Description
These 5-ingredient Chicken Piccata Meatballs are a quick and delicious weeknight meal. Featuring tender chicken meatballs cooked to a golden brown and then simmered in a tangy lemon, caper, and white wine sauce enriched with butter, this dish comes together in under 30 minutes. Serve over your favorite pasta or with crusty bread to soak up the flavorful sauce.
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 pound fully-cooked chicken meatballs, thawed if frozen
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Piccata Sauce
- 1 cup dry white wine or chicken broth
- 1/4 cup capers, drained
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley, optional
To Serve
- Cooked pasta or crusty bread
Instructions
- Cook the meatballs: Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the chicken meatballs and sauté, turning occasionally, until they are browned on all sides and heated through, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the meatballs from the pan and transfer them to a plate.
- Make the pan sauce: Pour 1 cup of dry white wine or chicken broth into the same pan. Scrape the bottom of the pan with a spatula to loosen any browned bits left from the meatballs. Add 1/4 cup drained capers and 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice. Let the sauce simmer until it reduces by about half, approximately 5 to 8 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and add 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter cubes, swirling the pan until the butter melts and incorporates into the sauce, creating a slightly thickened texture.
- Finish and serve: Return the browned meatballs to the pan with the sauce along with 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley, if using. Warm the meatballs through in the sauce, ensuring they are well coated. Serve the meatballs and sauce immediately over cooked pasta or alongside plenty of crusty bread for dipping, allowing the tangy, buttery sauce to shine.
Notes
- You can use chicken broth instead of white wine for a non-alcoholic version.
- Fresh lemon juice is preferred to get the authentic tang of piccata sauce.
- Fully cooked chicken meatballs save time and make this an easy weeknight meal.
- Capers add a salty, briny flavor essential to piccata but can be adjusted to taste.
- Serve with pasta, rice, or crusty bread as per your preference.
