When I sat down to think about this recipe I was originally going to do a more traditional chicken scampi with thin cut chicken breasts. But the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to push the envelope a little bit and try something different. I was a little nervous, but super glad I did it! These meatballs are so versatile, you can serve over pasta, or just let them simmer and serve them alone as an appetizer or side dish. The use of ground chicken cuts down on the fat content, which helps this dish stay light while the sauce has a high content of fat. Honestly, these are even better the next day after sitting in the sauce and really letting the meatball soak it up. Don't forget to follow my page on Facebook - Great Kitchen Escape, or on Instagram @greatkitchenescape
As always, gather up your ingredients and wash all your produce. It is preferred to use fresh parsley in recipe, but if you don't have fresh you can use dried. The trick is to decrease the amount by about 1/3 whenever going from a fresh herb to a dried one.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. To prepare meatballs, mix together all ingredients, then add the chicken and incorporate. Be sure not to over mix- it is really best to do this by hand. Roll into 12 evenly sized meatballs and place on a greased baking sheet. Place to the side. You will put them in the oven when you start the sauce.
Slice shallots and bell pepper. Mince garlic. Place meatballs in the oven and start the sauce. In a large nonstick pan melt together 3 Tablespoons of oil and 2 Tablespoons of butter until foaming, but not brown. Add garlic, shallots and crushed red pepper. Cook for 3-4 minutes over medium heat, you don't want the shallot or the garlic to brown, but get translucent.
Add white wine, lemon juice, final 1 Tablespoon of olive oil and 2 Tablespoons of butter. Bring to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, the meatballs should be done with the initial 10 minutes in the oven.
Add chicken meatballs and sliced bell peppers to the pan. I like to separate them out so that they are both equally in the sauce. Turn heat down to low, cover and let simmer for 10 minutes.
If serving over pasta, add pasta to the pan and coat in the sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
Top with freshly grated Parmesan, parsley and crushed red pepper. Enjoy!
Chicken Scampi Meatballs
Meatballs:
1lb lean ground chicken
1 egg
½ cup Italian breadcrumbs
¼ cup grated Parmesan, additional for serving
1 ½ Tablespoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
Sauce:
4 Tablespoons butter
4 Tablespoons olive oil
2 shallots
2 garlic cloves
¾ cup dry white wine
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Juice of one lemon
2 bell peppers
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash and dry all produce. Start by making your meatballs first. Combine all ingredients, and be sure not to over work the meat or it will make the meatball tough. Shape into 12 even sized balls. Place on a baking sheet lined with tin foil and olive oil spray. You will place them in the oven when you start your sauce on top of the stove.
2. Cut shallots in half and slice thin. Mince garlic cloves. Slice bell peppers into thin strips. Juice lemon, and ensure that there are no seeds in the juice.
3. Pop meatballs in the oven and set a timer for 10 minutes. In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, melt 2 Tablespoons of butter and 3 Tablespoons of oil. Add shallots, garlic and red pepper flakes- cook 3-4 minutes, until translucent, but do not let the garlic brown.
4. Add white wine and lemon juice and bring to a boil. Turn heat down to low-medium and add additional 2 Tablespoons of butter and 1 Tablespoon of oil. At this time the meatballs should be coming out of the oven, gently add them to the sauce and add in the bell pepper slices. Cover and let simmer on low heat for 10 minutes. Serve over fresh pasta with fresh grated Parmesan and enjoy.