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Marry Me Chicken Meatballs Recipe

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★★★★

3.9 from 89 reviews

Marry Me Chicken Meatballs are tender, flavorful ground chicken meatballs cooked in a creamy sun-dried tomato sauce with garlic, parmesan, and fresh herbs. This comforting and elegant skillet dish makes a perfect weeknight dinner, served with pasta, rice, or crusty bread.

Ingredients

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Meatballs

  • 1 pound ground chicken
  • 1/3 cup bread crumbs (or panko)
  • 1 egg (lightly beaten)
  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese (grated)
  • 2 cloves garlic (minced or grated)
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh parsley (or 1 teaspoon dried parsley)
  • 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Sauce

  • 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 cup oil-packed sun dried tomatoes (drained and chopped, plus 1 Tablespoon reserved oil)
  • 3 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese (grated)
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • Pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves (julienned)
  • Salt and pepper (to taste)

Instructions

  1. Make the meatball mixture: In a large bowl, combine ground chicken, bread crumbs, egg, parmesan, garlic, parsley, Italian seasoning, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Mix well until all ingredients are evenly incorporated.
  2. Shape the meatballs: Form the mixture into tablespoon-sized balls, aiming for about 30 meatballs in total. This size ensures they cook evenly and stay juicy.
  3. Brown the meatballs: Heat butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs in batches and cook on all sides until browned, about 5-7 minutes total. They will finish cooking later in the sauce. Remove the meatballs and set aside on a plate; cover to keep warm. Drain any fat and wipe the skillet clean.
  4. Prepare the sauce base: Return the clean skillet to medium heat. Add 1 Tablespoon of the reserved oil from the sun-dried tomatoes. Once hot, add the minced garlic and cook briefly until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for an additional minute to deepen the flavor.
  5. Deglaze the pan: Pour in the chicken stock, scraping any brown bits off the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon to add flavor to the sauce.
  6. Simmer the sauce and finish cooking meatballs: Reduce heat to medium-low, then stir in heavy cream, parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, and optional red pepper flakes. Allow the sauce to simmer for a few minutes until slightly thickened. Return the meatballs and chopped sun-dried tomatoes to the skillet. Simmer gently for 10-15 minutes more until the meatballs are cooked through and the sauce is thick and creamy.
  7. Garnish and serve: Stir in fresh julienned basil leaves. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. Serve warm with your favorite sides like pasta, mashed potatoes, or crusty bread to soak up the delicious sauce.

Notes

  • You can substitute ground turkey for ground chicken if preferred.
  • Using panko bread crumbs will give a lighter texture to the meatballs.
  • Reserve the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes as it adds great flavor to the sauce.
  • If you want to reduce the fat content, you can use half-and-half instead of heavy cream, but the sauce will be less rich.
  • Meatballs can be baked at 400°F for 15-20 minutes if you prefer not to brown them in a skillet first.

Keywords: Chicken meatballs, creamy tomato sauce, sun dried tomatoes, easy dinner, Italian meatballs

Find it online: https://epicrecipebox.com/marry-me-chicken-meatballs-recipe/