Best For: Appetizers, Dinner
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15-20 minutes
Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 1 Fuji apple, peeled and quartered (save peels for later)
• 1 ½ lbs. ground chicken (preferably thighs or dark meat)
• 2 slices of thick cut bacon
• 1 small white or yellow onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 tsp ground fennel seed
• 1 tsp ground celery seed
• 1 tsp mustard powder
• ½ cup panko breadcrumbs (sub rice crumbs to make gluten-free)
• 1 egg
• Salt and pepper to taste

• Fuji peels
• ½ Fuji apple, chopped
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 Tbsp dijon mustard
• 1 Tbsp ketchup
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce or coconut aminos
• ½ cup bourbon
• ½ cup water
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1 Tbsp unsalted butter

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400º F.
2. In a large food processor, add Fuji apple, bacon, onion, and garlic cloves. Pulse until minced.
3. In a large bowl, combine minced mixture, ground chicken, spices, half of the panko breadcrumbs, and egg. Fold until everything is incorporated. (Do not over-mix as this will make a tough meatball.)
4. Using a mini cookie scoop, portion out meatballs. The number of meatballs will vary with the size of scoop you use.
5. Bake meatballs in a single layer on a greased cookie sheet for 15-20 minutes.
6. In a medium saucepan, add apple peels, chopped apples, brown sugar, spices, dijon, ketchup, and soy sauce. Stir over medium heat until sauce bubbles, about 3-5 minutes. Add bourbon of choice and cook down for an additional 5-8 minutes.
7. In a small bowl, mix 1 Tbsp water with cornstarch to create a slurry. Add slurry to glaze mixture to thicken. Simmer for an additional 8 minutes, then remove from heat. Strain glaze through a sieve and return to saucepan.
8. Add about ¼ cup of water to glaze to thin slightly. Finish with butter, salt, and pepper.
9. Brush sauce over meatballs and serve on a skewer.