Chicken Piccata Meatballs

Get ready to impress your family with this mouth-watering Chicken Piccata Meatballs recipe. This zesty main dish features perfectly seasoned tender chicken meatballs in a buttery sauce of lemon, capers, and garlic. Everyone loves this fun spin on the Italian American classic!

Surprisingly, a lively piccata sauce goes with most proteins. I’ve had it with scallops, shrimp, turkey, veal, and pork chops. Chicken meatballs are also versatile. They can be paired with a creamy butter chicken sauce or take the place of diced chicken breast in a Thai chicken curry. Meatballs are incredibly versatile and everyone loves them!

Chicken Piccata Meatballs

These chicken meatballs are the ultimate comfort food. They are tasty and satisfying without being too heavy or rich. Don’t get me wrong, the zesty lemon butter sauce is incredibly moreish, as are the capers. The tart flavours of sunny citrus and salty capers elevate this weeknight meal to weekend status.

This recipe is so popular in our house that I often make a double batch! There are never any complaints, and everyone cleans their plates. We love this dish served over cooked pasta, especially angel hair pasta but gluten free options like rice, mashed potatoes, or even spaghetti squash are delicious too. 

Note: for a completely gluten free sauce, use cornstarch instead of flour as a thickener.

You’ll love that you make the meatballs separately, then use the same pan to make the sauce and combine them all back together before serving. However, if you want to double the recipe, bake the meatballs on a sheet pan in the oven while you make the sauce to save time.

In fact, even if you don’t think you’ll need to make a double batch, I highly recommend that you do. Simply eat one portion then freeze the second as meal prep for busy nights or to give away to family and friends when needed.

What is Piccata?

Contrary to popular belief, the Italian culinary term ‘piccata’ refers to the ‘flat pounded meat’ in this dish and not the sauce. However, in general it also refers to the entire dish using this preparation when it’s served along with the sauce.

Classic Italian Piccata is made with pounded veal scallopini which is dredged, then fried in oil. The sauce is then made using pan drippings, lemon juice, chicken broth, capers, garlic, and plenty of butter. Swordfish Piccata is one regional variation served mainly in the Milanese region.

In Italy, this dish is served after the pasta course as a secondo. However, in America we like to combine it with a starch to make a complete dinner plate. As the sauce is so flavourful, I recommend pairing this chicken dish with a simple pasta such as spaghetti or angel hair pasta.

This Chicken Piccata Meatballs recipe is a simplified version of Chicken Piccata, a popular Italian American dish. It is so much easier to mix, form, and cook meatballs than to pound, dredge, and fry chicken scallopini!

Ingredients in Chicken Piccata Meatballs

This is one of those crowd-pleasing chicken recipes that tastes great, is easy to prepare, and uses very few ingredients. I highly recommend you keep a jar of capers in the pantry for ’emergencies’.

• Ground Chicken
• Parmesan Cheese
• Panko Breadcrumbs
• Italian Breadcrumbs
• Egg
• Italian Parsley
• Garlic
• Olive Oil
• Lemon
• Onion Powder
• Salt
• Black Pepper
• Butter
• Flour
• Chicken Stock
• Capers in Brine

Pro tip: A blend of ground chicken thigh and chicken breast will have better flavour and texture than a blend of only chicken breast. However, you can also use ground chicken breast or even ground turkey for this recipe.

Real Parmesan cheese is a must, it creates the most authentic flavour along with fresh lemon juice and real garlic cloves (not garlic powder). However, feel free to use onion powder in place of diced shallots (use two shallots in place of 2 teaspoons onion powder).

This recipe calls for both panko breadcrumbs and Italian breadcrumbs. Feel free to use all of one or the other. If using plain breadcrumbs, add 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning to the mixture.

Capers are the unopened bud from the caper bush, or Flinders rose which also produces caper berries. They are salted or pickled before being used as an ingredient or garnish in Mediterranean cuisine.

How to Make Chicken Piccata Meatballs

Make and Cook the Meatballs

In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 pound ground chicken, ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese, ½ cup panko breadcrumbs, ¼ cup Italian breadcrumbs, 1 large egg, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley, 3 cloves minced garlic, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 teaspoons lemon zest, 2 teaspoons onion powder, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Mix until just combined. Do not overmix.

Form the meatballs by using your hands to scoop and roll the meat mixture into 2-inch balls. Place meatballs on a parchment-lined baking sheet. When you are finished, you should have about 12 – 16 meatballs.

To cook the meatballs, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the meatballs in batches, cooking for 3 – 4 minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked through with an internal temperature of 165°F. Remove and set aside.

Alternatively, you can bake the chicken meatballs on a sheet pan. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees then line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and a little cooking spray. Place meatballs on the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes or until they reach an internal temperature of 165°F.

Make the Piccata Sauce

In the same skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add 3 cloves minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Next, whisk in 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour and cook for another 1 – 2 minutes to remove the raw taste.

Slowly pour in 2 cups chicken broth, whisking constantly to prevent any lumps. Stir in 2 tablespoons capers, 1 tablespoon caper brine, ¼ cup lemon juice, and season with ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Simmer the sauce for 3 – 4 minutes until it thickens slightly.

Return meatballs to the skillet, spooning the sauce over them. Simmer for 5 – 8 minutes to allow flavours to develop.

Serve the chicken piccata meatballs over cooked pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes. Garnish with additional lemon zest and fresh parsley if desired.

Recipe Variations

• For a creamier sauce, stir in ¼ cup heavy cream at the end.
• Add a pinch of red pepper flakes for a subtle heat.

Leftovers and Storage

For a great make ahead option, prepare the meatballs and sauce separately. Store them in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, then reheat in the skillet before serving.

Store Chicken Piccata Meatball leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. They also freeze well for up to 3 months.

Hi! I’m Bernice Hill and I am the recipe developer, photographer, and writer at Dish ‘n’ the Kitchen. It is my pleasure to share easy to follow recipes that are delicious, nutritious, and approachable for the whole family.

If you make this Chicken Piccata Meatballs recipe, I’d love to hear about it in the comments section or in a recipe rating. Be sure to follow me on Facebook and Pinterest for my latest recipes. Also, if you do make this recipe, please share your photos and tag me on Instagram. I hope you like this recipe!