How a “Meatball Mastermind” Makes Chicken Piccata Meatballs

Name: Chicken Piccata Meatballs
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Ingredients: 1 lb. ground white meat chicken; 1 egg; 4 garlic cloves, minced fine; 1/4 cup parsley, chopped; 1/2 cup breadcrumbs; 1 tsp. salt; 1/2 tsp. black pepper; Olive oil for frying; 4 tbls. butter; juice of 2 lemons; zest of 1 lemon; lemon slices for serving; 1 cup chicken broth; 1/4 cup capers rinsed; 1/4 cup chopped parsley; 1 tbs. all-purpose flour

By Daniel Mancini

10:00 AM EDT on July 16, 2025

I love Chicken Piccata, and being the "Meatball Mastermind" (thank you very much Appetito magazine for my title), how could I not create a chicken piccata meatball?

What I love about this recipe is the very same ingredients we would use to make a traditional chicken piccata we use to make chicken piccata meatballs. The flavors come together the very same way, and let’s face it: who does not love Italian meatballs in any variation?

If you make this recipe, I hope you love it as much as I do.

Chicken Piccata Meatballs

Recipe by Daniel Mancini

0.0 from 0 votes

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Ingredients

For the Meatballs
1 lb. 1 ground white meat chicken
1 1 egg
4 4 garlic cloves, minced fine
1/4 cup 1/4 parsley, chopped
1/2 cup 1/2 breadcrumbs
1 tsp. 1 salt
1/2 tsp. 1/2 black pepper
Olive oil for frying
For the Piccata Sauce
4 4 tbls. butter
juice of 2 lemons
zest of 1 lemon
lemon slices for serving
1 cup 1 chicken broth
1/4 cup 1/4 capers rinsed
1/4 cup 1/4 chopped parsley
1 tbs. 1 all-purpose flour

Directions

Add the meatball ingredients (except the olive oil) to a bowl and mix together with your hands.
Form meatballs (about 1 oz. each)
Add 1/4 cup of olive oil to a non-stick skillet over medium heat that is large enough to hold all the meatballs.
When the oil is shimmering, fry the meatballs on all sides until evenly browned (they will finish cooking in the Piccata sauce).
Remove meatballs to a paper-towel lined plate.
Drain the oil from the skillet (do not rinse it).
Add the stock and put the heat to medium.
When the stock begins to boil, scrape all the brown bits from the pan with a wooden spoon.
Lower to a simmer add 2 tbs. of butter, the lemon juice and all the meatballs back in one layer.
Continue to cook the meatballs in the sauce until done, turning every five minutes (about 15 minutes).
Cut one meatball to be sure they are done and remove the meatballs to a plate.
Add 2 tbs. butter, parsley, capers, flour, and lemon zest to the skillet.
Whisk together on low heat until the sauce thickens.
Add the meatballs back and simmer for 1 minute (spooning the sauce on the meatballs).
Garnish with lemon slices and serve immediately.