Description
These tender and flavorful chicken meatballs are baked to perfection and served with a rich, creamy gravy sauce. Made with a blend of ground chicken and pork, Parmesan, and Italian seasonings, they are perfect for a comforting dinner served alongside mashed potatoes and roasted green beans.
Ingredients
Scale
Meatballs
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup parsley, roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ cup half and half
- 1 large egg, whisked
- ⅓ cup yellow onion, very finely minced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lb. ground chicken
- ½ lb. ground pork
Sauce
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups chicken broth
- ½ beef bouillon cube (or ½ teaspoon Better Than Bouillon beef base)
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon half and half
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon parsley
- ½ teaspoon mustard powder
- ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary
- ¼ teaspoon ground sage
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 2-3 drops gravy master (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit to prepare for baking the meatballs.
- Prepare Meatball Mixture: In a large bowl, combine the panko breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, chopped parsley, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Add the half and half, whisked egg, finely minced onion, and minced garlic. Mix well until evenly combined.
- Add Meat: Incorporate the ground chicken and ground pork into the breadcrumb mixture. Gently mix with your hands or a silicone spatula until just combined, being careful not to overwork to prevent toughness. If the mixture feels too wet, add 1-2 tablespoons more breadcrumbs.
- Shape Meatballs: Roll the mixture into 24 meatballs, each about 1½ inches in diameter. Place them on a lightly greased, light-colored baking sheet. For smoother meatballs, refrigerate for 5 minutes then roll them again gently to shape.
- Bake Meatballs: Bake the meatballs in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove them and set aside once done.
- Prepare Sauce Mixture: While the meatballs bake, combine chicken broth, crumbled beef bouillon cube, Worcestershire sauce, half and half, onion powder, garlic powder, parsley, mustard powder, rosemary, sage, and pepper in a medium measuring cup with a spout.
- Make Roux and Sauce: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the flour and stir continuously for 2 minutes until the flour browns lightly and the raw smell disappears. Gradually add the sauce mixture in small splashes, stirring constantly to keep the sauce thick and smooth.
- Simmer Sauce and Add Meatballs: Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Optionally add 2-3 drops of gravy master for color. Add the baked meatballs back to the sauce and spoon sauce over them. Heat through for 5 minutes or until meatballs reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Serve: Serve the chicken meatballs hot with mashed potatoes and roasted green beans for a complete meal.
Notes
- You can prepare the meatballs ahead by making the mixture and refrigerating or freezing them before baking.
- If baking in advance, store cooked meatballs in an airtight container and refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze for 3 months.
- The sauce ingredients (except butter and flour) can be mixed up to 2 days ahead and stored refrigerated.
- To reheat frozen meatballs, bake covered at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes after thawing overnight.
- For best texture, finely mince onions instead of cooking them before adding to the meat mixture.
- Ground pork adds flavor and moisture; alternatively, use chicken sausage, turkey sausage, or all ground chicken if preferred.
- Using beef bouillon enhances flavor and gives sauce a deeper color; Better Than Bouillon is recommended.
- Baking meatballs instead of browning in a pan helps them stay intact since chicken is leaner and prone to falling apart.
- Grind fresh chicken at home with a mini food processor if ground chicken is expensive or unavailable.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 meatball with sauce
- Calories: 110 kcal
- Sugar: 0.5 g
- Sodium: 280 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 5 g
- Fiber: 0.3 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg
