Chicken Meatballs in Vegetable Sauce

Chicken meatballs in sauce make a surprisingly delicious dish considering how little effort and few ingredients it requires. It is a one-pot dish that’s full of flavour, nutritious, and versatile, perfect to serve with either potatoes, pasta, or rice. Ready in just over 30 minutes!

Making chicken meatballs in sauce is a simple 3-step process. The first step involves making the meatballs and browning them quickly. The second is making an easy 5-ingredient vegetable sauce, and the last step is putting it all together.

This method produces juicy as well as delicious chicken meatballs, as they retain moisture while also absorbing the flavours from the sauce.

See also Polish chicken meatball soup!

Chicken meatballs in sauce ingredients and substitutions

Chicken meatballs ingredients

• Ground chicken

For best results – tasty, juicy meatballs - use meat with at least 5% of fat (important for the texture as well as flavour).

• Egg and breadcrumbs

These help bind the ground chicken mixture and improve the texture of the meatballs. You can use either homemade breadcrumbs (a mixture of coarse and fine crumbs), which is what I did, or panko.

• Cheese

Adding a little cheese enhances the flavour and helps produce juicy meatballs. I used parmesan but any hard Italian-style cheese is fine to use.

• Herbs and seasoning

I used Italian herbs but mixed herbs or herbes de Provence are also fine to use.

Sauce ingredients

• Vegetables

I used leeks, but you can use a frozen vegetable mix if preferred (cook from frozen). I like to use the entire leek (for more flavour and colour), but you can just use the white part if preferred (you may need to use 3 leeks). If using the entire leek just cut off the end and a bit off the green part (it can be a little tough) and use the rest.

• Flour

Flour thickens the sauce. To avoid lumps it's important to stir it into the vegetables thoroughly before pouring in the stock.

• Thyme

Use either fresh or dried thyme (I favour fresh for this recipe).

• Stock

Either vegetable or chicken stock is fine to use.

• Butter

Butter enhances the flavour of the sauce and I strongly recommend using it.

Step-by-step recipe instructions

1.Combine meatball ingredients: To a large mixing bowl add the ground chicken, egg, breadcrumbs, parmesan, dried herbs, garlic and onion granules and salt and pepper. Stir together using a large spoon then mix everything thoroughly with your hand.

2. Form meatballs: Form 11-12 meatballs (grease your hands with a little oil for every meatball to prevent the mixture sticking to them).

3. Fry meatballs: In a large non-stick pan heat 1-1.5 tablespoons of oil and fry the meatballs for 2-3 minutes over a medium heat until browned then turn over and fry for 2 more minutes. They should not be cooked through at this point. Remove the meatballs from the pan and set aside.

4. Cook leek: Using the same pan (with the juices from the meatballs in it) add the leeks and cook over a medium/low heat for about 4 minutes until softened, stirring often.

5. Add flour: Add the flour, 1 tablespoon of butter and quickly stir into the leek mixture.

6. Add stock: When the flour is no longer visible pour in the stock, add the thyme, pepper to taste and stir until the sauce starts to thicken.

7. Add meatballs: Return the meatballs to the pan, cover and simmer gently for 10-12 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through.

8. Serve: Remove from the heat, scatter over a little grated parmesan and serve!

Serving suggestions

Chicken meatballs with sauce are delicious with mashed potatoes as well as pasta or even rice. Other sides that go well with this dish include steamed vegetables, such as broccoli or green beans, but also raw crunchy salads, such as coleslaw, pickled red cabbage salad or beet slaw.

How to avoid tough meatballs

These chicken meatballs are cooked in sauce which helps to keep them soft and juicy, but there are a few other things you can do to avoid tough meatballs. Remember to:

• Use ground chicken with no less than 5% of fat.
• Combine the ingredients thoroughly to ensure the ingredients are evenly distributed throughout the meatball mixture.
• Try not to overcook the meatballs. Remove the pan from the heat as soon as the meatballs are cooked through (no longer pink in the middle).

Why did my meatballs fall apart

1) There is not enough binding ingredients (i.e. egg and breadcrumbs). While adding too many eggs and too much breadcrumbs can make your meatballs rubbery 1 egg and a few tablespoons of breadcrumbs will bind the meatball mixture perfectly.

2) The ingredients haven't been mixed thoroughly. Make sure all the ingredients have been evenly distributed throughout the mixture before forming the meatballs.

3) You didn't roll the meatballs well: take time forming the meatballs to make sure they feel firm.

Why is it better to brown meatballs before putting in sauce

There are 2 benefits to using this method. The first is that is adds more flavour and colour to the meatballs. The second advantage is that it helps the meatballs keep their shape.

That said, it is also important not to cook the meatballs completely before putting in the sauce. This is because they absorb the flavours of the sauce as they cook.

How long should chicken meatballs simmer in sauce

Only as long as they need to cook through. This is especially important with chicken meatballs, as, unlike pork or beef, chicken is quite delicate and can become a bit dry if cooked too long (unless it's dark meat, such as chicken thighs).

So while it's ok to leave the chicken meatballs in sauce, once cooked, I do not recommend simmering the dish longer than you need to.

Depending on their size chicken meatballs need about 10-14 minutes of cooking in sauce (after browning).

What can I make ahead

You can prepare the meatballs in advance, cover and refrigerate overnight, then brown and cook along with the sauce, as per Instructions, the following day.

Top tips

• The chicken: To make juicy meatballs I recommend using meat with no less than 5% fat. See also my delicious ground chicken pasta casserole!
• The leeks: I like to use the entire leek, but you can just use the white part (in which case you may need 3 leeks).
• The meatballs: Brown the meatballs but do not cook them through. They will finish cooking in the sauce. (See also meatballs with mushroom sauce and meatball pasta bake which are made using a similar method).
• Best served: immediately.
• Storing: Leftover sauce with chicken meatballs can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days.
• Freezing: You can freeze raw meatballs in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Alternatively freeze the meatballs with the sauce. Defrost overnight in the fridge.
• What equipment to use: I recommend using a large non-stick pan – you won’t need to use very much oil and the meatballs will brown evenly.

Gluten free option

To make this dish gluten free use gf oats instead of the breadcrumbs in the meatballs and cornstarch/cornflour in the sauce (add 3.5 teaspoons).

More poultry meatballs in sauces to try next

• Healthy Meatball Casserole
• Meatballs in Healthy White Sauce
• Easy Turkey Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

See also these other easy, delicious dinner ideas!

Recipe

Keep in touch!

If you make these ground chicken meatballs in leek sauce I’d love to know how they turned out for you. Let me know in the comments below, thanks:)

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