Chicken Piccata Meatballs

Chicken Piccata Meatballs

Inspired by the flavors of piccata, these chicken meatballs are seasoned with capers, garlic and oregano and pan-roasted until golden. The pan drippings are used to create a quick and tangy lemon-butter pan sauce. The secret to these plump, tender meatballs is the panade, bread crumbs soaked in milk until softened and folded into the meat mixture. Serve the meatballs with pasta and any simply roasted vegetable, like broccoli, green beans or bell peppers.

Yield: 12 meatballs

¾ cup panko bread crumbs

½ cup whole milk 

1 large egg

¼ cup finely grated Parmesan

2 tablespoons chopped capers

1 garlic clove, minced

¼ teaspoon dried oregano

Kosher salt and pepper

1 pound ground chicken (preferably dark meat)

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon lemon juice, plus wedges for serving (optional)

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Egg noodles, pasta or rice, for serving

Heat oven to 425 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine panko and milk and mix well; let stand until the milk is absorbed, about 3 minutes. Add egg, cheese, capers, garlic, oregano, ½ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper and mix until well blended.

Add chicken to the panko mixture and gently mix just until well incorporated. Using moistened hands, form mixture into 12 equal meatballs. (The uncooked meatballs are very soft, but they can be placed in the freezer for about 10 minutes to firm up and hold their shape better during cooking. The meatball mixture can also be made a few hours ahead and chilled in the refrigerator, which makes the meatballs easier to form. Roll the balls again just before cooking to reshape.)

In a large cast-iron or other heavy skillet, heat oil over medium. Add meatballs and cook, turning occasionally, until mostly lightly golden all over (they will continue to brown in the oven), about 5 minutes. Transfer to the oven and roast, turning meatballs halfway through, until tender and cooked through, about 10 minutes.

Divide meatballs among 4 plates.

Place the skillet over medium-high heat and add the broth. Bring to a boil, stirring to lift up any browned bits on the bottom of the skillet. Cook until slightly reduced, about 3 minutes. Add butter, lemon juice and parsley and stir until well combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Spoon the pan sauce over the meatballs. Serve warm with noodles or rice and lemon wedges on the side, if desired.

TIP: Great recipe! Meatball mixture was indeed very soft so I called into duty a small muffin tin into which (after spraying with nonstick spray) I put a scoop each of meatball mix. I chilled, then cooked for 10 minutes, then turned for another 10 minutes, then turned into the sauce to finish.

These are great. The meatballs started to fall apart a bit while browning, but firmed up nicely in the oven and had a wonderful texture when done. Flavor was fantastic and made for a unique meatball! I agree with other reviews about doubling the pan sauce.