Previous Next

1 / 5

Video recipe

About this recipe

✨

Recipe highlight

Why you’ll love it

Juicy paprika chicken meatballs, golden potatoes, roasted onions, ajvar, lemon, yogurt, and fresh herbs turn one tray into a cozy Balkan main dish that feels simple, bold, and homemade. 🍗

Ingredients

• Chicken meatballs 🍗
• 🍗 650 g ground chicken (1.43 lb)
• 🧅 120 g yellow onion, finely grated and squeezed (¾ cup / 4.2 oz)
• 🧄 4 garlic cloves, finely grated (4 cloves / 0.7 oz)
• 🍞 55 g breadcrumbs (½ cup / 1.9 oz)
• 🥚 1 large egg (1 egg / 50 g) egg
• 🌿 25 g fresh parsley, chopped (¾ cup loose / 0.9 oz)
• 🌶️ 7 g sweet paprika (2½ tsp / 0.25 oz)
• 🌶️ 2 g smoked paprika (¾ tsp / 0.07 oz)
• 🌿 2 g dried oregano (1 tsp / 0.07 oz)
• 🧂 8 g fine sea salt (1½ tsp / 0.28 oz)
• ⚫ 2 g black pepper (1 tsp / 0.07 oz)
• 🫒 15 ml olive oil (1 tbsp / 0.5 fl oz)
• Potato tray 🥔
• 🥔 800 g potatoes, cut into wedges (5 cups / 1.76 lb)
• 🧅 180 g red onion, cut into wedges (1 large / 6.3 oz)
• 🧄 3 garlic cloves, lightly crushed (3 cloves / 0.5 oz)
• 🫒 45 ml olive oil (3 tbsp / 1.5 fl oz)
• 🌶️ 6 g sweet paprika (2 tsp / 0.21 oz)
• 🌿 2 g dried thyme or oregano (1 tsp / 0.07 oz)
• 🧂 7 g fine sea salt (1¼ tsp / 0.25 oz)
• ⚫ 2 g black pepper (1 tsp / 0.07 oz)
• 🍋 20 ml lemon juice (1 tbsp + 1 tsp / 0.7 fl oz)
• Ajvar yogurt drizzle 🌶️
• 🌶️ 120 g ajvar (½ cup / 4.2 oz)
• 🥛 180 g Greek yogurt or thick plain yogurt (¾ cup / 6.3 oz) dairy
• 🍋 15 ml lemon juice (1 tbsp / 0.5 fl oz)
• 🧄 1 garlic clove, finely grated (1 clove / 0.18 oz)
• 🌿 10 g fresh dill, chopped (⅓ cup loose / 0.35 oz)
• 🫒 15 ml olive oil (1 tbsp / 0.5 fl oz)
• 🧂 2 g fine sea salt (⅓ tsp / 0.07 oz)
• ⚫ 1 g black pepper (½ tsp / 0.04 oz)
• To serve 🍽️
• 🍞 Warm flatbread or crusty bread gluten
• 🌶️ Extra ajvar
• 🌿 Extra parsley or dill
• 🍋 Lemon wedges
• 🥗 Tomato cucumber salad

Preparation

• 1 Prepare the potato tray 🥔 Heat the oven to 220°C (425°F). Add potato wedges, red onion, crushed garlic, olive oil, paprika, thyme or oregano, salt, black pepper, and lemon juice to a large tray.
• 2 Toss until coated 🌶️ Toss everything well until the potatoes look glossy and lightly red from the paprika oil.
• 3 Start roasting 🔥 Spread the potatoes in one layer and roast for 25 min, turning once halfway, until the edges begin to turn golden.
• 4 Mix the meatballs 🍗 In a bowl, combine ground chicken, grated onion, garlic, breadcrumbs, egg, parsley, sweet paprika, smoked paprika, oregano, salt, black pepper, and olive oil.
• 5 Shape the meatballs ✨ Mix gently, then shape into 18–20 small meatballs. Keep them even in size so they bake at the same speed.
• 6 Add meatballs to the tray 🍽️ Place the chicken meatballs between the half-roasted potatoes and onions. Spoon a little paprika oil from the tray over the tops.
• 7 Bake until juicy 🔥 Return the tray to the oven and bake for 18–20 min, until the meatballs are cooked through and lightly browned.
• 8 Make the ajvar yogurt drizzle 🌶️ Mix ajvar, yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, dill, olive oil, salt, and black pepper until creamy, colorful, and spoonable.
• 9 Rest the tray 🛋️ Let the meatballs and potatoes rest for 5 min so the juices settle and the potatoes stay tender inside.
• 10 Finish and serve 🍽️ Drizzle ajvar yogurt over the warm meatballs and potatoes. Serve with extra herbs, lemon wedges, bread, and a spoon of ajvar on the side.

Timing details

Nutrition

Estimated values per serving.

Tips & variations

More from this category

Share & Print