Chicken Marsala Meatballs
Chicken Marsala Meatballs- Baked chicken meatballs are coated in a creamy marsala sauce. They’re perfect on their own, over pasta, or on a sandwich!
March 7, 2023 by Nicole Collins
Not all my recipe ideas are winners.
We’ve talked about that here before. The amount of failed recipes that get scrapped is a real darn shame.
Sometimes, I know how I can fix a recipe and bring it back to life. Sometimes, it’s such a lost cause that I never revisit it again (despite saying I absolutely will).
Today’s recipe did not work the first time I tested it. But, I knew that this was one that I just could not let go.
You see, I have a couple marsala based recipes on the site. And, I went into this recipe with the mindset that I can make the sauce in a similar way with just a few small tweaks.
But, I forgot to consider some of the factors that go into the success of a recipe. The flavors were spot on. I just forgot to account for how to thicken sauce. And, of course I didn’t remember that small but important detail until I was in the last 5 mins of the recipe.
Yet, here we are. I ate these meatballs for pretty much two weeks straight while I ironed out the kinks. The things I do for you!
So today, we’re making Chicken Marsala Meatballs!
Ground chicken is having a real moment in my house right now and for very good reason. Today, we’re using it to make flavorful baked chicken meatballs. Then, we’re coating it in a creamy marsala sauce. And, we can serve it over pasta, in a sammie, or even on its own next to a fresh salad. I know you love it when I give you options. So, let’s get to it!
Let’s start with the meatballs. Using a few thoughtful ingredients, we can give our meatballs the best chance of staying nice and juicy while packing major flavor. So to our ground chicken, we’re going to add some garlic powder and grated parmesan for base flavor, some olive oil and marsala wine to moisten the mixture, and some panko and egg to help bind it all together. We’ll gently mix it all together. Then, we’ll use a cookie scoop to help us get nice even sized meatballs. And, to the oven they go for just a few minutes to bake until perfection.
While the meatballs bake, we can work on the sauce. We’ll start by sautéing some mushrooms in a little olive oil until browned, then we’ll add in 5 whole cloves of minced garlic to get the party started. We’ll add a little flour to help thicken our sauce. Reduce some marsala wine and chicken stock to build our sauce. Then, finish the sauce with just a smidge of heavy cream to make it nice and luscious.
To bring it all together, we’ll add those baked meatballs to the sauce, make sure they’re completely coated in all that deliciousness, and let them simmer for just a couple minutes in the sauce to really soak up that mushroomy goodness. And, that’s all there is to it. From there, it’s time to eat!
How you decide to serve these is totally up to you. Sometimes, I like them served over some egg noodles so that marsala sauce can transform into a pasta sauce. Sometimes, I like them served on some toasted baguette with a little melted mozzarella. And sometimes, I like them all on their own with a salad on the side and some crusty bread for sopping up that glorious sauce. You really can’t go wrong with these however you decide to enjoy them.
Alright, everyone! That’s all we have for today. What’s next on the ground chicken agenda? Let me know what you want to see!
Enjoy, and let’s eat!
Chicken Marsala Meatballs
Serves: 4 Print
Ingredients:
For the Chicken Meatballs:
1 lb ground chicken
½ cup panko breadcrumbs
½ cup grated parmesan (use fresh, not from the can)
1 egg
1 tbsp marsala cooking wine
1 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
¼ tsp garlic powder
Olive oil cooking spray
For the Marsala Sauce:
1 ½ tbsp olive oil
8 oz baby bella mushrooms, sliced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ tbsp all purpose flour
¾ cup marsala cooking wine
1 ½ cup chicken broth
¼ cup heavy cream
salt and pepper, to taste
Directions:
Make the Chicken Meatballs: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and spritz with olive oil cooking spray.
To a mixing bowl, add ground chicken, panko, parmesan, egg, 1 tbsp marsala wine, 1 tbsp olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Mix gently until completely combined. Using a 2 tbsp cookie scoop, form chicken mix into 18 meatballs. Arrange on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10-15 mins until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
Meanwhile, make the marsala sauce: Heat 1 ½ tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add mushrooms, and cook for 8-10 mins, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms start to brown and caramelize. Add garlic to the mushrooms, and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in flour to coat mushrooms, and cook for an additional 1 minute.
Add marsala wine and chicken broth to the skillet. Bring to a simmer, and simmer for 10-12 minutes until the liquid has reduced by about half.
Add heavy cream to the skillet, and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer the sauce for 2-3 minutes. Taste the sauce, and add salt and pepper, to taste. Add cooked meatballs to the sauce, toss to coat, and simmer another 2-3 mins. Remove from heat. Serve!
Recipe notes:
*These meatballs are great served on their own alongside a salad, served over egg noodles, or even served on some toasty baguette with melty cheese as a meatball sub.
*Using a cookie scoop to form the meatballs helps to get even sized meatballs which means even cooking. Scoop out the meat, and gently roll it between your hands to finish forming the meatball.
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