Description
A gentle and nutritious weaning recipe featuring tender chicken meatballs made with finely chopped chicken thighs, celery, carrot, and chives. These meatballs are oven-baked to perfection and served alongside boiled rice and steamed broccoli, perfect for introducing solid foods to babies and toddlers while offering a wholesome meal for the whole family.
Ingredients
Scale
Meatballs
- ½ celery stick, cut into small chunks
- 1 small carrot, cut into small chunks
- 500g boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into chunks
- A few chives, snipped
- Oil, for greasing
Sides
- Boiled rice
- Steamed broccoli
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Set your oven to 200°C (180°C fan) or gas mark 6 to get the perfect temperature for baking the meatballs evenly.
- Prepare the meatball mixture: Place the celery, carrot, chicken thighs, and chives into a food processor. Blitz until finely chopped, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula to ensure everything is evenly combined.
- Form the meatballs: Shape the mixture into small, baby-friendly meatballs. If you’re planning to freeze them, space the meatballs out on a tray and freeze until solid before transferring them to a freezer bag. Remember to defrost them thoroughly in the fridge before cooking.
- Prepare for baking: Line a baking tray with foil and lightly grease it with oil to prevent sticking. Arrange the meatballs evenly spaced on the tray.
- Bake the meatballs: Place the tray in the preheated oven and bake for 10 minutes or until the meatballs are browned on the outside and cooked through internally.
- Serve: Plate the baked chicken meatballs with a side of boiled rice and steamed broccoli for a complete and balanced meal suitable for weaning children.
Notes
- For more flavor, adults and older children can enjoy the meatballs with a touch of chili or soy sauce.
- Ensure meatballs are thoroughly cooked to a safe internal temperature before serving to babies.
- Freezing the meatballs separately on a tray before storage helps prevent them from sticking together.
- Adjust vegetable size for younger babies to avoid choking hazards.
- Use boneless, skinless chicken thighs to keep meatballs tender and moist.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Weaning, Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: British
Keywords: Chicken meatballs, Baby food, Weaning recipe, Healthy baby meals, Oven-baked meatballs, Toddler meals
