Delicious Chicken Meatballs
These meatballs are endlessly versatile. I usually do them in a lemon‑caper butter sauce with garlic and chicken stock, but this time I thought….why not put the lemon and capers right into the chicken? It totally works. They’re fresh, vibrant, and have that perfect salty pop. Use fresh bread or dry breadcrumbs – both are great. Fresh bread just gives you a softer, more tender meatball
- 1/2 cup torn soft white bread, crust removed or a handful of dry breadcrumbs if you don’t have soft bread
- 2 tablespoons whole milk (only if using fresh bread)
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- 1 large egg (you can omit this if you’re using dry breadcrumbs)
- 2-3 small garlic cloves crushed
- 3 tablespoons chopped capers)
- 1/4 cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese
- Zest of 1 full lemon
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon of pepper (or red pepper flakes)
- 2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1/2 shallot (or more if you prefer)
Make the Meatballs
In a medium bowl, combine the torn bread (or bread crumbs), milk (only if using fresh bread & egg), parmesan, and egg (if using). Use your fingers or a rubber spatula to mash everything together into a soft paste. Let it sit for 5 minutes so the bread fully hydrates.
Add the capers, lemon zest, parm, salt & pepper, and parsley. Stir to combine. Add the ground chicken and gently mix with your hands until just combined. You can also add some breadcrumbs to the white bread if the mixture feels too loose, fold in dry breadcrumbs a tablespoon at a time until it holds together.
With damp hands, form large grape sized (bite sized) meatballs. Set aside.
Add some oil to a pan along with some more crushed garlic and shallots. Fry the meatballs until you get a nice brown colour on them. Shake the pan once in a while to get all sides golden brown.
Make some penne or pasta of your choice until el dente (they should still have a little bite to them and not fully cooked).
Mix your favorite tomato sauce with the penne and meatballs so they are completely covered. Place in a large baking dish and top with your favorite cheese like mozzarella, cheddar or any kind of cheese that melts well. Cover in tinfoil and cook at 400 for 20 min then take foil off and cook another 10 min. I like to broil my cheese afterwards until it’s golden brown…make sure to keep an eye on it!
Spoon onto a plate and top with grated parm, parsley or basil! Enjoy!
