Description
Delicious and tender chicken meatballs baked to perfection and served with a flavorful homemade gravy sauce. This recipe combines ground chicken and pork for a juicy texture, enhanced by Parmesan, herbs, and a rich sauce made with chicken broth and spices. Perfect served alongside mashed potatoes and roasted green beans for a comforting meal.
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
- 1/3 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 tsp Better Than Bouillon)
- 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 and Prepare Meatball Mixture. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large bowl, combine panko breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, chopped parsley, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Add half and half, whisked egg, finely minced onion, and minced garlic, mixing until well combined.
- Add Meat and Form Meatballs. Add ground chicken and ground pork to the breadcrumb mixture. Gently mix with your hands or a silicone spatula until just combined, being careful not to overwork the meat to keep the meatballs tender. If the mixture feels too wet, incorporate 1-2 tablespoons more breadcrumbs. Roll the mixture into 24 meatballs, each about 1 ½ inches in diameter, and place them on a lightly greased, light-colored baking sheet.
- Chill and Smooth Meatballs. Refrigerate the formed meatballs for up to 5 minutes to help them firm up. After chilling, give them one more gentle roll between your palms to smooth their surface for even baking.
- Bake Meatballs. Bake the meatballs in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove once done and set aside while preparing the sauce.
- Prepare Sauce Mixture. While the meatballs are baking, combine chicken broth, crumbled beef bouillon cube or paste, Worcestershire sauce, half and half, onion powder, garlic powder, parsley, mustard powder, dried rosemary, ground sage, pepper, and optional gravy master in a medium measuring cup or bowl with a spout for easy pouring.
- Cook Roux and Add Sauce Liquids. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add flour and stir continuously for about 2 minutes until the mixture turns light brown and the raw flour smell is gone, creating a roux.
- Incorporate Sauce Liquids. Gradually add the broth mixture in small splashes to the roux while stirring constantly to avoid lumps and keep the sauce smooth and thick.
- Simmer Sauce and Reheat Meatballs. Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Add the baked meatballs back into the sauce and spoon sauce over them. Continue heating for 5 minutes or until meatballs reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit, ensuring they are fully cooked and warm.
- Serve. Serve the chicken meatballs hot with the gravy sauce, ideally alongside mashed potatoes and roasted green beans for a complete meal.
Notes
- Make Ahead Method: Prepare meatballs and refrigerate or freeze before baking. If baking ahead, cool completely and store in an airtight container for 2-3 days in the fridge or up to 3 months frozen.
- The sauce mixture, excluding butter and flour, can be combined up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated. Cook the sauce and reheat meatballs when ready to serve.
- Grinding your own chicken can be cost-effective and ensures freshness.
- You can substitute ground pork with chicken sausage, turkey sausage, or use all ground chicken if preferred, maintaining 1.5 pounds of total meat.
- The beef bouillon cube adds depth and color but can be replaced with Better Than Bouillon or omitted for a lighter sauce.
- Baking meatballs helps them hold together better than pan-frying, especially with lean chicken meat.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container; reheat covered in oven at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes (thaw overnight if frozen).
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 meatball with sauce
- Calories: 110 kcal
- Sugar: 0.8 g
- Sodium: 280 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 6 g
- Fiber: 0.3 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 50 mg
