Italian Chicken Meatballs
Tender Italian-style chicken meatballs made with soaked ciabatta, Parmesan, and fresh herbs; pan-fried until golden. Serve as-is or simmer in tomato sauce with pasta.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 2 thick slices of ciabatta bread crust cut off
- 1/2 cupmilk
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1 cupbreadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoonParmesan cheese grated
- 1 teaspoongarlic minced
- 1 tablespoonfresh parsley finely minced
- 1 teaspoonlemon zest
- 1 teaspoonfresh thyme leaves
- 10 ozground chicken
- Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- 4 tablespoonextra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
Instructions
- Cut the ciabatta slices into small cubes and place them in a bowl with the ½ cup milk. Let the bread soak until softened, a few minutes.
- Drain the soaked bread, then squeeze out the excess milk with your hands and place the squeezed bread into a large bowl.
- Add the beaten egg, 1 cup breadcrumbs, 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 1 tablespoon finely minced fresh parsley, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, and the 10 oz ground chicken to the bowl. Season generously with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Mix gently until just combined.
- Lightly oil your hands. Pinch off roughly 1 full tablespoon of the mixture and roll gently between your palms to form 1-inch (2½-cm) meatballs. Place each formed meatball on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
- Heat the 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat until shimmering.
- Add the meatballs to the pan in a single layer without overcrowding (work in batches if necessary). Leave them undisturbed until they are browned on one side, about 3–4 minutes.
- Shake the pan to loosen the meatballs and use tongs to turn each one. Cook the other side for 4–5 minutes, continuing to turn as needed, until the meatballs are golden all over and cooked through (internal temperature 165°F/74°C or no pink inside).
- Remove the cooked meatballs to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil.
- Transfer the drained meatballs to a serving plate and serve, or mix them with tomato sauce and serve with pasta.
Notes
breadcrumbs:substitute with gluten-free breadcrumbs for gluten-free chicken meatballs.
milk:substitute with dairy-free milk for dairy-free chicken meatballs.
Store: Refrigerate leftover meatballs in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Reheat: Reheat leftover meatballs in the oven at 170C/350F for 5-10 minutes, or in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.
Freeze uncooked:Place the cooked meatballs in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze for 30 minutes. Transfer the frozen meatballs to an airtight freezer-safe container or ziplock bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Freeze cooked:Place the cooked meatballs in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze for 30 minutes. Transfer the frozen meatballs to an airtight freezer-safe container or ziplock bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
milk:substitute with dairy-free milk for dairy-free chicken meatballs.
Store: Refrigerate leftover meatballs in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Reheat: Reheat leftover meatballs in the oven at 170C/350F for 5-10 minutes, or in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.
Freeze uncooked:Place the cooked meatballs in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze for 30 minutes. Transfer the frozen meatballs to an airtight freezer-safe container or ziplock bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Freeze cooked:Place the cooked meatballs in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze for 30 minutes. Transfer the frozen meatballs to an airtight freezer-safe container or ziplock bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.