Jerk Chicken Meatballs with Pineapple Glaze

Hello! Welcome to Sunday Supper on Djalali Cooks. We have done a number of meatball recipes here on Djalali Cooks. It just makes me so happy to discover and invent new flavor profiles and combinations for meatballs. It’s kind of like pasta in that way – there are so many possibilities! This recipe I found in Better Home and Gardens: Jerk Chicken Meatballs with Pineapple Glaze. All the aromatics of jerk seasoning flavor our chicken meatballs – including allspice. The pineapple glaze is sweet and spicy, again with allspice to give it a fantastic aromatic flavor. Let’s get to it!

To round out the Jerk Chicken Meatballs with Pineapple Glaze, I am serving steamed white rice and a baby greens salad dressed with a vinaigrette we can make with some of the pineapple glaze. If you want to go this route, start the rice first. Get that going according to the package or rice cooker directions and we can move on to the pineapple glaze.

Pineapple Glaze

One, one pound can of crushed pineapple will yield the 1 cup of crushed pineapple and the 1 cup of pineapple juice we need for this recipe. Be sure you are using pineapple that is packed in 100% pineapple juice – and not syrup. Add the one pound can of crushed pineapple and its juice to a medium saucepan. To that, add 3/4 cup of brown sugar, 2 tbsp white vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon allspice, and half of one Scotch Bonnet or Habanero Chile.

Stir to combine and bring up to a simmer over medium heat. Then reduce the heat to low and let the pineapple glaze gently simmer until the meatballs are done, or for about 30 minutes. (It’s fine to leave the glaze on low until the meatballs go into the sauce.)

Jerk Chicken Meatballs

Position an oven rack to the center position and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a large sheet tray with parchment paper and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine 1 pound of ground chicken, 1/2 cup heavy cream or milk, 1/2 cup finely chopped green onions, 1 large egg, 3/4 cup of panko, 2-4 grated garlic cloves, 1/2 teaspoon allspice, and 2 tablespoons of jerk seasoning.

If you can find pre-mixed jerk seasoning at the supermarket, you can use that. Or, you can make your own. I will include the seasoning blend recipe in the recipe card below.

Use your hands to gently mix the ingredients into the ground chicken, until well combined. The mixture will be pretty wet. Use a 1.5 or 2 tablespoon scoop to portion out the meatballs, placing them on the prepared sheet tray. You should get about 20 meatballs.

Once portioned out, lightly roll each meatball into more of a sphere. The sprinkle each meatball with a little kosher salt. Bake the meatballs in the preheated oven, on the center rack for about 15-20 minutes. Until the internal temperature of the biggest one reads 165 degrees F.

If you’re making the vinaigrette for the salad with some of the pineapple glaze, scoop out 2 tablespoons of the liquid from the pineapple glaze and set aside.

When the meatballs come out of the oven, add them to the glaze and gently stir to coat the meatballs in the glaze. You can cut the heat under the glaze, or if you’re making a small green salad, leave the heat on low while we make the vinaigrette.

Pineapple Glaze Vinaigrette

In a small jar with a lid, combine 2 tablespoons of the liquid from the pineapple glaze, 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, a pinch of kosher salt, black pepper and 1.5-2 tablespoons of olive oil. Affix the lid to the jar and shake vigorously until the vinaigrette is emulsified. In a large bowl, dress the greens with the vinaigrette and toss to coat. Set aside. If you want to top the finished dish with sliced scallions, go ahead and prep those, and we can plate the Jerk Chicken Meatballs with Pineapple Glaze.

Start with a serving of steamed white rice in a wide shallow bowl. Top the rice with the dressed greens. Then top the greens with a serving of the Jerk Chicken Meatballs. Spoon some of the pineapple glaze over the meatballs and top with the sliced scallions.

Jerk Chicken Meatballs with Pineapple Glaze

Meatballs are great for their meal prep and leftovers potential, but I have to warn you that this dish is so good, it might not make it long enough for meal prep or leftovers! We scarfed these Jerk Chicken Meatballs with Pineapple Glaze like they were going out of style. Serving this with simply dressed greens and steamed rice rounded out a great meal. Don’t worry too much about the chile pepper in the glaze; the heat is mild and slow. But if you truly cannot handle spicy food at all, leave out the chile. It will change the glaze, but it will still be delicious! Take care and be well, xo Kelly

Key Equipment

Print Recipe

Jerk Chicken Meatballs with Pineapple Glaze

(No Ratings Yet)

Loading...

Dinner, Main Course – Jamaican-inspired

By Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens – Serves: 2-4

Prep Time: 30 Minutes – Cooking Time: 20 Minutes – Total Time: ~50 Minutes

Aromatic, spicy, sweet and savory, Jerk Chicken Meatballs with Pineapple Glaze, serve with rice and a salad for a wonderful Sunday Supper.

Ingredients

• Pineapple Glaze
• 1 1-lb Can Crushed Pineapple and its 100% Pineapple Juice
• 3/4 cup Packed Brown Sugar
• 2 tbsp. White Vinegar
• 1/2 Scotch Bonnet or Habanero Chile
• 1/2 tsp. Allspice
• Jerk Chicken Meatballs
• 1 lb. Ground Chicken
• 3/4 cup Panko
• 1/2 cup Heavy Cream or Milk
• 1/2 cup Finely Chopped Green Onions
• 1 Large Egg
• 2 tbsp. Jerk Seasoning
• 2-4 Garlic Cloves, grated
• 1-2 Scallions, sliced thin for garnish
• Kosher Salt
• Jerk Seasoning Blend
• 2 tbsp. Onion Powder
• 1 tbsp. Garlic Powder
• 1 tbsp. Dried Thyme
• 1 tbsp. Sea Salt
• 2 tsp. Ground Allspice
• 1 tsp. Ground Cloves
• 1 tbsp. Ground Ginger
• 2 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
• 2 tbsp. Brown Sugar
• 2 tsp. Black Pepper
• 1/2 tsp. Cayenne Pepper

Instructions

Pineapple Glaze

1

Add the one pound can of crushed pineapple and its juice to a medium saucepan. To that, add brown sugar, white vinegar, allspice, and half of one Scotch Bonnet or Habanero Chile.

2

Stir to combine and bring up to a simmer over medium heat. Then reduce the heat to low and let the pineapple glaze gently simmer until the meatballs are done, or for about 30 minutes. (It's fine to leave the glaze on low until the meatballs go into the sauce.)

Jerk Chicken Meatballs

3

Position an oven rack to the center position and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a large sheet tray with parchment paper and set aside.

4

In a medium bowl, combine ground chicken, heavy cream or milk, finely chopped green onions, egg, panko, grated garlic cloves, allspice, and 2 tablespoons of jerk seasoning.

5

Use your hands to gently mix the ingredients into the ground chicken, until well combined. The mixture will be pretty wet. Use a 1.5 or 2 tablespoon scoop to portion out the meatballs, placing them on the prepared sheet tray. You should get about 20 meatballs.

6

Once portioned out, lightly roll each meatball into more of a sphere. The sprinkle each meatball with a little kosher salt. Bake the meatballs in the preheated oven, on the center rack for about 15-20 minutes. Until the internal temperature of the biggest one reads 165 degrees F.

7

When the meatballs come out of the oven, add them to the glaze and gently stir to coat the meatballs in the glaze.

8

Sprinkle more sliced scallions over the meatballs, if desired.

9

Serve with rice and salad if desired

Jerk Seasoning Blend

10

Combine sea salt, onion powder, dried thyme, garlic powder, brown sugar, cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves, ground allspice, black pepper and cayenne pepper in a jelly jar. Fix the lid and vigorously shake to combine.

This post may contain affiliate links; when you click the links and make a purchase, we receive a commission on qualifying items.