Here’s a simple and delicious recipe for chicken meatballs in a creamy sauce. It’s cozy, flavorful, and pairs wonderfully with rice, pasta, or mashed potatoes.
Ingredients
For the chicken meatballs:
- 500 g ground chicken
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 egg
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tsp paprika (optional)
For the creamy sauce:
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream (or crème fraîche for tang)
- ½ tsp dried thyme or 1 tsp fresh thyme
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Optional: 1 tsp Dijon mustard or a squeeze of lemon juice for brightness
Instructions
- Make the meatballs:
- In a bowl, combine ground chicken, onion, garlic, egg, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, parsley, salt, pepper, and paprika.
- Mix until just combined (don’t overmix to keep meatballs tender).
- Form into small meatballs, about 1–1.5 inches in diameter.
- Cook the meatballs:
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat with a little oil.
- Brown the meatballs on all sides (they don’t need to be fully cooked yet).
- Remove meatballs and set aside.
- Prepare the creamy sauce:
- In the same skillet, melt butter and sauté garlic until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
- Pour in chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits.
- Stir in cream and thyme, and season with salt, pepper, and optional mustard or lemon.
- Simmer the meatballs in the sauce:
- Return the meatballs to the skillet.
- Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10–15 minutes, until meatballs are cooked through and sauce has thickened slightly.
- Serve:
- Garnish with fresh parsley.
- Serve over rice, pasta, mashed potatoes, or with crusty bread to soak up the sauce.
If you want, I can also give you a lighter version that uses yogurt or coconut milk for a creamy sauce without heavy cream.
Do you want me to make that version too?
