These Red Pepper Chicken Meatballs are a delicious and flavorful twist on traditional meatballs. These juicy and tender meatballs are made with ground chicken, roasted red peppers, herbs, and spices and make a quick and easy weeknight dinner or appetizer. Top with a herby homemade chimichurri sauce for a true flavor sensation!

For this recipe, we will be using the jarred variety of roasted red peppers. Typically, these peppers are available in halves or strips. For these chicken meatballs, plan on 2-3 pieces. However, you can certainly add more or less based on your preferences. Not only do peppers add a bright, beautiful color to this dish, but they add a hint of sweet and smoky flavor. Finley mince before adding it to the meat mixture.

Ingredients

• Ground chicken thigh meat, or ground turkey
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• Roasted red bell peppers, jar variety
• Breadcrumbs (sub with panko or almond flour)
• Minced parsley (sub with fresh herbs like oregano, chives, or fresh basil)
• Olive oil 
• Minced garlic
• Onion powder (or 1/2 small white onion, finely chopped)
• Paprika
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Chimichurri Sauce (scroll to Choripan recipe card)

What wood to use

We recommend using fruit woods like apple or cherry as they tend to work best with poultry. We want a light smokiness and nothing more. The red peppers will also add smoky flavor, so it’s best to keep it light. Also, keep in mind that these meatballs are paired with a herby, savory chimichurri, which adds an extra dimension of flavor.

Recipe tips

• Use ground dark meat versus ground chicken breast for this recipe.
• Pair with fruitwood.
• Prepare the chimichurri while the chicken meatballs are in the smoker for a quick, no-fuss serving.
• Use a small ice cream scoop (1 1/2-2″) to form the meatballs in half the time.
• Add a little hot sauce, red pepper flakes, or cayenne pepper to the meat mixture for an added kick.

How to Make Red Pepper Chicken Meatballs

• Preheat your pellet grill or smoker to 300 degrees F. Use either apple or cherry wood (or wood pellets) for this recipe.
• Combine ground chicken with egg, minced red peppers, breadcrumbs, parsley, olive oil, garlic, onion powder, paprika, salt, and black pepper in a bowl. Do not overwork the meat mixture.
• Form into 1 1/2″ balls, and place them onto a jerky rack (or wire rack) set on a large aluminum tray.

Cooking and serving

• Place the entire thing into your smoker, close the lid, and cook for 35-40 minutes or until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
• Remove from the smoker, and let them rest for a few minutes.
• Place into a serving dish and top with some of the chimichurri sauce. Serve the remaining sauce on the side along with the meatballs.
• Store leftover meatballs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Freeze for up to 8 weeks.

Chicken meatball recipe variations

• Serve with different sauces, including Comeback Sauce, BBQ sauce, or ranch dressing.
• If you adhere to a low-carb or keto diet, consider swapping out the breadcrumbs for almond flour of pork panko.
• Serve these delicious red pepper chicken meatballs in sandwiches and wraps, or pair them with french fries for a fun meal.
• Substitute ground chicken with ground pork, beef, turkey, or plant-based meat substitute. Adjust cooking times for optimal doneness.
• Add 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese, goat cheese, or parmesan cheese to ground chicken mixture for added flavor.
• Don’t own a smoker? No problem! Bake these chicken meatballs in a cast-iron skillet or parchment-lined baking sheet in the oven at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

More meatball recipes

• Smoked Meatball Subs
• Smoked BBQ Meatballs

Print

Red Pepper Chicken Meatballs

These Red Pepper Chicken Meatballs are a delicious and flavorful twist on traditional meatballs. These juicy and tender meatballs are made with ground chicken, roasted red peppers, herbs, and spices and make a quick and easy weeknight dinner or appetizer. Top with a herby homemade chimichurri sauce for a true flavor sensation!

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American BBQ

Keyword chicken meatballs, red pepper

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 6 servings

Calories 268kcal

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 pounds ground chicken thigh meat
• 1 egg lightly beaten
• 2-3 roasted red pepper pieces jar variety, finely minced
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
• 2-3 tablespoons minced parsley
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• Chimichurri Sauce for serving (you can also used premade)

Instructions

• Preheat your pellet grill or smoker to 300 degrees F. Use either apple or cherry wood (or wood pellets) for this recipe.
• Combine ground chicken with egg, minced red peppers, breadcrumbs, parsley, olive oil, garlic, onion powder, paprika, salt, and black pepper. Do not overwork the meat mixture.
• Form into 1 1/2″ balls, and place them onto a jerky rack (or wire rack) set on a large aluminum tray.
• Place the entire thing into your smoker, close the lid, and cook for 35-40 minutes or until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
• Remove from the smoker, and let them rest for a few minutes.
• Place into a serving dish and top with some of the chimichurri sauce. Serve the remaining sauce on the side along with the meatballs.
• Store leftover meatballs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Freeze for up to 8 weeks.

Notes

Use ground dark meat versus ground chicken breast for this recipe.
Pair with fruitwood.
Prepare the chimichurri while the chicken meatballs are in the smoker for a quick, no-fuss serving.
Use a small ice cream scoop (1 1/2-2″) to form the meatballs in half the time.
Add a little hot sauce or cayenne pepper to the meat mixture for an added kick.

Nutrition

Calories: 268kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 109mg | Sodium: 497mg | Potassium: 556mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 230IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 2mg

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