Asian Chicken Meatballs with Rice Noodles in Peanut Sauce

I was planning to make my Asian Chicken Lettuce Cups but there is a worry about lettuce at the moment so I made this new dish into a version of spaghetti and meatballs with all of the same ingredients. 

One trick I love when making meatballs is tasting the mix first to make sure the seasoning is right. You obviously can't taste raw chicken so what I do is make a 1 tsp small flat patty of the meatball mix into a skillet over medium low heat. Cook about 2 minutes per side and remove. Allow to cool and then taste. You can then adjust the seasoning of the meatball mix as needed. 

Ingredients:

Meatballs

1/2 egg, scrambled (put a full egg into a small container, whisk to combine, and then remove half of it to get 1/2 egg)
3 Tbsp. panko
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. hoisin sauce
3 Tbsp. grated carrot
1 tsp. grated ginger
1 tsp. grated garlic
1/2 - 1 tsp. siracha (depends on your spice tolerance)
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1 lb ground chicken  
Olive oil spray

Peanut Sauce

⅓ cup natural peanut butter
1 tsp. grated ginger
1 tsp. grated garlic
1 tsp. maple syrup
3 Tbsp. low sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp. hoisin sauce
1 tsp. rice wine vinegar
½ tsp. siracha
1/4 cup hot water

1/2 lb vermicelli rice noodles
2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
2 Tbsp. roasted peanuts, chopped

Directions:

1. Make the meatballs by combining all ingredients into a bowl except the ground chicken. Stir all of the "filling" first to combine so you don't over mix your meatballs. 

2. Add ground chicken and stir just enough to combine. To taste you have the seasoning right, make a 1 tsp small flat patty of the meatball mix into a skillet over medium low heat. Cook about 2 minutes per side and remove. Allow to cool and then taste. You can then adjust the seasoning of the meatball mix as needed. 

3. Once you're happy with the flavor of your chicken mix, make golf ball size meatballs. This step can be done a few hours in advance by storing your meatballs covered in plastic wrap in the fridge. 

4. When you're ready to eat, preheat the air fryer to 425. Spray each meatball with a little olive oil and cook meatballs for about 8 minutes or until they reach 155 degrees internally. 

5. While the meatballs cook, make your peanut sauce for dressing the rice noodles. Combine all ingredients into a small bowl and whisk until combined. Set aside. 

6. Bring a pot of water to boil and cook vermicelli rice noodles according the the package directions. Drain and rinse noodles and add back to pot. Toss in some of the peanut sauce and stir to coat noodles, add a little dressing at a time so they don't get soggy. 

7. Once the pasta and meatballs are ready, place on a plate and garnish with chopped cilantro and chopped roasted peanuts (options).