These chicken piccata meatballs take everything you love about classic piccata (bright lemon, briny capers, and a silky garlic butter sauce) and roll it into tender, juicy bites that are on the table in about 30 minutes. If you've made my cod piccata or my chicken piccata skillet, you already know how good this flavor combo is, and these meatballs make it even easier to serve the whole family!
Jump to:
- Easy Chicken Piccata Meatballs in a Lemon Caper Sauce
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ingredients Needed To Make These Chicken Piccata Meatballs
- How to Make Chicken Piccata Meatballs
- Erin's Expert Tips
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Storing leftovers
- If you liked this recipe, you'll want to try these…
- Chicken Piccata Meatballs
Easy Chicken Piccata Meatballs in a Lemon Caper Sauce
Classic chicken piccata usually means pounding chicken breasts thin and dredging them in flour. These meatballs skip all of that! Ground chicken gets mixed with parmesan, panko, garlic, and lemon zest, rolled into bite-sized balls, and browned right in the same pan you'll use for the sauce.
Once the meatballs are golden, make a quick butter, garlic, and broth sauce with capers, a splash of caper brine, and fresh lemon juice. It's the same tangy, savory sauce that makes piccata so craveable, and the meatballs soak it right up. If you love a bright, herby meatball, my lemon feta dill meatballs are another family favorite.
Serve these over pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes for an easy weeknight dinner that feels a little bit fancy. And if you need more meatball recipes like this one, you're going to LOVE my baked chicken parmesan meatballs or my butter chicken meatballs!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ready in about 30 minutes. Perfect for busy weeknights when you want something comforting without a lot of fuss.
- One pan does it all. The meatballs brown and the sauce simmers in the same sauté pan, so cleanup is a breeze.
- No pounding or dredging. You get all the piccata flavor without flattening chicken breasts.
- Tender, juicy meatballs. Parmesan, panko, and lemon zest keep the ground chicken flavorful and moist.
- That lemon caper sauce! Buttery, garlicky, and tangy, it's the best part of the whole dish.
- Family-friendly and versatile. Serve over pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes, or with your favorite veggie side.
Ingredients Needed To Make These Chicken Piccata Meatballs
Here's a little bit about everything that goes into these chicken piccata meatballs:
- Ground chicken: The base of the meatballs. It's lean and mild, so it soaks up all that lemony flavor. Ground turkey works too!
- Panko breadcrumbs: Help bind the meatballs and keep them light and tender.
- Parmesan cheese: Adds a salty, nutty flavor to every bite.
- Lemon (zest and juice): Zest goes into the meatballs, and fresh juice goes into the sauce for that bright piccata flavor.
- Butter: Creates a rich, silky base for the sauce.
- Chicken broth: Thins out the sauce and gives it savory depth. Low-sodium broth is a great option if you're watching salt.
- Capers and caper brine: The signature piccata ingredient! They add a briny, tangy pop to the sauce.
How to Make Chicken Piccata Meatballs
These meatballs come together in a few simple stages: mix and roll the meatballs, brown them in a hot pan, then build the lemon caper sauce right in the same skillet. Once the sauce thickens, the meatballs go back in to finish cooking and soak up all that flavor.
A large sauté pan is your best friend here, since it gives the meatballs room to brown without crowding. Have your sauce ingredients measured out before you start, because things move quickly once the butter hits the pan!
- Step 1: In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, parmesan, panko, salt, minced garlic, and lemon zest. Mix until just combined.
- Step 2: Roll the mixture into balls, about 2 tablespoons each. You should get about 20 meatballs.
- Step 3: Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and brown them on all sides, about 6 minutes. Remove them to a plate.
- Step 4: In the same pan, melt the butter, then add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Whisk in the flour.
- Step 5: Slowly whisk in the chicken broth, then add the capers, caper brine, and lemon juice. Simmer for 6-7 minutes, until the sauce has thickened.
- Step 6: Return the meatballs to the pan and cook for 5-6 minutes, spooning the sauce over the top, until cooked through. Serve over pasta or rice and spoon any extra sauce over the top.
Erin's Expert Tips
From my kitchen to yours
- Don't overmix the meat. Stir just until everything is combined to keep the meatballs tender.
- Wet your hands. Lightly damp hands make rolling the meatballs so much easier and less sticky.
- Don't crowd the pan. Brown the meatballs in batches if needed so they get a nice golden crust.
- Zest before you juice. Zest your lemons first, then juice them. It's much easier than the other way around!
- Add the broth slowly. Whisking it in a little at a time keeps the sauce smooth and lump-free.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below are some common questions about these chicken piccata meatballs.
Yes! Ground turkey works great in this recipe and has a similar mild flavor.
Capers are what give piccata its signature flavor, but if you're not a fan, some readers have swapped in chopped olives for a similar briny bite.
Traditional piccata often uses white wine, and some readers have used it in place of the chicken broth. The broth keeps this version simple and family-friendly.
This recipe pan-sears the meatballs so they brown nicely and build flavor for the sauce. If you prefer a hands-off oven method, check out my baked meatballs recipe for guidance, then finish them in the lemon caper sauce.
They're delicious over pasta, rice or mashed potatoes. For a side, try green bean casserole, a shaved Brussels sprout salad or my fall harvest salad.
As written, no, since the recipe uses panko and flour. Look for gluten-free breadcrumbs and a gluten-free flour blend if you need to avoid gluten.
Storing leftovers
Let the meatballs and sauce cool completely, then store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. You can also freeze them in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Reheat gently on the stovetop until warmed through, adding a splash of broth if the sauce has thickened.
If you tried this recipe or any other recipes on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Follow @erinliveswhole on Instagram and tag me in any of the recipes you make so I can repost them!
If you liked this recipe, you'll want to try these…
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground chicken
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ⅔ cup panko breadcumbs
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ stick butter
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 cup chicken broth
- ¼ cup capers + 2 tablespoon caper brine
- ¼ cup lemon juice
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together chicken, parmesan, panko, salt, garlic, and lemon zest.
- Using 2 tablespoon of meat, roll into balls.
- Heat a large sautepan over medium-high heat and add oil.
- Once hot, add meatballs, turning every few minutes to ensure even cooking. Cook for 6 minutes and then remove meatballs from pan.
- In the same pan, add butter and garlic. Once melted, whisk in flour.
- Slowly whisk in chicken broth, then capers, brine, and lemon juice. Simmer sauce for 6-7 minutes, it will thicken as it cooks.
- Add meatballs back to pan and cook for another 5-6 minutes. Sauce should have thickened by now. Mix up and spoon sauce all over meatballs.
- Serve meatballs over pasta, rice, or enjoy as is.
- Don't forget the caper brine! The recipe calls for both capers AND 2 tablespoons of caper brine — that extra tangy liquid is a big part of what makes the piccata sauce so flavorful. Don't drain and toss it!
- Remove the meatballs from the pan before making the sauce. After browning them for 6 minutes, take them out while you build the butter, garlic, and broth sauce. Then add them back in for the final 5-6 minutes so they finish cooking and soak up all that goodness.
- Let the sauce simmer and thicken before adding the meatballs back. Give it a full 6-7 minutes to reduce — it will thicken as it cooks. Once the meatballs go back in, spoon the sauce all over them so every single one is coated.
Nutrition
Per serving. Nutrition is an estimate.
Leave a star rating below and tag me on Instagram so I can see your creation!
Rate This RecipeRecipe by Erin Morrissey and Photos by The Mindful Hapa
Katie says
So easy to make and my husband and I loved them!
Erin says
Hi Katie, so happy they were a big hit!!
Ellie says
My husband, 6 year old daughter and I all thought these were delicious! I added one egg, 1/2 grated onion, a TBS chopped capers, and a sprinkle of oregano to the meatball mixture. I also doubled the sauce so we could serve it over angel hair pasta and will increase it even more next time!
Erin says
Hi Ellie, so happy you all loved it and made it your own! 🙂
Melissa says
Wow, this is a good one! So delish and will def be prepping these for a post partum freezer dinner!
Erin says
Hi Melissa, so happy you loved them!! 🙂
Deanna Burke says
My husband loves chicken piccata and he thought these were AMAZING! He’s recently figured out he’s gluten intolerant, and I subbed GF flour and panko - still delicious!! Thanks for an awesome recipe!
Erin says
Hi Deanna, so happy you loved them and made them your own!!
Dawn Burtone says
This recipe looks fantastic and I’m looking forward to making it. Can I substitute the Panko for almond flour? There’s almond flour in your chicken Parmesan meatballs that I love and make all the time and I was wondering if I could use the almond flour in place of the Panko for this recipe to give it a little more protein less carb?
Erin says
Hi Dawn, I haven't tired that sub but feel free to try and let me know how they come out!!
Judy bresnan says
I have made this and it is absolutely wonderful! I am trying to prepare meals for a family member. Can I make this ahead and freeze the whole dish, sauce and all?
Erin says
Hi Judy, so happy you love them so much! Yes, for sure. Just allow the meatballs to cool before placing them in a freezer bag then enjoy within 3 months!
Terri says
This recipe is super easy, quick and delicious! The only thing I added to this recipe was a little bit of graded onion to the meatballs. Double the recipe for the sauce if you would like a little more as we did.
Erin says
Hi Terri, so happy you loved it and made them your own! 🙂
Tracy says
Made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious. I didn’t add all the lemon juice for the sauce. I was a little short because I had a smaller lemon but it was still amazing. My husband asked for it to be added to our normal meal rotation after the first bite. Thank you so much for the recipe.
Erin says
Hi Tracy, so happy they were a hit! 🙂
Heather Cole says
Delicious!!!
Ingredients & instructions are fabulous!
Erin says
Hi Heather, so happy you loved them! 🙂
Kailey K says
I love how Erin’s recipes are straightforward and use simple ingredients that are easy to find. This is the 3rd (?) time (probably more) that I’ve made this time.
Erin says
Hi Kailey, so happy you love them so much! Thanks for your support! 🙂
Valerie says
I made this tonight and it's delicious! Simple, great ingredients, keeper!
I wish I could attach a picture!
Erin says
Hi Valerie, so glad you loved them! If you post on Instagram, tag me @erinliveswhole 🙂
Nicole says
One of my all time favorite recipes!! So easy and delicious.
Erin says
Hi Nicole, so glad you loved them!!
Stef says
I love this recipe. Quick and easy to make which is great when cooking for a hungry 4 year old. A great alternative to the usual beef meatballs.
Erin says
Hi Stef, so happy they were a hit!!
Kelly says
These are great! I love regular chicken piccata, my kids love meatballs so this was a perfect match. You know it’s a winner when all 3 of my kids eat it without a single complaint!
Erin says
Hi Kelly, so happy you all loved them!! 🙂
Meagan says
I love this recipe and so does my husband.
Erin says
Hi Meagan, so happy you both enjoyed them!! 🙂