I was doing a little spring cleaning of my Flickr photostream recently (hoping maybe it’d inspire me to tackle my house next…) when I came across these chicken meatballs. I didn’t think it was possible I’d forgotten to share them with you so I clicked over to the blog to double-check, but sure enough, they’d slipped through the cracks. I decided to remedy that mistake this week because these meatballs are simply too good not to be shared!
When it comes to ground meat, I rarely buy anything but turkey, but I’ve been discovering some great uses for ground chicken too. These meatballs might just be the best yet though. They’re baked, which makes me happy, as I really prefer not to stand over a skillet with oil splattering on me when possible. And though ground chicken sometimes gets a bad rap as dry, these meatballs are anything but. The ingredient list is short, too, but you’d never guess it given how much flavor is packed into these. It’s the first time I’d ever used pancetta in meatballs and to be honest, I’m not its biggest fan, but it just works so well here! When Deb blogged about these, she said they tasted almost cheesy, and we agreed. Weird, but true, as there’s no cheese anywhere in the meatballs π We enjoyed these so much we just ate them as is, though if that’s not your thing I’m sure they’d be great with pasta, on a sub roll, or even as an appetizer if made in mini form.
Baked Chicken Meatballs
adapted from Gourmet (via Smitten Kitchen)
3 slices Italian bread, torn into small pieces (about 1 cup)
1/3 cup milk
3 oz pancetta, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 lb ground chicken
2 tablespoons tomato paste, divided*
3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Preheat oven to 400 F with a rack in the upper third of the oven.
Add the bread to a small bowl and pour the milk over it. Allow the bread to soak in the milk until softened, about 4 minutes.
Meanwhile, add the pancetta to a skillet and set over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the pancetta begins to brown and the fat renders, about 6-8 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pancetta to a paper towel-lined plate. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the pan. Add the onion, garlic and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper and cook until the onion has softened, about 6 minutes. Remove the onion and garlic to the plate with the pancetta and allow to cool slightly.
Squeeze the bread to remove excess milk then add the bread to a medium bowl (discard the extra milk). Add the egg, chicken, 1 tablespoon of tomato paste, the parsley and the pancetta mixture. Use your hands to gently combine the ingredients. Form the mixture into 12 meatballs and set in a 9×13 baking dish.
Stir together the remaining tablespoons of tomato paste and the oil then brush over meatballs (the paste/oil won’t combine in any cohesive manner, just do the best you can). Bake in the upper third of the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through.
Makes 12 large meatballs
I love using ground turkey or chicken to make meatballs…these look delicious. I’ve never seen any that use pancetta in the recipe–might just have to try that. π
These were great, thanks for making them!
I hated meatballs until I made baked chicken meatballs ages back. Love these!
These look wonderful! I love the addition of pancetta, sounds so yummy
Mal @ The Chic Geek
I really enjoy chicken meatballs so I am glad you remembered to share these!
I really like this idea. Thank you for bringing it to us.
Just tried to post a comment and was ignored by the system. I don’t follow blogs that don’t accept my comments. I’ll make this last try.
@StephenC – your comment went through the first time, it just had to be moderated so that’s why you didn’t see it.
I love meatballs and these look wonderful. Great idea to use ground chicken!
I made these as minis a while back and I agree that they are awesome! Definitely one to make again!
oh, I’ve never even thought to use chicken for meatballs..they look so moist and delicious! I can’t wait to have these with spaghetti sometime π
These look absolutely delicious! I love meatballs, but I’ve never tried pancetta. I can’t wait to try them.
It’s been a long time since I’ve had chicken meatballs. Now seeing this post I am getting hungry :-). Thanks for the reminder and for the recipe !
Those look delicious π I also use meatballs in some of my soups. Great blog
Yum! These look so tasty! I can’t wait to try them!
That is the best surprise ever when you find a photo of something that never got posted! Love it!
I’ve been trying to switch from ground beef to ground poultry now that my husband is gone but wasn’t really sure what to do with chicken. I’m excited to try these! I know my boys will love them!
I’m in. Ground chicken and baked vs. fried is my kind of meal. And Hubs loves meatballs so I’m pretty sure I can’t go wrong with this. Interesting twist with the pancetta. Putting it on my list!
Yum, these look soooo good!
Have a great weekend!
These look fabulous. I look forward to making them. Just today I posted about some smoky meatball subs: http://www.hometownslop.blogspot.com
Thanks for sharing,
Jeff