Chicken Piccata Meatballs Recipe

square image of chicken piccata meatballs in a sauce with a spoon

4.75 from 8 votes

Chicken Piccata Meatballs Recipe

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.

Prep Time30

Cook Time25

Total Time55

Course: Main

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: chicken dinner, Chicken Recipe, freezer friendly, meatball, weeknight-friendly

Servings:

Author: Jess Smith via Inquiring Chef

Cost: $10.00

Equipment

Mixing Bowls
Saute Pan or Skillet

Ingredients

Meatballs:

1/2 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs (see note)
2 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons minced white onion
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 pound ground chicken

For the Sauce:

1/2 lemon, very thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons minced shallots
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup dry white wine (substitute chicken stock)
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
2 tablespoons capers, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

Instructions

Combine lemon slices with garlic and sugar. Set aside. (Reserve the other half of the lemon to squeeze over the finished dish.)
Combine bread crumbs and milk in a large mixing bowl. Add all of the remaining ingredients for the meatballs. 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, rub a small amount of oil between your hands).
Heat a large saute pan or skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil. When it begins to shimmer, add the meatballs. Let the 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 a splash of water.)
Transfer the cooked meatballs to a plate near the stove.
To the heated pan, add the butter. When the butter melts, add shallots and the lemon slices. Cook, stirring frequently, until the garlic is fragrant and the lemon slices and shallots are tender, 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the flour and oregano and stir until no dry spots remain.
Slowly pour in the white wine and stock, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan.
Bring the sauce to a simmer and simmer until thickened, 2 to 4 minutes.
Remove the pan from heat and stir in the capers and then the meatballs, spooning the sauce over top.
Squeeze the juice from the reserved lemon half over top. Top the meatballs with parsley.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Lemon Chicken Piccata which gets the idea for Charred Lemons from Cooking Light.

Lemon Slices - As you can see from the photos, I like to leave the lemon slices in the finished dish. If they are very thinly sliced, they are delicious to eat along with the meatballs. If they are thicker, they may be a bit tough to eat, so just leave them on the side. Either way, they add beautiful color to the finished dish and give it a rich, lemony flavor all the way through.

Italian Seasoned Breadcrumbs / Salt - Be sure to check the ingredients on your seasoned breadcrumbs to be sure they include salt. Most “seasoned” breadcrumbs include plenty of salt, in which case the meatballs will not need any additional salt. If salt is not included, add 1/2 tsp of salt to the meatball mixture.

Make ahead - Make and refrigerate the meatballs up to a day ahead. Line them up on a sheet pan and cover with plastic wrap to keep them moist until you’re ready to cook them.

Nutrition