Baby Chicken meatballs recipe (with Celery, Apple & Onion, From 10 Months)

Today I felt like sharing a little recipe with meat.
I don’t post many meat-based meals, so I thought: why not try some homemade baby meatballs?

Baby Meatballs

For this recipe, I chose chicken. A gentle, mild meat that pairs well with lots of vegetables and sauces.

I added a little twist by including celery stalk for flavor, and a sweet-tart touch with Granny Smith apple.
A bit of onion, some breadcrumbs, and that’s it!

These baby meatballs are a great way to sneak in some veggies, but I still recommend serving them with extra vegetables and a small portion of starch on the side.

Here’s what you need to make this baby-friendly meatball recipe (with chicken, celery, apple & onion – from 10 months):

Ingredients

For about 12 small meatballs:

• 200 g (7 oz) chicken breast (about 2 small fillets)
• 20 g (0.7 oz) celery stalk
• 25 g (0.9 oz) onion
• 35 g (1.2 oz) Granny Smith apple (a little more than a quarter apple)
• 4 tablespoons breadcrumbs
• A drizzle of vegetable oil for cooking

How to prepare these baby meatballs

Start by trimming off any fat or bits of cartilage from the chicken breasts, then cut the chicken into very small pieces.

Now we’re going to blend it.
I pulse the chicken in short bursts so it keeps a bit of texture, we don’t want it completely smooth.

Place the chicken in a bowl and rinse the blender.

Now let’s prepare the vegetables.
Start by removing the strings from the celery stalk, then cut it into pieces.

Peel the apple and cut it into small pieces.

Next, peel the onion and roughly chop it.

Place everything into the blender and pulse it as well, we don’t want to end up with a purée.

Add the blended vegetable mixture to the bowl with the chicken.

Now it’s time to add the breadcrumbs, then mix everything well with your hands (clean hands, of course!).

Feel free to add a pinch of herbs or mild spices if you like, just go easy on the quantities to keep it baby-friendly.
You can even crumble in a tiny bit (about 1/4) of a low-salt chicken stock cube to boost the flavor.

Now we’re going to shape small meatballs, about 12 in total.
Try to make them as uniform as possible and smooth out any cracks while forming them.

Cooking

Heat a little oil in a pan over medium heat.
Once the oil is hot, place the meatballs in the pan and sear them for about 2 minutes on at least two sides.
Then lower the heat and continue cooking for about 4 more minutes.
Make sure they’re fully cooked through, but not overcooked, so they don’t become too dry.

If you’d like to freeze them (as long as none of the ingredients were previously frozen), just sear the meatballs, let them cool completely, and freeze them.

The baby meatballs are done cooking!
Let them cool for a few minutes before serving.
You can offer them with some vegetables and a bit of starch on the side, or even with a light tomato sauce. Delicious and baby-approved!

Bon appétit, little one!

Storage

Now that your baby meatballs are cooked, you can serve them right away or store them for later.

Refrigerator:
If you plan to serve them within the next 24 hours, storing them in the fridge is fine.
Keep in mind these meatballs contain… meat! So they should be eaten fairly quickly to stay safe for baby.

Freezer:
If you want to store them for longer, the freezer is your best friend!
Place the meatballs in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 2 months.