Chicken Piccata Meatballs
This week's recipe comes from my friend Anne Marie, who shared that everyone in her family loves these Chicken Piccata Meatballs—and they're even delicious enough to serve to guests! I can't wait to make them.
Bright, lemony, buttery, and full of flavor, they sound like the perfect comforting meal.
Ingredients
For the meatballs
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1 ½ pounds ground chicken
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½ cup panko breadcrumbs
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½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
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2 cloves garlic, minced
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¼ cup finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley, plus more for garnish
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2 tablespoons capers, finely chopped
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1 medium shallot, finely chopped
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1 large egg, lightly beaten
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1 teaspoon kosher salt
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½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
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1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
For the sauce
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6 tablespoons unsalted butter
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4 cloves garlic, minced
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1 shallot, finely chopped
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1 cup chicken stock
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½ cup dry white wine
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¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, (from 2 lemons)
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2 tablespoons capers, drained
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¼ cup chopped parsley
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Lemon slices, for garnish
For serving (optional)
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Mashed potatoes
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Buttered cooked pasta
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Cooked orzo
Directions
Make the meatballs. In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, panko, Parmesan, garlic, parsley, capers, shallot, egg, salt, and pepper. Mix well, then with wet hands, form golf ball-size meatballs (about 2 tablespoons each) and place on a plate. You should have 16 to 18 meatballs.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is glistening, add the meatballs in a single layer. Cook until browned on all sides, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a separate plate.
Make the sauce. In the same skillet, add 2 tablespoons of the butter. Once the butter is melted, add the shallot and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Pour in the wine and chicken stock, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom, and simmer until reduced by about half, 4 to 5 minutes.
Stir in the remaining 4 tablespoons butter, lemon juice, and capers into the sauce. Return the meatballs to the skillet. Cover and cook until the meatballs are cooked through and the internal temperature reads 165°F on an instant-read thermometer, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Serve over mashed potatoes, buttered cooked pasta or cooked orzo (if using), sprinkled with chopped parsley and garnished with lemon slices.
