These lemon basil chicken meatballs combine the mild taste of chicken meat with tangy lemon and the aromas that normally go into pesto. That's right, the herbs and aromas that go into the ground chicken are fresh basil, parmesan and pine nuts.
Meatballs are probably the most versatile dish you can make, as you can pretty much add any ingredient to your heart's desire. I was about to write "the most versatile meat dish" but I didn't, because although in English meatball does have the word meat in it, you can pretty much ball anything and make delicious meatless meatballs.
Anyway, this recipe is about meatballs with meat. Chicken meat. Which is very delicate, so it complements very well any spice or herb you want to add to it. So we're thinking pesto, here. We could almost say pesto chicken meatballs with a lemon glaze.
Ingredients and equipment
Here is what you will need to make these lemon basil chicken meatballs:
- Ground chicken
- Fresh basil
- Lemon
- Parmesan
- Pine nuts
- Garlic clove
- Breadcrumbs
- Butter
- Olive oil
- Salt
Please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for detailed quantities.
You will need a bowl to mix all the ingredients together. I mince my herbs in the food processor, but if you don't have one you can use a knife and cutting board. Meatballs cook best in a skillet.
How to make lemon basil chicken meatballs
1. Remove the basil leaves from the stems and add them to a food processor with the garlic, parmesan and lemon zest. Blitz until finely minced.
2. Add the ground chicken, herb mix, salt, breadcrumbs and egg to a bowl and work with a hand until all incorporated and homogeneous.
3. Make the meatballs rolling a small amount (20 g) of meat mix between your hands. Lay on a tray lined with baking paper. Place in the freezer for 20 min to firm up.
4. Add 20 g of butter and the olive oil to a skillet and warm on medium heat. Take the meatballs out of the freezer and give a quick roll up to smoothen the spiky appearance. Add to pan. They are soft, so careful not to throw them too hard or they will lose their shape.
5. Cook on medium-high heat for 5 minutes, moving them around constantly so all the sides touch the hot surface. When browned all over, lower to medium, cover with a lid and cook 10 minutes. Remove the lid and give them another 2 minutes to brown some more.
6. Remove cooked meatballs from the pan, keep on medium heat and pour the juice of half lemon. Deglaze the pan with the lemon juice, then add remaining butter and stir to combine. Return the meatballs and toss them around to coat them in the lemony glaze.
Recipe tips and substitutions
These meatballs taste great both warm and cold. As with all meatballs, you can enjoy them on their own, or together with other foods, like in a sub or with pasta. I don't normally eat meatballs with pasta, but I can see these go great together with some pasta al pesto!
If you don't have chicken, you can use ground turkey. Generally speaking, I would recommend white meat, as it is more delicate in flavour and will not overpower the herbs we are using here.
Fresh basil is to be preferred, but if you don't absolutely have any you can of course use dried. In that case, you can add the dried basil directly to the meat and skip the food processor part. Chop the pine nuts, press the garlic and just add everything at the same time. 2 teaspoon of dried basil should be enough.
You can store these meatballs refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days. They freeze great! Store in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Great pairings and further inspiration
The lemony glaze gives these meatballs a lovely tang that makes this a very fresh meal to enjoy on a summer day. Pair them with a green salad, dressed with olive oil and lemon. Any green greens would actually go very nice with these: green beans, spinach, asparagus. Try white wine asparagus!
Given the zesty acidity of the sauce and mild profile of the lemon basil chicken meatballs, if you are looking for a wine pairing I would look into grapes that produce dry whites with a zippy acidity, dominant lemon notes and some degree of minerality. Albariño from Portugal or Assyrtiko from Greece can be two fantastic companions to these lemony chicken meatballs.
And if you feel inspired to try more pesto recipes, here's a selection from this blog. My very own basil pesto recipe made with a hand blender. From there you can pretty much try it on everything: pasta, pizza or even salad. Just click on the pictures below to access more recipes and enjoy!
If you tried this recipe, let me know your thoughts in the comments. If you're planning to try it another time, pin this recipe to Pinterest. Please consider subscribing to my newsletter and following me on Instagram and on Pinterest.
Lemon basil chicken meatballs
Equipment
- Food processor optional
- Skillet
- Mixing bowl
- Oven tray
Ingredients
- 500 g ground chicken
- 15 g fresh basil stems removed
- ½ lemon zested and juiced
- 25 g parmesan grated
- 20 g pine nuts
- 1 garlic clove
- 30 g breadcrumbs
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 35 g butter divided
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Add the basil leaves to a food processor together with the garlic, parmesan and lemon zest. Blitz until finely minced.
- Add the ground chicken, herb mix, salt, breadcrumbs and egg to a bowl and work with a hand until all incorporated and homogeneous.
- Make the meatballs rolling a small amount (20 g) of meat mix between your hands. Lay on a tray lined with baking paper. Place in the freezer for 20 min to firm up.
- Add 20 g of butter and the olive oil to a skillet and warm on medium heat. Take the meatballs out of the freezer and give a quick roll up to smoothen the spiky appearance. Add to pan. They are soft, so careful not to throw them too hard or they will lose their shape.
- Cook on medium-high heat for 5 minutes, moving them around constantly so all the sides touch the hot surface. When browned all over, lower to medium, cover with a lid and cook 10 minutes. Remove the lid and give them another 2 minutes to brown some more.
- Set cooked meatballs aside, keep the pan on medium heat and pour in the lemon juice. Deglaze the pan with the lemon juice, then add remaining butter and stir to combine. Return the meatballs and toss them around to coat them in the lemony glaze.
