These delightful cashew chicken balls are a fantastic blend of savory ground chicken, crunchy cashews, and fresh herbs, all coated in a rich, sweet, and sour sauce. Perfect as an appetizer or a main dish with rice, they offer a fun and flavorful twist on classic cashew chicken.
Place the 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour in a shallow dish and set it aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground chicken, panko crumbs, salt, pepper, finely diced onion, fresh basil, fresh parsley, chopped cashews, orange zest, and cream cheese.
Mix all ingredients thoroughly until well combined.
In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat until it is hot.
Roll the meat mixture into 1-inch meatballs. Lightly coat each meatball in the flour from the shallow dish, then add them to the hot oil in the skillet.
Cook and turn the meatballs for about 2 minutes, or until they are lightly browned on all sides.
Transfer the browned meatballs and any hot oil from the skillet into a 9x13 inch baking dish.
Bake in the preheated oven for 18 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through and no longer pink inside.
Prepare the Sweet and Sour Sauce
While the meatballs are baking, prepare the sweet and sour sauce. In a separate skillet, combine the brown sugar, white vinegar, and water.
Bring the sauce mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking frequently. Continue to cook for about 4 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced by 0.5 and thickened slightly.
Serve
Once the meatballs are cooked, remove them from the oven. Pour the prepared sweet and sour sauce evenly over the meatballs.
Serve immediately, perhaps with rice or steamed vegetables.
Notes
For extra crunch, toast the cashews lightly before chopping. These meatballs are great served with white rice or a side of steamed broccoli.