These Chicken Piccata Meatballs pack the bright, zesty flavors of classic chicken piccata into juicy, bite-sized meatballs. They’re tender, loaded with lemon and capers, and smothered in a buttery pan sauce. This recipe is a weeknight hero that feels fancy but is surprisingly easy to make.
Love Chicken Piccata Meatballs? So do we! If you're into Dinner Ideas or curious about Drinks, you'll find plenty of inspiration below.
Why You’ll Love This Chicken Piccata Meatballs
- All the flavor: Restaurant-quality piccata taste without the fuss of cutlets.
- Textural dream: Moist, tender meatballs with a golden crust and silky sauce.
- Perfect balance: Savory, briny, rich, and bright notes in every bite.
- Surprisingly versatile: Great as a main, appetizer, or over salads or zoodles.
Ingredients & Tools
For the Meatballs:
- 450 g ground chicken (a mix of dark and light meat is ideal)
- 50 g grated Parmesan cheese
- 40 g almond flour
- 1 large egg
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil, for browning
For the Piccata Sauce:
- 240 ml chicken broth
- 60 ml dry white wine (like Sauvignon Blanc)
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsp brined capers, drained
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, cold
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
Tools: A large mixing bowl, a medium skillet (oven-safe if possible), a whisk, and a baking sheet if finishing in the oven.
Notes: Fresh lemon juice and zest are essential for vibrant flavor; brined capers (not salt-packed) provide the classic briny pop.
Nutrition (per serving)
| Calories: | 310 kcal |
| Protein: | 24 g |
| Fat: | 22 g |
| Carbs: | 4 g |
| Fiber: | 1 g |
Serves: 4 | Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 35 minutes
Before You Start: Tips & Ingredient Notes
- Don’t skip the zest! The lemon zest is where a huge amount of the fragrant, potent lemon oil lives. It infuses the meatballs with flavor from the inside out, making them taste truly lemony, not just tangy.
- Handle with care. Ground chicken can be a bit more delicate than beef or pork. When mixing the meatball ingredients, use your hands and mix just until everything is combined. Overmixing will make the meatballs tough and dense.
- The power of a cold pan. For the best sear on your meatballs, add them to a pan with room-temperature oil. Letting the pan and meatballs heat up together prevents the outside from burning before the inside cooks through.
- Embrace the fond. Those little browned bits stuck to the bottom of your pan after searing the meatballs? That’s called “fond,” and it’s pure flavor gold. Deglazing the pan with wine and broth will lift all that goodness right into your sauce.
How to Make Chicken Piccata Meatballs
Step 1: Combine the Meatball Mixture. In your large mixing bowl, add the ground chicken, grated Parmesan, almond flour, egg, minced garlic, parsley, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Now, here’s the trick: use your hands to gently mix everything. You just want to see the ingredients evenly distributed—stop the moment there are no more dry patches of almond flour. Overworking the meat will make your final meatballs tough, and we’re aiming for tender and juicy.
Step 2: Form the Meatballs. With lightly damp hands—this prevents sticking—portion out the mixture. I like to use a small cookie scoop for uniformity, but a tablespoon works just fine. Roll about a heaping tablespoon of the mixture between your palms to form a smooth, round ball, roughly 1 to 1.5 inches in diameter. You should get about 18-20 meatballs. Place them on a plate as you go.
Step 3: Brown the Meatballs to Perfection. Heat the olive oil in your skillet over medium heat. Once the oil shimmers, carefully add the meatballs in a single layer, making sure not to crowd the pan. You’ll likely need to do this in two batches. Let them cook undisturbed for about 2-3 minutes per side, just until they develop a beautiful, golden-brown crust. They will not be cooked through at this point, and that’s perfectly fine! This step is all about building flavor and color. Remove them to a clean plate.
Step 4: Create the Incredible Piccata Sauce. Without wiping out the skillet, pour in the white wine. It will sizzle and steam dramatically—this is a good thing! Use your whisk to scrape up all those delicious browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let the wine reduce by about half, which will only take a minute or so. Then, pour in the chicken broth and the remaining 3 tablespoons of lemon juice. Bring the liquid to a lively simmer.
Step 5: Simmer and Finish Cooking. Gently return all the meatballs back to the skillet, nestling them into the simmering sauce. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the skillet with a lid (or a baking sheet if you don’t have one), and let them simmer for 8-10 minutes. This gentle poaching in the sauce will finish cooking the meatballs through while keeping them incredibly moist. You’ll know they’re done when they’re firm to the touch and have reached an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).
Step 6: The Butter Finish. Once the meatballs are cooked, turn off the heat. Now, for the magic that makes the sauce silky and luxurious: swirl in the cold, cubed butter and the drained capers. The cold butter will emulsify into the sauce, thickening it slightly and giving it a beautiful, glossy sheen without breaking. Stir gently until the butter is fully melted and incorporated.
Step 7: Garnish and Serve Immediately. Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning with a pinch more salt or pepper if needed. Transfer the meatballs and all that glorious sauce to a serving platter. Give them a final flourish with a sprinkle of fresh chopped parsley. Serve them right away while they’re hot and the sauce is at its most velvety.
Storage & Freshness Guide
- Fridge: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: Freeze meatballs and sauce in a sealed container for up to 2 months.
- Reviving: Reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of broth to loosen sauce.
Serving Suggestions
Complementary Dishes
- Zucchini Noodles (Zoodles) — They are the perfect low-carb vehicle for soaking up every last drop of that lemony, buttery sauce without competing with the main event.
- Garlic Sautéed Spinach — The earthy, garlicky greens provide a wonderful contrast to the bright, rich meatballs and help to round out the plate beautifully.
- Cauliflower Mash — Imagine these meatballs and sauce served over a creamy, cloud-like bed of cauliflower mash. It’s the ultimate comfort food experience.
Drinks
- A Crisp Sauvignon Blanc — The wine’s natural citrus and herbal notes mirror the flavors in the dish perfectly, cleansing the palate between each delicious bite.
- Sparkling Water with Lemon — For a non-alcoholic option, the bubbles and citrus are incredibly refreshing and cut through the richness of the butter and Parmesan.
Something Sweet
- Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake Pots — A few small ramekins of light, lemony cheesecake mousse continue the citrus theme in a delightful, creamy, and not-too-heavy way.
- Dark Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries — The bittersweet chocolate and sweet, fresh berries offer a simple, elegant, and clean finish that doesn’t overshadow the main course.
Top Mistakes to Avoid
- Mistake: Overmixing the meatball mixture. This is the number one way to end up with tough, rubbery meatballs. Treat the ground chicken gently and mix only until the ingredients are just combined.
- Mistake: Crowding the pan while browning. If you put too many meatballs in the pan at once, they’ll steam instead of sear. You’ll miss out on that delicious Maillard reaction that creates a flavorful crust. Patience is key—brown in batches.
- Mistake: Adding the butter while the heat is still on. If the sauce is boiling when you add the cold butter, it will likely separate and make the sauce greasy instead of glossy. Always take the pan off the heat before swirling in the butter.
- Mistake: Using bottled lemon juice. Honestly, the flavor just isn’t the same. It lacks the bright, fresh acidity and can have a slightly bitter, off-putting taste. Fresh lemons are essential for this recipe’s signature zing.
Expert Tips
- Tip: Chill your meatball mixture. If you have an extra 15 minutes, pop the mixed meatball mixture into the fridge before forming and cooking. This helps the almond flour hydrate and the fats firm up, resulting in meatballs that hold their shape even better during cooking.
- Tip: Double the sauce. If you’re a sauce person (and who isn’t?), simply double the sauce ingredients. You can never have too much of that lemony, caper-studded goodness, especially if you’re serving it over zoodles or mash.
- Tip: Make them ahead for easy entertaining. You can fully cook the meatballs and sauce a day in advance. Store them together in an airtight container in the fridge. Gently reheat them on the stovetop over low heat, adding a tiny splash of broth if the sauce has thickened too much.
- Tip: Use an ice cream scoop for portioning. For perfectly uniform meatballs that all cook at the same rate, a small ice cream or cookie scoop is your best friend. It’s faster, less messy, and ensures every meatball is a twin of the next.
FAQs
Can I use ground turkey instead of chicken?
Absolutely! Ground turkey is a fantastic and easy swap here. Just be aware that lean ground turkey can be even more prone to drying out, so handle it extra gently and avoid overcooking. The flavor profile works beautifully with the piccata ingredients.
My sauce is too thin. How can I thicken it?
If your sauce hasn’t reduced to your liking, you have a couple of options. The easiest is to let it simmer uncovered for a few more minutes to allow excess liquid to evaporate. Alternatively, you can make a quick slurry by mixing a teaspoon of arrowroot powder with a tablespoon of cold water and whisking it into the simmering sauce until it thickens.
Can I make these meatballs gluten-free?
They already are! We use almond flour as the binder in this recipe, which keeps them naturally gluten-free and low in carbs. Just always double-check that your other ingredients, like the chicken broth, are certified gluten-free if that is a concern for you.
What can I use if I don’t have white wine?
No problem at all. You can simply replace the white wine with an equal amount of additional chicken broth. To make up for the slight acidity the wine provides, you might want to add an extra teaspoon of fresh lemon juice at the end.
How should I store and reheat leftovers?
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The best way to reheat is gently on the stovetop over low heat, adding a tiny splash of broth or water to loosen the sauce back up. Microwaving can sometimes make the meatballs a bit rubbery.
Chicken Piccata Meatballs
Make juicy Chicken Piccata Meatballs with a buttery lemon caper sauce in just 35 minutes. Perfect for weeknights! Get the easy recipe now.
Ingredients
For the Meatballs:
-
450 g ground chicken (a mix of dark and light meat is ideal)
-
50 g grated Parmesan cheese
-
40 g almond flour
-
1 large egg
-
2 cloves garlic (minced)
-
2 tbsp fresh parsley (finely chopped)
-
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
-
1 tsp lemon zest
-
0.5 tsp sea salt
-
0.25 tsp black pepper
-
2 tbsp olive oil (for browning)
For the Piccata Sauce:
-
240 ml chicken broth
-
60 ml dry white wine (like Sauvignon Blanc)
-
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
-
2 tbsp brined capers (drained)
-
2 tbsp unsalted butter (cold)
-
1 tbsp fresh parsley (chopped, for garnish)
Instructions
-
In your large mixing bowl, add the ground chicken, grated Parmesan, almond flour, egg, minced garlic, parsley, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Now, here’s the trick: use your hands to gently mix everything. You just want to see the ingredients evenly distributed—stop the moment there are no more dry patches of almond flour. Overworking the meat will make your final meatballs tough, and we’re aiming for tender and juicy.01
-
With lightly damp hands—this prevents sticking—portion out the mixture. I like to use a small cookie scoop for uniformity, but a tablespoon works just fine. Roll about a heaping tablespoon of the mixture between your palms to form a smooth, round ball, roughly 1 to 1.5 inches in diameter. You should get about 18-20 meatballs. Place them on a plate as you go.02
-
Heat the olive oil in your skillet over medium heat. Once the oil shimmers, carefully add the meatballs in a single layer, making sure not to crowd the pan. You’ll likely need to do this in two batches. Let them cook undisturbed for about 2-3 minutes per side, just until they develop a beautiful, golden-brown crust. They will not be cooked through at this point, and that’s perfectly fine! This step is all about building flavor and color. Remove them to a clean plate.03
-
Without wiping out the skillet, pour in the white wine. It will sizzle and steam dramatically—this is a good thing! Use your whisk to scrape up all those delicious browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let the wine reduce by about half, which will only take a minute or so. Then, pour in the chicken broth and the remaining 3 tablespoons of lemon juice. Bring the liquid to a lively simmer.04
-
Gently return all the meatballs back to the skillet, nestling them into the simmering sauce. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the skillet with a lid (or a baking sheet if you don’t have one), and let them simmer for 8-10 minutes. This gentle poaching in the sauce will finish cooking the meatballs through while keeping them incredibly moist. You’ll know they’re done when they’re firm to the touch and have reached an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).05
-
Once the meatballs are cooked, turn off the heat. Now, for the magic that makes the sauce silky and luxurious: swirl in the cold, cubed butter and the drained capers. The cold butter will emulsify into the sauce, thickening it slightly and giving it a beautiful, glossy sheen without breaking. Stir gently until the butter is fully melted and incorporated.06
-
Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning with a pinch more salt or pepper if needed. Transfer the meatballs and all that glorious sauce to a serving platter. Give them a final flourish with a sprinkle of fresh chopped parsley. Serve them right away while they’re hot and the sauce is at its most velvety.07
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