Chicken Florentine Meatballs
This easy recipe for chicken Florentine meatballs has tender, flavorful meatballs smothered in a garlic cream sauce with spinach. Quick and simple to make, with options to bake or pan-fry the meatballs, as you wish.
Ingredients
For the Meatballs:
- 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
- 1 egg
- 3/4 teaspoon each dried parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, and kosher salt
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil for cooking
For the Sauce:
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup dry white wine can substitute extra chicken broth
- 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups loosely-packed fresh baby spinach
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan
- squeeze of fresh lemon juice
- pasta, veggies, etc. for serving
Instructions
- To make the meatballs, combine Panko, Parmesan, egg, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt in a large bowl. Mix with a fork until evenly blended.1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, 1 egg, 3/4 teaspoon each dried parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, and kosher salt
- Add ground chicken to the bowl and continue using the fork to very gently pull the breadcrumb mixture through the meat until it is pretty even. Try not to overwork.1 pound ground chicken
- Scoop the mixture into meatballs of 1-2 Tablespoons each. Roll them gently between slightly damp hands to smooth them out.
- To pan fry the meatballs, warm olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add meatballs and cook for 6-10 minutes, turning every few minutes, until they are cooked through and browned on most sides. Transfer meatballs to a plate and set aside.2 Tablespoons olive oil
- If you prefer to bake the meatballs, place on a parchment-lined sheet pan and bake at 400°F for 15-20 minutes, until the meatballs reach an internal temperature of 165°F in the middle.
- To make the sauce, add garlic to the skillet, which should be empty except for a drizzle of olive oil, and some rendered browned bits if you cooked the meatballs in the pan. Let the garlic sizzle for 30-60 seconds, then quickly add the wine and broth. Let the sauce simmer for 3-4 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan to release any browned bits into the sauce.3 cloves garlic, 1/2 cup dry white wine, 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- When the broth is slightly reduced, add cream and simmer for 1-2 minutes, then stir in the spinach, Parmesan, and lemon juice. Sample and season with salt and/or black pepper to taste.3/4 cup heavy cream, 2 cups loosely-packed fresh baby spinach, 1/3 cup grated Parmesan, squeeze of fresh lemon juice
- To finish, return meatballs to the pan, spoon sauce on top, and let rest on low heat until ready to serve. The meatballs should just warm through, and the sauce slightly thicken up.
- Garnish as desired with more Parmesan, black or red pepper, fresh basil or parsley, lemon wedges, etc. Serve over pasta, veggies, etc., and enjoy!pasta, veggies, etc.
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Notes
- Flavor: These chicken Florentine meatballs are pretty mild by design; I find they’re excellent for kids but still have enough flavor to please adults, especially with a generous coating of sauce. If you want the meatballs themselves to have a little more oomph, bump up the garlic powder and parsley to 1 full teaspoon and add ¼ to ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes to the mixture as well.
- Chicken Swap: You can use ground turkey instead with no other changes.
- Make Scooping SO Easy: Cookie scoops are the fastest and easiest way to portion out meatballs, plus they make all your meatballs effortlessly the same size.
- Great Browning: A great tip for browning meatballs is to let them cook on each side until they release easily when prodded underneath with a spatula or tongs. If they are sticking a lot to a well-oiled skillet, they could probably use another minute or so on that side.
- Baking vs. Browning Pros and Cons: Baking is obviously way more hands-off. Browning in a pan takes some time and effort but gives you nice crispy exteriors and provides an exceptional base of flavor to the sauce. I do either depending on how I’m feeling that day! It’s really flexible.
- Know When They’re Done: An instant read thermometer takes out any guesswork. When you insert it into the middle of the meatballs and see a temperature of 165°F or higher, they’re ready!
- Storage: Place fully cooled meatballs in an airtight container. They’ll keep in the refrigerator for at least 3-4 days.
- Reheating: Warm quickly in a skillet or in the microwave in 60-90 second bursts of 50% power. Using half power helps prevent chicken from overcooking and drying out. You also can warm in a 350°F oven; it will take longer.