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Marry Me Chicken Meatballs

Name: Marry Me Chicken Meatballs
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 1 lb. ground chicken (Smart Chicken ); 1 large egg; ½ cup grated parmesan cheese; ½ cup Italian breadcrumbs; 1 tablespoon olive oil; ½ teaspoon onion powder; ½ teaspoon garlic powder; ½ teaspoon oregano; ½ teaspoon dried parsley; ½ teaspoon kosher salt; few turns cracked black pepper; ¼ cup avocado oil (fry shallowing frying the meatballs); 1 tablespoon avocado oil; ¾ cup yellow onion (diced small); 2 cloves garlic (minced); 1.5 tablespoons tomato paste; pinch kosher salt (to taste); few turns cracked black pepper (to taste); ¾ cup low sodium chicken broth; ¾ - 1 cup heavy cream; ½ cup parmesan cheese; 1 tablespoon Italian parsley (chopped small); red pepper flakes (optional )

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by Sarah Thomas-Drawbaugh December 4, 2024

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These Marry Me Chicken Meatballs are an incredible appetizer or weeknight dinner. The tender chicken meatballs are tossed in my outrageous marry me sauce and can be served over pasta or my addictive Lebanese Rice. If you’re enjoying as an appetizer, serve these mini meatballs up with some forks for easy eating. No matter what, they’re delicious.

chicken meatballs in a pan with a wooden spoon.

Table of Contents

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Easy to share. This recipe can be made into mini meatballs and served as an appetizer or enjoyed as a main meal. I was able to get 30 mini meatballs.
Easy yet elevated. The silky marry me sauce makes these meatballs feel elevated and gourmet.
Flavorful. The chicken meatballs are juicy and tender, which pairs perfectly with the marry me sauce.

About Smart Chicken

For this recipe, I used Smart Chicken’s ground chicken product. The meat cooks up perfectly every time.
In fact, Smart Chicken is the reason I started eating chicken again after 9 years without meat. Their chickens are fed a high-quality diet, humanely handled, and never given antibiotics, hormones, or animal by-products.
All Smart Chicken is pure air chilled, without added water. The result is the best-tasting, highest-quality fresh chicken on the market.
This post is sponsored by Smart Chicken. I was compensated for my time, but all opinions on this lasagna roll up are my own.

ingredients needed for marry me meatballs.

Recipe Ingredients

Chicken Meatballs

Ground Chicken – You will need one pound of Smart Chicken’s ground chicken for this recipe. This will make about 30 (small-sized) meatballs.
Egg – You’ll need one large egg for the meatball mixture.
Olive Oil – Add some olive oil to the meatballs. The fat in the olive oil makes the meatballs juicy and tender.
Spices – Season the meatballs with dried oregano, garlic powder, dried parsley, onion powder, kosher salt, and black pepper.
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.
Avocado Oil – Shallow fry the meatballs in avocado oil until golden brown.

Marry Me Sauce

Avocado Oil – Sauté the onions and garlic in avocado oil. It has a neutral flavor and high smoke point.
Aromatics – You’ll need diced yellow or sweet onion and minced garlic for this recipe.
Tomato Paste – The tomato paste adds a depth of flavor that’s irresistible.
Seasoning – Season with a pinch of kosher salt and a few turns of cracked black pepper.
Broth – Deglaze the pan with low sodium chicken broth.
Cream – You’ll need heavy cream for this recipe. Option to use half and half but the sauce will be thinner.
Cheese – This recipe calls for grated parmesan cheese. Make sure it’s good cheese that melts well.
Garnish – Garnish this dish with red pepper flakes and chopped Italian parsley.

Variations

Adjust the size. If enjoying as an appetizer, make the meatballs small and easy to eat. If enjoying as your main meal, you can make them larger.
Add tomatoes. Option to add cherry tomatoes or drained / chopped sun-dried tomatoes to the sauce if desired.
Swap the protein. Option to use ground turkey instead of ground chicken.

Expert Tips

Wet your hands with water before rolling the meatballs. This will prevent the meat from sticking to your hands.
Do not overcrowd the pan when shallow frying the meatballs. Otherwise, they will not cook properly.
Place golden brown meatballs on a paper towel to absorb any excess oil.
If the sauce gets too thick, reduce the heat and add a splash of broth.
Serve with mini forks for easy eating if serving as an appetizer.

chicken meatballs in a pan with a spoon and Smart Chicken packaging.

How to Make

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Step 2: Combine meatball ingredients.

Step 3: Mix until combined.

Step 4: Roll out the mini meatballs.

Step 5: Saute in a hot pan with avocado oil.

Step 6: Degrease the pan and add the diced onion and garlic. Saute until soft.

tomato paste mixed with sautéed onions and garlic.

Step 7: Add the tomato paste and let it caramelize. Season with kosher salt and cracked black pepper.

low sodium chicken broth in marry me sauce.

Step 8: Deglaze with low sodium chicken broth. Let the broth reduce by half.

Step 9: Reduce the heat to medium, add the heavy cream. Stir well.

Step 10: Add the grated parmesan cheese. Stir until well combined.

Step 11: Nestle the chicken meatballs back in. Cover and bake for 15-20 minutes.

Step 12: Remove from the oven and top with red pepper flakes and chopped parsley. Serve and enjoy.

Marry Me Chicken Meatballs – Healthyish Foods

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you store leftovers?

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for three to four days.

How to reheat leftovers?

Add the sauce, meatballs and a splash of broth or water to a microwave safe dish. Reheat until warmed through. The broth will help reconstitute the sauce, making it creamy again.