Spicy Orange Bison Balls

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READY IN 1½ hrs

Spicy Orange Bison Balls

Read Reviews (7)

"This recipe is inspired by the retro classic cocktail meatballs in grape jelly. I took that idea, along with my love of spicy orange beef, and came up with this combination." — Chef John

Directions

Mix the bison, garlic, breadcrumbs, egg, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper in a large mixing bowl until evenly combined; divide the mixture into 24 portions and roll into balls.
Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat; cook the meatballs until nicely browned on all sides, 7 to 10 minutes.
Add the chili sauce, orange marmalade, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and water to the skillet. Bring the mixture to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until the sauce thickens, about 1 hour.

Kitchen-Friendly View

PREP 20 mins
COOK 1 hr 10 mins
READY IN 1 hr 30 mins

Reviews More Reviews

Most Helpful Positive Review

Apr 02, 2012

Make sure you read the part about needing to simmer for an hour. I was timing dinner to be ready at a certain time so I actually simmered mine on medium-low for 35 minutes or so. They still turned out great. I served over jasmine rice with the juices since mine did not reduce all the way. I also had an Asian veggie medley on the side. My 4 and 7 year old really like it. I used sweet Asian chili sauce and I used 1 cup of orange juice and 1 1/2 cups of water in place of the 3 cups of water. It was quick and easy to prepare and a tasty way to use my ground bison that I had purchased. Definitely a keeper!

—WYLISHA

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Most Helpful Critical Review

May 09, 2013

Three cups of water was way to much!!! Mine were still swimming after an hour of a hard simmer. And I watched the video and there was no way he added that much water. The flavor was really good, but to rate the recipe as written I would only give it 3 stars. Next time I would use no more than 1 cup of water and maybe a little less chile sauce, but that's just cause I'm a baby when it comes to spicy food. Will make again!

—flower80

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9 Ratings

Jan 16, 2012

I loved this recipe -- although I used pre-bought Turkey meatballsl. I used Sriracha for the Asian chile pepper sauce, and I will probably use a little more marmalade the next time a make it (or maybe add some a little OJ or fresh orange peels). Mine turned out a little more spicy than orange-y. Still, I really enjoyed this easy, healthy recipe.

—jgreene

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Oct 29, 2012

This was amazing. I too used sriracha and added a single-serving size of mandarin oranges because they needed to go, and a smidge of ground ginger because I take every opportunity to use it. I used the ground pork I had on hand and the meatballs cooked up with amazingly little fat left. The simmer time was magic, the sauce thickened up just like you said it would. It was delicious as well as pretty to look at, and so easy. I would never have tried something like this without you. It's now a regular recipe for both home and potlucks. Thanks, Chef John!

—Foofy

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Jul 03, 2012

These are amazingly spicy balls! Love them just as written. I served them straight up and also made a white rice recipe and served them as mini appy's with the rice. Double this recipe! BTW - I wanted to say the Asian Pepper sauce is also known as Sambal. Enjoy!

—Baking Nana

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Feb 03, 2013

We made these for the Super Bowl, made some wild mixed rice with it and had Nan also. Fantastic will have this again

—michelleg

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Jan 30, 2013

I will definitely make these meatballs again; they weren't on my "Top-Ten Most Tasty Meatballs Ever" list, but they disappeared into the bellies of my husband and son, so that's certainly saying something! I made them with beef instead of bison and would add only about a cup of water, rather than three cups; I had to add some cornstarch in the end to get it to thicken. Thanks for the recipe!

—MMMICHELLE

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Nutrition

Calories
308 kcal
15%

Carbohydrates
37.7 g
12%

Cholesterol
111 mg
37%

Fat
7.1 g
11%

Fiber
1.2 g
5%

Protein
24.1 g
48%

Sodium
1000 mg
40%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Spicy Orange Bison Balls

Serving Size: 1/4 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 4
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 308
Calories from Fat: 64

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 7.1g 11 %
Saturated Fat 1.7g 9 %
Cholesterol 111mg 37 %
Sodium 1000mg 40 %
** Potassium 383mg 11 %
Total Carbohydrates 37.7g 12 %
Dietary Fiber 1.2g 5 %
Protein 24.1g 48 %
** Sugars 25.1g
Vitamin A 17 %
Vitamin C 8 %
Calcium 8 %
Iron 36 %
** Thiamin 19 %
** Niacin 35 %
** Vitamin B6 23 %
** Magnesium 11 %
** Folate 17 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.