Chicken Meatballs In Cream Sauce

If you’ve been around for a while, then you probably know how much we love meatball recipes over here at Budget Bytes. They’re easy to make, extremely versatile, budget-friendly, and perfect for meal prep. And with grocery prices still rising, I’ve been leaning even more towards cheaper ingredients that I can turn into a delicious meal. Which is why these chicken meatballs made with ground chicken and served in a delicious cream sauce were a huge hit! They’re tender, flavorful, and quick enough to make any day of the week.

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“This was really delicious and I’ll definitely be making it again (I subbed ground turkey for ground chicken since that’s what I had). We had the meatballs for dinner last night over mashed potatoes with a side of steamed broccoli. I did add a bit of a cornstarch slurry to the sauce to thicken it a bit. Really tasty! Thank you.”

Amanda

Easy Recipe for Creamy CHicken Meatballs

These chicken meatballs are easy to make and use similar ingredients to our homemade meatballs. However, I switched the ground beef and sausage to chicken and left out the milk in favor of Worcestershire sauce (the flavor it adds to this recipe is UNREAL). I also wanted a creamy sauce to go with these chicken meatballs to add more moisture and flavor. The sauce is smooth and velvety, made from heavy cream, chicken broth, Parmesan cheese, lemon, and seasonings, coating every meatball just right. Plus, it all cooks in one pan, so clean up is a breeze!!

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Chicken Meatballs in Cream Sauce

4.41 from 10 votes

These Chicken Meatballs made with a delicious cream sauce checks all the boxes. They’re tender, flavorful, easy to make and budget-friendly!

Author: Marsha McDougal

Servings 5 (4-5 meatballs each)

Prep 15 minutes mins

Cook 22 minutes mins

Total 37 minutes mins

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Ingredients

• 1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs* ($0.30)
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning ($0.10)
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder ($0.05)
• 1/2 tsp onion powder ($0.05)
• 3/4 tsp salt ($0.05)
• 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper ($0.04)
• 3 Tbsp grated parmesan ($0.33)
• 1 lb. ground chicken** ($4.49)
• 1 large egg ($0.67)
• 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce ($0.02)
• 2 Tbsp cooking oil ($0.08)

Cream Sauce

• 1 Tbsp butter ($0.12)
• 1 clove of garlic, minced ($0.04)
• 1.5 cups chicken broth ($0.19)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream ($0.74)
• 1/4 tsp oregano ($0.02)
• 1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
• 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper ($0.04)
• 2 Tbsp grated parmesan ($0.22)
• 1/2 lemon*** (optional) ($0.79)

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Instructions 

• In a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and parmesan.
• Add the ground chicken to a separate large bowl along with the egg, Worcestershire sauce, and breadcrumb mixture. Use your hands to mix everything together until evenly combined. Try not to overmix as this can make the meatballs tough.
• Divide and shape the meat mixture into 24 meatballs, about two tablespoons each.
• In a large skillet add the cooking oil and heat over medium. Once hot add the meatballs and cook in 2 batches (about 12 meatballs at a time). Cook the meatballs in the hot skillet until browned on all sides and cooked through (about 2 minutes each side). Add a little more cooking oil for the 2nd batch of meatballs if needed. Remove the cooked meatballs to a clean plate and set aside.
• Now make the cream sauce. In the same skillet, add the butter and minced garlic. Turn the heat down to medium-low and sauté the garlic for one minute until fragrant.
• Next add the chicken broth, heavy cream, oregano, salt, pepper, grated parmesan and 2 Tbsp of lemon juice. Stir to combine.
• Bring the sauce to a simmer. Add all of the meatballs back to the skillet and toss in the sauce. Continue to simmer for 5 minutes or until the sauce has thickened to your liking.
• Serve hot with a sprinkle of fresh parsley on top (optional). Enjoy with pasta, mashed potatoes, or your favorite side.

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

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Equipment

• Mixing Bowls
• 3 qt. Cast Iron Casserole Skillet

Notes

*Breadcrumbs combine with the egg to help bind the ground chicken to keep the meatballs from falling apart. They also hold moisture, which helps keep the meatballs tender.

**I used 92% lean ground chicken, which keeps the flavor light but still has enough fat to keep the meatballs from drying out. I don’t suggest using 98% lean ground chicken breast – it is too lean and doesn’t have enough fat to keep the meatballs tender and moist. This recipe is also quite similar to our turkey meatballs recipe, so you should be able to sub in 93% lean ground turkey without issue.

***A little bit of lemon juice adds a touch of bright, fresh flavor to the sauce, but if you don’t have a lemon on hand, the sauce will still be delicious!

• Oven-Baked Method: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and bake your chicken meatballs in a preheated 400ºF oven for about 20 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165ºF. Keep in mind that baked meatballs will not achieve the nice browning on the outside that you get when cooking in a skillet. The browned surface does provide additional flavor. I personally prefer cooking these meatballs in a skillet to keep everything in one pan, as you have to make the cream sauce in a skillet on the stovetop anyway.

Nutrition

Serving: 5meatballsCalories: 370kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 21gFat: 27gSodium: 995mgFiber: 1g

Read our full nutrition disclaimer here.

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How to Make Creamy Chicken Meatballs Step-by-Step Photos

Make the seasoned breadcrumbs: Combine 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 3/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, and 3 Tbsp grated parmesan in a small bowl.

Make the meatballs: Now, add 1 lb. ground chicken to a separate large bowl along with 1 large egg, 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce, and seasoned breadcrumb mixture. Use your hands to mix everything together until evenly combined. Don’t overmix as this can make the meatballs tough.

Use your hands to divide and shape the meat mixture into 24 meatballs (mine were about two tablespoons each).

Cook: Add 2 Tbsp cooking oil to a large skillet and heat over medium. Once the oil is hot, add the shaped meatballs and cook in 2 batches (about 12 meatballs at a time). Cook the meatballs in the hot skillet until browned on all sides and cooked through (about 2 minutes each side). You can add a little more cooking oil for the 2nd batch of meatballs if needed.

Remove the cooked meatballs to a clean plate and set aside.

Make the cream sauce: In the same skillet you cooked the meatballs in, add 1 Tbsp butter and 1 minced garlic clove. Turn the heat down to medium-low and sauté the garlic for one minute until fragrant.

Next add 1 1/2 cups chicken broth, 1/2 cup heavy cream, 1/4 tsp dried oregano, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 2 Tbsp grated parmesan and 2 Tbsp of lemon juice (about half a lemon). Stir to evenly combine.

Simmer: Bring the sauce to a simmer. Add all of the meatballs back to the skillet and toss in the sauce. Continue to simmer for 5 minutes or until the sauce has thickened to your desired consistency.

Serve hot with a sprinkle of fresh parsley on top (optional). Enjoy!

Serving Suggestions

What I love about meatballs is that they’re so versatile! I served these tasty chicken meatballs with the cream sauce over a bed of fluffy mashed potatoes. But you can also switch out the sauce and serve them with a homemade marinara sauce over a bed of pasta or make meatballs subs with some hoagie rolls. They would also be great in a pot of soup like Minestrone or served with some veggie noodles.

Storage & Reheating

You can keep any leftovers in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Reheat them in a skillet until the internal temperature of the chicken meatballs reaches 165ºF. I wouldn’t freeze the cream sauce as it may separate and become grainy once thawed. However, you can freeze the cooked meatballs for 2-3 months. Place them into a freezer-safe container and let them thaw overnight in the fridge before using.

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