Lemon Chicken Piccata Meatballs

 

Lemon Chicken Piccata Meatballs

Simply Delicious Food

I discovered this wonderful recipe on JoAnn's blog (Gulfside Musing) this past summer and finally got around to giving it a try a few weeks ago. My family loved the flavor of the meatballs, which I served alongside some lemony orzo and sauteed zucchini. They loved it so much, I made it again this week! I learned a few things with my second attempt, so be sure to read my notes for some helpful hints.

For the Meatballs:

1 lb. ground chicken

1 egg

3/4 cup breadcrumbs or Panko

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

2 Tbsp. chopped parsley 

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1 tsp. lemon zest

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

For the Sauce:

1 Tbsp. butter

2 garlic cloves (crushed or minced)

1 cup chicken stock (or 1/2 cup white wine and 1/2 cup stock)

2 Tbsp. capers (optional)

1 Tbsp. parsley (chopped)

1-2 tsp. lemon juice

Salt & pepper to taste

To make the meatballs, combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix well.

With wet hands, form meatballs into the size of golf balls.

Heat a large pan or skillet over high heat and add a few tablespoons of olive oil. Cook the meatballs until golden brown on all sides. Remove and set aside.

To make the sauce, melt butter in the pan and add the garlic. Cook for 30 seconds.

Add the stock (and wine, if using), capers, parsley and lemon juice. Allow to come to a simmer.

Add the meatballs and cook for another 7-10 minutes, coating the meatballs in the sauce until they are cooked through.

Season to taste and serve.

My Notes:

For the meatballs, I mixed all the dry ingredients together first in order to evenly distribute the seasonings before adding the wet ingredients (chicken & egg).

I baked the meatballs in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes, rather than frying them in a skillet. The first time I made the recipe, I place the meatballs on a large cookie sheet and added enough chicken broth to coat the bottom of the pan. The second time, I omitted the broth and placed the meatballs on parchment paper. I prefer the first method, as the meatballs were a bit dry when I didn't include the broth. 

For our dinner, I made a meatball bowl with orzo and zucchini. I prepare the orzo (minus the shrimp) from my Shrimp Scampi & Orzo recipe. For the zucchini, I used Smitten Kitchen's Quick Zucchini Saute. The combined flavors are so good!

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