Chicken Piccata Meatballs

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These Chicken Piccata Meatballs are the most delicious meatballs you’ll ever make!! Tender meatballs are cooked in a buttery lemon caper sauce and topped with parmesan cheese, making these downright addictive.

For more delicious meatball recipes, make my greek meatballs with lemon orzo and crockpot Swedish meatballs!

chicken piccata meatballs in a skillet topped with parsley and sliced lemons.

Chicken piccata meatballs are everything you love about the classic Italian dish, but rolled up into tender, juicy bites of lemony goodness.

They’re are a flavor-packed weeknight recipe that is a home run every time!

Each meatball is pan-seared to golden perfection, locking in flavor and giving them a delicious crust. The sauce?

It’s a bold mix of fresh lemon juice, buttery richness, and briny capers that coat the meatballs in all the right ways.

Why This is the Best Chicken Piccata Meatball Recipe
Key Ingredients
Variations
How to make Chicken Piccata Meatballs
Pro Cooking Tips
How to Serve
Recipe FAQs
More Italian Inspired Recipes

Why This is the Best Chicken Piccata Meatball Recipe

Juicy, flavorful meatballs – no dry meatballs here! These are tender, perfectly seasoned, and packed with garlic, herbs, and just the right amount of moisture for the melt-in-your-mouth texture!
That next-level lemon butter sauce is bright, silky, and loaded with capers! The sauce clings to every bite and brings the zesty flavor that we love!
Versatile and weeknight-friendly– It’s elegant enough for date night but easy enough to whip up on a Tuesday.

Key Ingredients

a spoon scooping chicken piccata meatballs out of a skillet.

Ground chicken gives the meatballs a light, tender texture and a mild flavor that soaks up all that lemony, buttery goodness.
Breadcrumbs and Eggs help bind the chicken meatballs together and keep them moist.
Freshly grated parmesan cheese adds flavor to the meatballs and richness to the piccata sauce.
Fresh garlic, shallots, and Italian parsley build flavor throughout the dish, adding aromatic notes.
Capers add punchy briny notes that give the sauce it’s signature flavor.
Just a splash of heavy cream smooths out all of the tangy flavors, giving the sauce some richness.
White wine adds a little acidity to balance out all of the buttery flavors.

Variations

Make this recipe gluten-free by using gluten free breadcrumbs in the meatballs. Also, swap all purpose flour for cornstarch in the sauce.
If you can’t find ground chicken, ground turkey or even ground beef work as a good substitute.
Add in a touch of red pepper flakes for a little heat!
For a dairy free version, omit the parmesan and use olive oil instead of butter.

How to make Chicken Piccata Meatballs

ground chicken, lemon zest, parmesan, parsley, breadcrumbs, eggs, and seasonings in a bowl.

Step 1: In a large bowl, combine ground chicken, grated parmesan, chopped capers, diced fresh parsley, onion powder, diced garlic cloves, lemon zest, eggs, kosher salt, and black pepper.

ground chicken meatball mixture in a bowl.

Step 2: Mix together, then add in the breadcrumbs and mix until evenly distributed.

Step 3: Add a touch of olive oil to your hands. Use a large cookie scoop (or scoop out 3 tbsps) to scoop the meat mixture into meatballs. Shape with your hands to form into a ball.

Step 4: Drizzle olive oil into a large skillet over medium heat. Let the pan get nice and hot, about 3-5 minutes, then place the meatballs into the pan (pro tip: don’t overcrowd the pan, cook in batches if needed!). Cook on both sides for about 5-6 minutes per side, until golden brown. Remove the meatballs and place onto a plate. Set aside.

Step 5: Add butter to the skillet, once melted, add in shallots. Cook for 4 minutes, until softened, then add in the garlic. Continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes, until fragrant. Pour in the white wine and chicken bouillon paste. Mix together and cook for 5 minutes, then add flour and whisk together until smooth and slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Pour in water and heavy cream.

meatballs being cooked in a creamy lemon piccata sauce.

Step 6: Place the meatballs back into the sauce and cover with a lid. Reduce the heat to low heat and cook for 15-20 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked all the way through. Add diced capers, lemon juice, and parsley and mix together until combined, then garnish with freshly grated parmesan, to taste.

Pro Cooking Tips

Don’t overmix the meatball mixture – Mix just until combined to keep the texture light and tender, not dense or rubbery.
Sear for flavor – Browning the meatballs in a pan before simmering adds a golden crust and builds flavor for the sauce.
Deglaze the pan – After searing, pour in white wine or broth to lift all the tasty brown bits (aka flavor gold) into your lemony, buttery sauce.

up close photo of chicken piccata meatballs.

How to Serve

I like to serve the meatballs with crusty bread and a little angel hair pasta to soak up that flavorful sauce. The savory flavors pair well lighter dishes like a side salad, white rice, or even brown butter mashed potatoes!

Recipe FAQs

What can I use in place of shallots?

You can use a sweet onion instead for similar flavor profile.

Can I use a different type of meat instead of ground chicken?

Yes, ground turkey is a good substitute but you can also use ground pork or beef. Of note, ground beef/pork are a bit fattier and will give the dish a richer flavor, differing a bit from the lighter taste of a traditional chicken piccata recipe.

Can I use chicken broth instead of white wine?

Yes! Swap out white wine for chicken stock or broth in the same quantities.