One of the great joys in life has got to be meatballs. Wonderfully seasoned balls of meats, pan fried to give them a little bit of crunchiness to the exterior then simmered for hours in tomato sauce to keep them plump, juicy and delightfully delicious.
For almost 20 years now I’ve been making Turkey and Chicken Meatballs and have enjoyed them every bit as much as the traditional mixture of beef, pork and veal.
Of course, there are as many tasty variations on homemade meatballs as there are Italian Grandmothers, each with their own flavors and traditions. Depending upon what I have on hand I make Chicken Meatballs, turkey or a combination of both. I make burgers out of both types of meat and never use the whole pack (Lisa eats beef) so I freeze the remainder and when I have enough I make meatballs or chili depending upon how I’m feeling.
Meatballs have got to be the ultimate comfort food. You can eat them with pasta, on a roll as a sandwich or just pick them up with your fingers and eat them with the unbridled passion they deserve…… Can you tell I love meatballs?
If you enjoyed this recipe you may also like these:
- Spaghetti and Meatballs
- Ultimate Grilled Chicken Sandwich
- All-American Hot Dog Bar
- Blackened Salmon Sliders
Chicken Meatballs
Ingredients
- ½ cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup Italian parsley – finely chopped
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoon milk
- 1 tablespoon ketchup or tomato paste
- ½ cup grated Romano plus more for serving
- ½ teaspoon granulated garlic
- ½ teaspoon granulated onion
- sea salt and pepper to taste
- 1 pound ground chicken
- ½ cup olive oil for sautéing
Instructions
- Soak the breadcrumbs in the milk until the breadcrumbs become soggy,
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- While the oil is heating, combine the ground chicken, breadcrumb mixture, parsley, eggs, spices, ketchup and romano cheese in a medium mixing bowl.
- Mix the ingredients together just until they are combined. Do not overwork the meat, it will make the meatballs tough.
- The mixture will be a little looser than beef meatballs.
- Roll meatballs by hand (or use a cookie scoop) and gently place them in the heated oil.
- Cook, without disturbing, for about 2 minutes and then flip and cook for an additional two minutes. (they should start to have a little crust on the outside. Roll them around until most of the meatball surface has been cooked.
- As they’re done transfer the meatballs to a paper towel lined plate and continue cooking in batches until they are all cooked. Save the oil for your marinara sauce if there’s not too much, it will add flavor to your sauce.
- Place cooked meatballs directly into marinara sauce and let them simmer for about an hour (or longer)
- Alternatively, you can finish cooking them in the oven, let them cool and freeze them until needed.
Annamaria @ Bakewell Junction
I love substituting chicken for beef. I don’t like turkey and that’s what everyone usually substitutes for beef. Love the recipe.
Annamaria
Chef Dennis Littley
I agree Annamaria, I much prefer ground chicken to turkey, especially for burgers!
Mary Frances
They really are the ultimate comfort food. This looks so delicious!
Chef Dennis Littley
Thanks Mary Frances, I do love meatballs!