bourbon bbq chickpea meatball bowls with minty mango salsa
Not sure how long it’s been since I’ve shown my balls online, so it felt like the right time.
Still feeling like a giant blob of shit, though maybe a less sweltering blob of shit. I did manage to get up and make a batch of buffalo snack mix for J’s outing this weekend – testimony to how easy that recipe is, fellas – but otherwise I’ve needed to keep myself on the downlow. I for real haven’t gotten a flu in years, I forgot how much it sucks.
Hoping to get back into the swing of work and work by the end of the week, but in the meantime, I figured some candids of my balls would carry you through this Thursday. These saucy, rich, filling Bourbon BBQ Chickpea Meatball Bowls boast the perfect combo of heat and sweet. The mango salsa is an ideal accompaniment: light and fresh against the boldness of the homemade bbq sauce.
Love these bowls with a pile of hot coconut rice, or regular rice if I’m not feeling extra shmancy on a given day. Would also be dope with a fresh salad of some sort. Pretty diverse dudes, really.
Ballin’ BBQ
I keep my chickpea meatballs relatively uniform between recipes, changing just a few components. For these, I added some brown sugar and smoked paprika to better mimic an underlying barbecue flavor.
Whip up the meatballs until course but cohesive, then roll into balls. Sear on the stove in some olive oil until crispy on all sides. Watch the heat closely to ensure you don’t scorch your balls.
Move the meatballs aside, then add all of your barbecue sauce components. The key to this particular batch is the addition of bourbon: it adds a smoky undertone that works so well with the spices in the meatballs. Otherwise, we’re looking at some ketchup, brown sugar, spices like smoked paprika, molasses, and Worcestershire as the flavorings. Let that all simmer until thickened up, which shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes. Again, make sure it’s not boiling, else the sauce will burn to the skillet.
Set the meatballs in the sauce and baste for a few minutes to coat. I generally turn the heat off here since the meatballs warm through pretty quickly.
Minty Mango Fresh
Finally, the salsa. Nothing intense here, and usually I mix it up while the sauce simmers away.
All required is mangos, jalapenos, cilantro, mint, and lime juice. Toss it together and taste for salt. Enjoy a spoonful or two before you dish everything out. Delivery charge, I call it.
If you have the time, I recommend giving a nice batch of coconut rice a try. I usually cook mine in the rice cooker, but I provide a stovetop option in the recipe card, too. Mix some white rice with coconut milk, water, and a splash of honey, and bring to a simmer in a sauce pot. When the water level drifts below the rice, shut off the heat, cover, and let finish cooking for about 10 minutes. Fluff the rice and serve!
PS: The leftovers of this meal are perfect for workday nibbles. The balls absorb the bbq sauce more intensely. You’ll want to lick the plate clean.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
BBQ Mood:
Spicy Chipotle BBQ Jackfruit and White Bean Burrito Bowls
Sheet Pan BBQ Butter Salmon and Ranch Potatoes
BBQ Pulled Mushroom Tacos with Tequila Mango Salsa
bourbon bbq chickpea meatball bowls with minty mango salsa
Ingredients
- 1 can chickpeas, drained
- 1 cup walnut halves
- 1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
- 1 egg
- 1/2 yellow onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 4 tsp smoked paprika, divided
- 1/3 cup fresh parmesan, shredded
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/3 cup dark brown sugar
- 2 tbsp molasses
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp chipotle chili powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1 cup vegetable broth (or water)
- 1/4 cup bourbon
- coconut rice, to serve (recipe in notes)
minty mango salsa
- 2 mangos, chopped
- 2 jalapenos, deseeded and diced
- 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
- 2 tbsp lime juice
Instructions
- In the bowl of a food processor, combine the chickpeas, walnuts, breadcrumbs, egg. garlic, brown sugar, 2 tsp smoked paprika, onion, parmesan, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Blitz until a course but cohesive batter forms. Rub your hands with oil and roll the batter into meatballs. You will likely get 12-16 depending on the size of your balls. Teehee.
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Brown the meatballs for 8-10 minutes, turning frequently to crisp up all sides. Remove to a plate.
- To the same skillet, add the ketchup, brown sugar, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, the remaining 2 tsp smoked paprika, chipotle chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, broth, and bourbon. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook until thickened, about 8-10 minutes. Add the meatballs to the skillet and gently baste with the bbq sauce.
- In a large bowl, combine the mangos, jalapenos, cilantro, mint, lime juice, and a pinch of salt.
- Spoon coconut (or regular) rice into a bowl. Top with the meatballs and mango salsa. Enjoy!
