Sheet Pan Jalapeño Pistachio Chicken Meatball Bowls
Herby sheet pan pistachio chicken meatballs with a kick of heat from jalapeño and served with crispy spiced chickpeas, tender couscous, fresh toppings, and homemade spicy green feta sauce. These epic pistachio chicken meatball bowls are packed with protein for a fun, flavorful dinner you'll love!
Servings 4 servings
Calories 712cal
Ingredients
- For the meatballs:
- ½ cup shelled roasted pistachios (salted or unsalted will work)
- 1 pound lean ground chicken (or sub turkey)
- ⅓ cup panko breadcrumbs, gluten free if desired
- 1 egg
- Zest from 1 small lemon
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and very finely diced
- 2 tablespoons very finely chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 tablespoons very finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon sweet paprika
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon coriander
- For the chickpeas:
- 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon coriander
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- For the couscous:
- 1 ½ cups pearl couscous
- 2 ¼ cups low-sodium chicken broth
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- Freshly ground black pepper
- For topping and serving:
- ½ batch Spicy Green Feta Sauce
- Lemon zest
- ¼ cup mixed fresh chopped parsley and cilantro
- ¼ cup crumbled feta (2 ounces)
- ¼ cup chopped shelled pistachios
- ⅓ cup pickled red onion (or thinly sliced red onion)
- For serving:
- Warm pita (optional, but so delicious for scooping!)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Grind the pistachios: Add pistachios to the bowl of a food processor and process on high until pistachios are finely ground, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Prepare the meatballs: In a large bowl, add the ground pistachios, ground chicken, breadcrumbs, egg, lemon zest, jalapeno, cilantro, parsley, honey, salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, cumin and coriander. Mix with clean hands until ingredients are well incorporated together. Avoid overmixing or you’ll end up with tough meatballs instead of tender ones.
- Fill a small bowl with water and place it on the counter. Form into 16 golf ball sized meatballs, dipping your hands in water between each meatball to prevent sticking. Place meatballs on the sheet pan.
- Prepare the chickpeas: In a separate medium bowl, toss the chickpeas with the olive oil, garlic powder, coriander, cumin, salt and pepper. Spread evenly on the sheet pan around the meatballs.
- Bake the meatballs: Bake for 15-20 minutes until a meat thermometer inserted into the meatballs reads 165°F. The chickpeas will get slightly crispy. If you want them more crisp, feel free to remove the meatballs and bake the chickpeas 5 more minutes or so.
- Cook the couscous: While the meatballs cook, prepare the couscous. In a medium pot, add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Immediately stir in the couscous and salt, and return to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes until all of the liquid is absorbed. Stir in lemon juice, olive oil and season with additional salt and pepper, to taste.
- Garnish and serve: Swoop 1 to 2 tablespoons of the spicy green feta sauce on the bottom of a shallow bowl or a plate. Add a scoop of couscous on the side, then add the meatballs and chickpeas. Garnish with lemon zest, herbs, feta, pistachios and pickled red onion. Serve with warm pita on the side. Enjoy every single bite! Serves 4-6. Save extra spicy green feta sauce for serving throughout the week; it works great as a dip for veggies or topping sandwiches, salads, etc.
Notes
See the full post for tips, tricks, and ways to customize this dish!
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving (based on 4, without sauce or pita) | Calories: 712cal | Carbohydrates: 76.9g | Protein: 45.7g | Fat: 25.5g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Fiber: 10.4g | Sugar: 5.1g