Lemon Chicken Piccata Meatballs
These lemon chicken piccata meatballs are easy to make and perfect served with al dente pasta for a delicious family dinner.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Ground chicken / Chicken mince. This recipe works well with ground turkey too.
- Lemon zest and juice.
- Garlic powder.
- Breadcrumbs.
- Parmesan cheese.
- Egg.
- Parsley.
- Dried oregano and thyme. Rosemary or sage will also be delicious.
- Salt and black pepper.
- Butter.
- Fresh Garlic cloves.
- Chicken broth/stock. I often use half dry white wine, half stock. Low sodium chicken broth is a great option.
- Capers.
How to make chicken piccata meatballs
- Make the meatballs: Combine the chicken, Parmesan, seasoning, egg and breadcrumbs in a large bowl. I used panko breadcrumbs but feel free to use Italian breadcrumbs or fresh. Mix with a wooden spoon until the mixture is fully combined. With wet hands, form meatballs the size of golf balls.
- Cook the meatballs: In a large skillet/pan set over medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the meatballs and allow to brown and form a crust before flipping. Cook until the meatballs are golden brown on all sides. Remove and set aside.
- Make the Piccata sauce: Add the butter to the pan then the garlic. Cook for 30 seconds then pour in the wine and/or stock. Stir in the parsley, capers and fresh lemon juice. Bring to a simmer then add the meatballs back in to the pan. Cook for 5-7 minutes, swirling the meatballs in the sauce regularly until the sauce is slightly reduced and the meatballs are cooked through.
- Serve: Serve with cooked pasta (you can add half a cup of cream to make the sauce creamier to serve with pasta if preferred), crusty bread or mashed potatoes.
Can I make this ahead?
The meatballs can be made and kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat before serving.
Serving suggestions
These meatballs are delicious served with pasta/egg noodles, rice (cauliflower rice is a great low carb option) or on a bed of creamy mashed potatoes. We also love it with crusty bread to mop up the sauce and a simple side salad is always welcome.
Servings: 4
Calories: 321kcal
Ingredients
- 500 g (1lb) ground chicken / chicken mince
- 1 egg
- ¾ cup breadcrumbs (panko/gluten-free/fresh)
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
For the sauce
- 1 tbsp butter
- 2 garlic cloves crushed
- 1 cup chicken stock (alternatively ½ cup white white wine + ½ cup stock)
- 2 tbsp capers
- 1 tbsp parsley
- 1-2 tsp lemon juice
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- To make the meatballs, combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl. With a wooden spoon, mix well.
- With wet hands, form meatballs 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 the 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 the meatballs are cooked through.
- Season to taste and serve.
Nutrition
Calories: 321kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 153mg | Sodium: 904mg | Potassium: 730mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 361IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 97mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Just made this recipe last night – DELICIOUS!! I actually doubled the recipe, cause why not?? The sauce is so so good, served with a side of rice – everyone loved it! Thanks for the great recipe Alida!
I’m so pleased to hear you loved it Lina. It’s one of my favs as well!
This one is a keeper. I used chicken stock only because I don’t have white wine right now, but next time I’ll try it with the wine. The meatballs were really good, lots of flavor, and weren’t dry. We had them with broccoli and some leftover pesto penne with a bit of lemon olive oil added to the pasta. Next time I will add a little onion and maybe a dash of tarragon or sage to the meat, but that’s not a criticism as the oregano and garlic were great in this. I just love recipes where you can change a couple details and still make it work.
Oooh sage is one of my favorites in chicken. So glad you liked this recipe, Kitty!
Served by themselves, as part of a shared ‘pot luck’ lunch.
A subtle lemon aftertaste. Meatballs are drier/firmer than I expected. (This could be because I made my own fresh chicken breast mince, instead of using moister mince from the butcher/supermarket.) Next time, I’ll halve the bread crumbs and increase the lemon components.
My family loved it! I added Parmesan to the cooked pasta with a bit of olive oil as well as to the sauce itself to make it creamier. Thank you for sharing!