Soft, tender and super flavorful — Mediterranean Chicken Meatballs are what’s on the menu tonight.
I love a good meatball and I especially adore this recipe for so many reasons. For starters, they’re easy to prepare on the stove top with mostly pantry ingredients and they cook-up in no time. I also enjoy the super delicious sauce because it tastes like a great day in a coastal town, where the sun gently warms your back, while dining outdoors.
I used ground chicken in this recipe, but you can substitute beef, turkey or pork if that’s what you have on hand. The sauce has a combination of diced tomatoes, kalamata olives and a squeeze of tomato paste. I also added dry white wine for a another splash of flavor. This whole meal cooks up in about 40 minutes with more than enough time to set the table.
Ingredients
1 white onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
14 ounces canned diced tomatoes with juices or 3 large fresh tomatoes
1 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup pitted kalamata olives, drained
1 pound ground chicken
2 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 egg
1/3 cup parmesan
3 tablespoon fresh mint, roughly chopped
oil for cooking
*cooked spaghetti squash or pasta for serving
(Serves 4-6)
To Prepare:
- In a large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add onion and sauté for 3 minutes. Add garlic, stir. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Add tomatoes and white wine. Cook for 3 minutes, stir. Add tomato paste and 1 teaspoon salt, stir. Add drained olives and stir. Reduce temperature to low heat and cover with lid. Cook for 20 minutes.
- While sauce is cooking – Add chicken, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, oregano, black pepper, red pepper flakes, panko and egg. Gently mix meat together.
- Remove lid from sauce and roll meat mixture into 2-inch balls and drop into sauce. Cover with lid and poach meatballs for 10 minutes. Remove lid and stir. Cover again and continue to cook for 10 minutes.
- Spoon meatballs and sauce over spaghetti squash or pasta, and sprinkle with parmesan and mint before serving. Enjoy!
1 Comment
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