Chicken Meatballs

I know what you’re thinking. Has he lost his mind? Is he selling out? In short, no. There are no intentions, on my part at least, to feature chicken meatballs with Sunday Gravy and pasta. Today we’re thinking out of the box, or in this case, the ball. Stay with me on this…

I’ve heard a lot of people talking about chicken meatballs, and it’s always the same story. “They’re not bad, they tasted pretty good. But beef, pork and veal meatballs are much better with Sunday gravy.” Ground chicken, much like ground turkey, is lean and does not render fatty flavor like a traditional beef, pork and veal meatball mixture would. You can season up the turkey and chicken to taste well, but they’re not going to release any natural juices or flavors to enhance a Sunday gravy.

While thinking of how I could prepare and serve chicken meatballs, I immediately thought of our friends who made these incredible turkey burgers. They played up on the turkey concept, using traditional poultry seasoning for flavor, stuffing mixture instead of breadcrumbs for texture, and a slice of cranberry sauce instead of usual condiments like ketchup and mustard. Not only were these burgers off the hook, but you really got to appreciate and enjoy the whole turkey vibe. So that’s what I decided to do with my chicken meatballs – play up on the chicken!

The seasonings that I have listed below are what I traditionally use to season chicken. Penzey’s Bavarian spice mix is one of my favorites to use for seasoning poultry. You can use whatever seasoning that you prefer on your chicken.

How to server the chicken meatballs?

Of course, you can serve chicken meatballs with your Sunday gravy. For those who are looking to serve healthier dishes, chicken meatballs are a good alternative. But again, it’s not for me. Instead, I came up with a few ideas incorporating the flavors of traditional chicken dishes into the chicken meatballs.

I find that the best way to prepare chicken meatballs is to bake them. About 5-10 minutes before they are completely baked, try brushing the meatballs with a bit of barbecue sauce. This will add a nice, tangly glaze to the meatballs. You can also serve them with a side of honey mustard for dipping.

Chicken meatballs are the perfect addition to a chicken broth-based soup. Try adding them to a stracciatella soup with some grated parmesan!

And finally, there is no better dish that comes to mind that would work with chicken meatballs than Grandmom Dora’s Meatball Stew. What better compliment to chicken can you ask for than peas, carrots and potatoes!

I’m sure there are many more combinations that would work well with chicken meatballs. The ball is (literally) in your court….run with it and be sure to let us know what you come up with!

Chicken Meatballs

1lb ground chicken
1 egg, beaten
1 tspn poultry seasoning
1 tspn oregano
1 tspn garlic powder
1 tspn onion powder
1 tspn thyme
1 tspn parsley
1/2 cup stuffing mix
1/2 cup pamesan cheese

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together. Shape into balls, place on a baking dish, spray with cooking spray, bake uncovered at 375º for 35-40 minutes until golden brown.