such a fussy eater.
Do you freeze these before or after cooking them?
Thanks,
Becky
Lulu says
July 24, 2018 at 10:32 pmGreat recipe, thank you! I had fun making these today with my (extremely fussy) seven year old and she had one (big achievement) but my adventurous eater 9 month old girl loved them and ate three! I added a little salt and pepper to the mix once I had rolled my baby’s portion out separately and really enjoyed them with a salad. Look forward to trying more of your recipes!
Amy says
July 26, 2018 at 5:53 pmThanks Lulu, so happy your seven-year-old was happy to try them, maybe because she worked so hard making them! Glad your 9 month old seemed to love them. Hope you enjoy more of the recipes and thanks for taking the time to rate and comment 🙂
Reena says
August 18, 2018 at 6:06 amIs chicken mince uncooked ground chicken? Thanks for clarifying! I’m looking to try these with my 3 and 1 year olds.
Amy says
August 18, 2018 at 9:10 amYes, that is exactly what it is. I forget that different countries call it different things!
Ana says
August 20, 2018 at 7:59 pmGreat recipe! I’m going to try it out. What is the dipping sauce recipe you use in photo?
Amy says
August 21, 2018 at 12:48 amHi Ana, I think this is just yoghurt mixed with a little mayo and some smoked paprika. Such a simple dip but one the kids love!
Jessie says
February 6, 2019 at 10:36 amHey!
Would you freeze these before or after cooking?
Amy says
February 8, 2019 at 12:47 amHi Jessie, you can do either. I usually cook them before freezing as the kids enjoy them cold 🙂