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.
Hi Amy! Can you freeze the before cooking them? Thanks!
Hi, 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
Hi 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!
Could these be baked instead of fried?
Hi 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
Hi 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
Great 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!
Thanks 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 🙂
Is chicken mince uncooked ground chicken? Thanks for clarifying! I’m looking to try these with my 3 and 1 year olds.
Yes, that is exactly what it is. I forget that different countries call it different things!
Great recipe! I’m going to try it out. What is the dipping sauce recipe you use in photo?
Hi 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!
Hey!
Would you freeze these before or after cooking?
Hi Jessie, you can do either. I usually cook them before freezing as the kids enjoy them cold 🙂