Recipe by Heart Research UK Ambassador Sally Bee – sally-bee.com

Chicken meatballs with bean chilli
Chicken meatballs with bean chilli
The meatballs
- ● 1 large carrot (finely chopped)
- ● 1 onion (roughly chopped)
- ● 2 garlic cloves (peeled)
- ● 2 red chillies (deseeded (or 1 tsp dried chilli flakes))
- ● 500g lean chicken or turkey mince
- ● 20g fresh breadcrumbs
- ● 1 free range egg
- ● 1 tbsp dried Italian herbs
- ● 2 tsp ground cinnamon
The bean chilli
- ● A light spray of rapeseed oil
- ● 1 large onion (finely chopped)
- ● 2 garlic cloves (crushed)
- ● 1 green bell pepper (deseeded and diced)
- ● 1 tsp ground cumin
- ● A dash of Worcestershire sauce
- ● 3 tsp chipotle chilli paste
- ● 300ml low salt chicken or vegetable stock
- ● 400g can of chopped tomatoes
- ● 400g can of black-eyed beans (or red kidney beans, drained and rinsed)
- ● Green salad (to serve)
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Preheat the oven to 200°C / Gas Mark 6 and cover a baking tray with baking parchment.
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To make the meatballs, pop the carrot, onion, garlic and chilli in a food processor and blitz for a few seconds until finely minced. Transfer to a bowl and combine with the remaining ingredients, using your hands to mix everything together.
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Shape the mixture into meatballs the size of ping pong balls and place on the prepared baking tray. Bake for 30 minutes, then check the meatballs are no longer pink in the middle. Continue cooking for 5 minutes if they aren’t cooked through.
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While the meatballs are baking, make the black bean chilli. Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat, add the onion and cook gently for 4-5 minutes until softened.
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Add the garlic, green pepper, cumin, Worcestershire sauce, chipotle chilli paste, stock, tomatoes and beans.
- Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
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When you are ready to serve, put a big scoop of the black bean chilli in a bowl and serve the meatballs on top, with a big green salad on the side.