What do you get when you cross tender, pan-seared meatballs with lemony chicken piccata? Chicken Piccata Meatballs! Serve this saucy one-pan recipe over spaghetti or rice for a fresh twist on a classic.
With its tart lemon caper sauce, sprinkling of fresh parsley, and easy one-pan prep, Chicken Piccata is a weeknight dinner that’s impossible not to love. I frequently make the classic version as well as this cauliflower-based vegetarian twist, so it was only a matter of time before this version with tender chicken meatballs had its moment to shine.
What You’ll Love About Chicken Piccata Meatballs
Big flavor, little time. Thanks to white wine, garlic, lemon, and capers, the sauce served with chicken piccata is packed with flavor without much effort at all. The chicken meatballs included in this recipe take a little time to prep and roll but can be done up to a day ahead so that this meal comes together fast enough for a weeknight.
This recipe is:
- Fresh
- Family-Friendly
- Guest-Worthy
- Gluten-Free Adaptable
- Healthy
- Saucy
How to Roll Meatballs
Use a spoon to scoop up similar-sized portions of the mixture and then roll it into balls with your hands. If the mixture sticks, wet your hands with a small amount of cooking oil or water first. Line formed meatballs up on a sheet pan and refrigerate, covered, for up to a day before cooking.
Possible Variations
- Make it Gluten-Free - Use gluten-free breadcrumbs and a gluten-free 1:1 all-purpose flour substitute.
- Use Ground Turkey - This recipe will work with ground turkey in place of the ground chicken.
More Meatball Recipes
- Greek Turkey Meatballs with Orzo and Tzatziki
- Thai Rice and Meatball Soup
- One-Pan Italian Turkey Meatballs with Marinara
- Meatball Taco Bowls
- Slow-Cooker Hoisin Turkey Meatballs
Favorite Tools
Chicken Piccata Meatballs
Equipment
- Mixing Bowls
- Saute Pan or Skillet
Ingredients
Meatballs:
- ½ cup Italian Seasoned Breadcrumbs (see note)
- 2 Tablespoons Milk
- 1 pound Ground Chicken
- 3 Tablespoons minced White Onion
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
For the Sauce:
- ½ Lemon, very thinly sliced
- 4 cloves Garlic, sliced
- 2 teaspoon Sugar
- 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil, divided
- 3 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
- 2 Tablespoons minced Shallots
- 1 Tablespoon All-Purpose Flour
- ½ teaspoon Dried Oregano
- ½ cup Dry White Wine (substitute chicken stock)
- 1 cup Low-Sodium Chicken Stock
- 2 Tablespoons Capers, drained and rinsed
- 2 Tablespoons chopped Flat-Leaf Parsley
Instructions
- Slice ½ lemon into very thin slices. Toss with garlic and sugar. Set aside. (Note: You can slice the other half of the lemon into wedge to squeeze over the finished dish.)
- Combine bread crumbs and milk in a large mixing bowl. Add chicken, onion, and black pepper. Use your hands to gently combine all of the ingredients. Form into meatballs that are about 1.5-inches in diameter (these should be fairly small; if the mixture sticks to your hands, wet your hands with a small amount of oil or water).
- Heat a large saute pan or skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil. When it begins to shimmer, add meatballs. Let meatballs cook on one side until golden brown, then gently turn meatballs until evenly golden brown on all sides, 6 to 8 minutes total. (Note: If the pan starts to look dry or the meatballs start to stick at any point during cooking, add some extra oil.
- Set cooked meatballs aside in a bowl.
- Pour lemon-garlic-sugar mixture into heated pan. Sauté until garlic is fragrant and lemons are tender, 1 to 2 minutes. (Don’t worry if there are a lot of browned bits starting to stick to the bottom of the pan at this point - they’ll come up as soon as you add the liquid.)
- Transfer lemons and garlic to bowl with meatballs.
- Add butter to heated pan. When it melts, add shallots and cook until tender, about 2 minutes.
- Add flour and oregano and stir until no dry spots remain.
- Slowly pour in white wine and stock, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan.
- Bring sauce to a simmer and simmer until slightly thickened, 2 to 4 minutes.
- Remove pan from heat and gently stir in capers, lemon-garlic mixture, and meatballs.
- For more lemon flavor, squeeze some extra lemon juice over top. Top meatballs with parsley.
Notes
Nutrition
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jared
These came out perfectly. I served them on top of orzo and with a baguette so there plenty that could soak up the yummy sauce. Will definitely make again