Chicken Cacciatore Meatballs
These chicken cacciatore meatballs are juicy, tender and absolutely delicious. The sauce is jam packed with olives, onions, capers, mushrooms and more. Plus, this easy recipe only takes 45 minutes to make.
Once you try these cacciatore chicken meatballs you’ll be sure to add them to your weekly rotation. Enjoy them over pasta, on a meatball hoagie or as an appetizer. No matter what these meatballs are delicious.
Ingredients Needed for Chicken Cacciatore Meatballs
Chicken Meatballs
Ground chicken – You will need one pound of ground chicken for this recipe. This will make about 12 medium sized meatballs. I like to use Smart Chicken ground chicken.
Italian Breadcrumbs – Be sure to use Italian breadcrumbs for this recipe. It adds some extra flavor to the meatballs.
Grated Parmesan Cheese – For this recipe, you’ll need grated parmesan cheese.
Egg – You’ll need one large egg for the meatballs.
Spices – Season the meatballs with dried oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper.
Olive oil – Add some olive oil to the meatballs. The fat in the olive oil makes the meatballs juicy and tender.
Cacciatore Sauce
Vegetables – You will need onion, mushroom, garlic, black and green pitted olives, and capers.
Butter / Oil – I like to sauté the vegetables in a combination of butter and olive oil. It adds so much flavor to the sauce.
White Wine – You’ll deglaze the pan with white wine. I like using sauvignon blanc.
Marinara / Red Sauce – You will need three cups of red sauce. I used Delallo Food’s marinara. Store bought or homemade is fine.
Chicken Broth – You’ll add about ¼ cup of chicken broth to the red sauce so it doesn’t get too thick.
Seasoning / Herbs – Season the vegetables with salt, black pepper and fresh thyme.
How to Make Chicken Cacciatore Meatballs
Heat a sauté pan over medium heat. Add butter and olive oil.
Once the butter is hot and melted, add the minced garlic and onions. Sauté for 3-4 minutes.
Next, add the mushrooms and sauté for a few minutes.
Then, you’ll add the sliced olives, capers, fresh thyme, salt and pepper.
Sauté until the vegetables begin to soften and brown.
Deglaze the pan with white wine. Be sure to scrape up any crispy bits from the bottom of the pan.
Once the wine had reduced, add the marinara sauce and chicken broth and stir everything together.
Simmer over low heat.
Next, combine the ground chicken, parmesan cheese, Italian breadcrumbs, egg, olive oil and spices in a mixing bowl.
Using your hands, mix until well combined.
Form the ground chicken mixture into meatballs. I was able to get 12.
Heat vegetable oil in a large sauté pan and give the meatballs a shallow fry. Turning frequently.
Once golden-brown on the outside, place them on a paper towel to absorb excess oil.
Add the golden-brown meatballs into the sauce so they can finish cooking. They should reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure doneness.
Enjoy these meatballs on a hoagie with cheese, over pasta, or as an appetizer.
Storage
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for three to four days. Option to freeze as well. Looking for more recipes?
Chicken Cacciatore Meatballs
Ingredients
Chicken Meatballs
- 1 lb. ground chicken
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup Italian breadcrumbs
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup vegetable oil, for shallow frying the meatballs
Cacciatore Sauce
- 3 cups marinara or red sauce
- ¼ cup chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 ounces baby bella mushrooms, sliced
- ¼ cup green olives, pitted and sliced
- ¼ cup black olives, pitted and sliced
- 1 tablespoon capers, drained
- ¼ teaspoons salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- ¼ cup dry white wine, sauvignon blanc
Equipment
- 1 large saute pan
- 1 Dutch oven
- 1 mixing bowl
Instructions
- Heat a sauté pan over medium heat. Add butter and olive oil.
- Once the butter is hot and melted, add the minced garlic and onions. Sauté for 3-4 minutes.
- Next, add the mushrooms and sauté for a few minutes.
- Then, you’ll add the sliced olives, capers, fresh thyme, salt and pepper.
- Sauté until the vegetables begin to soften and brown.
- Deglaze the pan with white wine. Be sure to scrape up any crispy bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Once the wine has reduced, add the marinara sauce and chicken broth and stir everything together.
- Simmer over low heat.
- Next, combine the ground chicken, parmesan cheese, Italian breadcrumbs, egg, olive oil and spices in a mixing bowl.
- Using your hands, mix until well combined.
- Form the ground chicken mixture into meatballs. I was able to get 12.
- Heat vegetable oil in a large sauté pan and give the meatballs a shallow fry. Turning frequently.
- Once golden-brown on the outside, place them on a paper towel to absorb excess oil.
- Add the golden-brown meatballs into the sauce so they can finish cooking. They should reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure doneness.
- Enjoy these meatballs on a hoagie with cheese, over pasta, or as an appetizer.
2 Comments on “Chicken Cacciatore Meatballs”
This was a definite 5 out of 5. highly recommend. Tons of flavor and super easy to make.
I made this for my family last night. I served it with pasta. It was a big hit. I doubled the recipe and made the kids meatball subs for their school lunch! It was an easy recipe to make. Had a lot of flavor! Will definitely keep this recipe in my recipe repertoire!