Notes

This recipe is quite easy to make and one of my personal favorites. The sauce and the meatballs can also be made ahead of time and assembled in less than 30 minutes.

This recipe makes use of this cherry tomato salsa. I recommend adding a bit more broth than the original recipe recommends (either during the process of making the salsa or after) in order to get the right consistency to coat the meatballs.

I made these in a well-seasoned cast iron pan, but some cast iron and carbon steel (especially if it's not well-seasoned) can react negatively with a highly acidic tomato sauce like this one. If you're unsure, use a stainless steel pan.

Ingredients

Chicken Meatballs

  • 1lb (450g) ground chicken
  • 1/4 yellow onion, very finely minced
  • 2 cloves of garlic, very finely minced
  • 1/2 tbsp (5g) garlic powder
  • 1/2 tbsp (5g) onion powder
  • 1/2 tbsp (5g) chile powder
  • 2 egg yolks
  • salt

Sauce / Garnish

  • cherry tomato salsa
  • cilantro, parsley, or other fresh herbs
  • thinly sliced red onion
  • crumbled feta, cotija, or añejo cheese

Process

Start by making your cherry tomato salsa and setting that aside.

In a large bowl, add all of the ingredients for the meatballs and mix them to combine. Try not to overwork the mixture too much.

The mixture will be quite wet at this point. I like to use a cookie scoop to shape the meatballs. If you're doing it with your hands, coat them with a little bit of olive oil to prevent the meat from sticking to your hands.

Lay the meatballs out on a foil-lined baking sheet. If prepping these ahead of time, cover them with plastic wrap and put them in the fridge until you're ready to cook them.

Heat a few tbsp of olive oil in a large cast iron skillet or stainless steel pan over medium-high heat.

Once the pan is hot, add in the meatballs. Sear them for a minute or so on all sides until the entire outside of the meatballs has some browning.

Pour the sauce into the pan, and give it a mix to coat the meatballs.

Turn the heat to low, and allow the mixture to simmer until the meatballs are cooked through (about 10-15 min).

Finally, garnish the meatballs with thinly sliced red onions, a bunch of fresh cilantro (or other fresh herb of choice), and some cheese. I love using feta for its brininess and creaminess, but cotija, añejo, and many other types of cheeses work here.

I like to serve these over a simple bed of white rice along with some black beans and avocado.

Enjoy!