Try Chicken Piccata Meatballs for a quick, easy, and healthy twist on traditional chicken piccata! This recipe features ground chicken, Parmesan cheese, and lemon butter sauce. It’s bursting with bright, summery flavors and comforting textures. Serve it for dinner guests or a weeknight meal with rice.
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Why you’ll love this recipe
- Quick: All you need is about 30 minutes for this simple-to-prepare dinner. You’ll have food on the table for the whole family in no time.
- Healthy: Lean ground chicken makes a healthy alternative to traditional beef or pork meatballs.
- Versatile: Serve these meatballs over pasta, rice, or any grain of your choice for a more filling meal.
Easy chicken piccata meatballs
Chicken piccata is an Italian-American classic that’s popularly served at restaurants like Olive Garden. Piccata refers to the cooking technique of pounding meat flat, dredging, and pan-frying it. It’s typically served with a lemon, caper, and butter sauce, making it a very bright and vibrant dish.
While we won’t be pounding any meat for this recipe, I’ve incorporated the same great chicken piccata flavors! It starts with ground chicken, which is combined with a savory and citrusy panko mixture.
The meatballs simmer until tender in a lemon butter sauce, resulting in juicy meatballs with a tart and slightly acidic sauce. It’s the perfect dish to serve with a glass of white wine.
Chicken piccata meatballs make a simple weeknight dinner, especially if served over pasta or rice. But if you’re after a quick appetizer, these are always a hit at potlucks and holiday gatherings.
Ingredients & substitutions
- Parmesan: Freshly grated block Parmesan is best!
- Panko: I use gluten-free panko, but you can use regular panko if you don’t have gluten sensitivities.
- Salt: Use kosher salt to bring out the flavor of the chicken.
- Garlic: You will need both garlic powder for the meatballs and fresh garlic for the lemon butter sauce. If you’re a garlic lover, you can substitute garlic powder for minced cloves in the meatballs.
- Parsley: Also known as Italian parsley, fresh flat-leaf parsley pairs well with chicken and lemon butter sauce. If you can’t find any, try curly parsley.
- Ground chicken: I prefer to use around 93-95% lean ground chicken for this recipe. It contains just enough fat to stay moist, especially once it’s covered with lemon butter sauce.
- Olive oil: To cook the chicken meatballs. While I do recommend using olive oil, you can also opt for grapeseed or sunflower oil.
- Unsalted butter: For the sauce! I suggest keeping the butter unsalted so you have better control over the final flavor.
- All-purpose flour: You can use regular all-purpose flour or a gluten-free blend to thicken the chicken piccata sauce.
- Chicken broth: Chicken broth (or stock) adds a full-bodied, savory flavor to the sauce. You can also use a mixture of broth and your favorite dry white wine.
- Capers: Add both whole capers and their brine for a salty, tangy, and vibrant element in the sauce. No capers on hand? Try diced green olives and their brine.
- Lemon: I utilize the entire lemon to brighten the meatballs and the sauce, making everything feel lighter. Also, don’t forget to add in some lemon slices at the end for an extra pop of color!
How to make chicken piccata meatballs
- Mix the meatballs: In a large bowl, mix together the Parmesan, panko, salt, garlic, parsley, and lemon zest. I recommend combining the seasonings before adding the ground chicken since it will prevent an overworked and dry meatball texture.
- Shape the meatballs: Once the chicken is just combined, use a cookie scoop to form meatballs. With damp hands, roll them all until they’re nice and smooth.
- Cook the meatballs: Cook the meatballs with olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Make sure to turn them every few minutes to ensure even cooking.
- Make the lemon butter: Remove the cooked meatballs and add butter and garlic to the same pan. Whisk in the all-purpose flour, then slowly add the broth, caper brine, and lemon juice.
- Simmer the sauce: Let the sauce cook at a simmer for about 6-7 minutes, or until it thickens slightly. Taste and season it with salt.
- Assemble the chicken piccata: Add the meatballs back in, cover the pan with a lid, and let everything simmer on low for another 5 minutes. Mix in thinly sliced lemons and top it off with chopped parsley.
Chicken piccata meatball serving suggestions
To make your chicken piccata meatballs more hearty and satisfying, try pairing them with these side dishes:
- Rice or quinoa
- Mashed potatoes
- Pasta (or zoodles)
- Polenta
- Crusty bread for soaking up the sauce
- Shaved zucchini salad
Frequently asked questions
Yes, if you don’t have ground chicken, try using ground turkey. You can also use ground pork or beef, but the flavor and overall dish will be heavier.
Yes, you can use cornstarch or arrowroot flour in place of all-purpose flour to thicken the sauce. You can also use a gluten-free flour blend.
Yes, to make chicken piccata meatballs gluten-free, opt for cornstarch or gluten-free flour as the thickening agent. Additionally, double-check that your panko is gluten-free.
Storage & reheating
Follow these simple storage and reheating tips to keep your meatballs fresh for longer:
- Fridge: Store piccata meatballs in the fridge for 3-4 days in an airtight container.
- Freezer: Once fully cooled, you can store your meatballs in the freezer for 3 months. Just keep them in a freezer-safe container for optimal storage.
- Reheating: To reheat chicken piccata meatballs, warm them in a saucepan over low-medium until warmed through.
Variations
- Spicy: For a spicy kick, add red pepper flakes or spicy breadcrumbs.
- Add-ins: In addition to the capers, try adding in olives or sun-dried tomatoes.
- With wine: Use dry white for a classic take on chicken piccata meatballs.
Top tips
- Fresh Parmesan: Opt for freshly grated Parmesan cheese for the most traditional flavor.
- Don’t overwork: Overworking the meat will lead to dry and dense meatballs. Incorporate it with the seasonings until it just comes together.
- Cookie scoop: For more uniform meatballs and an even cook, use a cookie scoop.
Looking for more chicken recipes?
If you enjoyed these chicken piccata meatballs, be sure to check out some more of my favorites like these:
- Southwest Chicken Salad
- Grilled Cilantro Lime Chicken Thighs
- Chicken Meatballs and Orzo
- Lemon Chicken with Orzo Pasta
If you try these Chicken Piccata Meatballs let me know what you think! Rate and review this recipe in the comments below. Don’t forget to take a picture and tag me on Instagram @lenaskitchenblog!
Chicken Piccata Meatballs
Equipment
- 1 Whisk
Ingredients
Chicken Meatballs
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese grated
- ¼ cup gluten-free panko crumbs
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley finely chopped
- 1 ½ tablespoons lemon zest
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Piccata Sauce
- ½ stick unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoons all-purpose flour or use gluten-free
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons caper brine
- ¼ cup capers
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt or more to taste
- ½ lemon thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon parsley finely chopped
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together the parmesan, panko, kosher salt, garlic powder, chopped parsley and lemon zest. Then add in the ground chicken and gently mix, don’t overmix.
- Usig a 1-inch cookie scoop, scoop out the meatballs on a baking sheets lined with plastic wrap (for easy clean up). Once you’ve scooped out all the meatballs. Dampen your hands with water, roll the meatballs between your palms.
- Heat a medium pan over medium heat and add the olive oil.
- Add the meatballs, turning every few minutes to ensure even cooking. Cook for about 6 minutes and then remove the meatballs from the pan to a plate.
- In the same pan, add butter and garlic and let it cook over medium heat for 1 minute, then whisk in flour. Cook for another 1 minute.
- Slowly whisk in chicken broth, caper brine, and lemon juice. Add in the capers. Simmer sauce for 6-7 minutes, it will thicken as it cooks. Season with salt.
- Add in the meatballs, cover with a lid, and let them simmer on low for 5 minutes, turning halfway.
- Remove from heat, add in the thinly sliced lemons and top with chopped parsley. Enjoy over mashed potatoes, rice or quinoa.
Notes
Storage & reheating
Follow these simple storage and reheating tips to keep your meatballs fresh for longer:- Fridge: Store piccata meatballs in the fridge for 3-4 days in an airtight container.
- Freezer: Once fully cooled, you can store your meatballs in the freezer for 3 months. Just keep them in a freezer-safe container for optimal storage.
- Reheating: To reheat chicken piccata meatballs, warm them in a saucepan over low-medium until warmed through.
Veronika
Delicious! Love your recipes
lena
I’m so happy to hear that. thank you for trying my recipe.