Almond Crusted Paleo Chicken Balls

The other night, my husband, Frank, and I were chatting about what our favourite foods were growing up. He started going on and on about chicken balls. So, I decided to create a super tasty and healthy version, Almond Crusted Paleo Chicken Balls.

They turned out insanely good. I’m surprised he didn’t eat all 16 of them.

These Almond Crusted Paleo Chicken Balls would be super crazy good as an appetizer with my Rosemary Garlic Aioli as a dip. You could also pair them with my Crispy Baked Sweet Potato Fries for a quick, healthy dinner.

Grain-Free Flour

Have you ever used almond flour before? It’s pretty darn tasty. Not only does it add a boost of protein, but also a boost of some super good fats. Since it’s just ground almonds, it’s naturally gluten and grain free. So for those following a paleo diet, almond flour will be a staple in your pantry. I love the crunch and flavour it gives to these Almond Crusted Paleo Chicken Balls. Try baking with it, too! My Super Chewy Paleo Cookies are crazy good.

Spice Up Your Life

I grew up in the ’90s so that was totally a Spice Girl reference.

But, let’s talk spices! They add such an incredible flavour to dishes and provide some awesome health benefits too. I’m a BIG fan of rosemary. I put it in most of our weekly meals. So these Almond Crusted Paleo Chicken Balls were no exception.

Did you know the rosemary plant was regarded as sacred by many civilizations? Rosemary is antibacterial and anti-fungal so it’s no surprised they used it to help drive away evil spirits and protect against plague and infectious illness.

I used doTERRA’s Rosemary essential oil to provide the craziest, most pure rosemary flavour ever. If you don’t have some on hand, 1 tbsp of dried herb will do the trick!

Not a fan of rosemary and garlic? Try any one of these combinations:

• Coriander + Cumin + Oregano
• Turmeric + Cumin
• Allspice + Nutmeg
• Basil + Ginger
• Oregano + Thyme
• Curry Powder + Garam Masala

Almond Crusted Paleo Chicken Balls

Delicious and flavourful chicken balls breaded with almond flour.

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Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 16 chicken balls

Author: Katie Stewart Wellness

Ingredients

For the chicken balls:

• 1 lb organic ground chicken
• 1 medium sized onion
• ½ cup parsley
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 drops rosemary essential oil sub 1 tbsp dried rosemary
• ¼ tsp pink rock or grey sea salt
• + 1 tbsp avocado oil for baking

For the breading:

• 1 - 1 ½ cups almond meal
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• ½ tsp pink rock or grey sea salt
• 1 egg for dredging

Optional boosters:

• 2 medium-sized carrots roughly chopped
• 2 medium-sized kale leaves stems removed and roughly chopped

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Combine all the ingredients for the breading ,except the egg and avocado oil, together in a bowl and set aside.
• In a second bowl, scramble the egg to be used to dredge the chicken balls. Set aside.
• Combine all of the ingredients for the chicken balls in the food processor (including boosters) and pulse until well combined. *If you don’t have a food processor, finely chop the onion, parsley, garlic, and boosters. Combine with the chicken, rosemary, and sea salt.
• Roll into approximately 2” sized balls and place on lined baking sheet. *The mixture is quite sticky so I put a little water or oil on my hands before and do the best I can to make ball shapes. Doesn’t have to be perfect at this stage.
• One at a time, dip the chicken balls in the egg mixture. Then, gently roll in the almond meal mixture. Place pack on parchment paper.
• Drizzle with avocado oil and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through.

Notes

I like to set up a breading assembly line to make it easy on myself. In a row I have the egg mixture, then the breading mixture, then the tray. I use one hand to dip the egg and the other hand to roll in the breading.