Marry Me Chicken Meatballs is the meatball version of the Marry Me Chicken recipe you already love, with the same creamy sun-dried tomato Parmesan sauce. This cozy, comforting, family-friendly meal of marry me meatballs is made in one pan, in just about 40 minutes.
The Marry Me Sauce + My Chicken Meatballs
I tested this Marry Me meatballs recipe in my kitchen before sharing it, using the sauce from my popular Marry Me Chicken Recipe, combined with my favorite juicy homemade chicken meatballs.
The meatballs are built on the chicken meatball method that you’ve already seen here: Lean ground chicken, a grated onion with all of its juice, one egg, breadcrumbs, and parmesan. It’s the ratio that keeps chicken meatballs juicy instead of dry, and here I mixed chopped sun-dried tomatoes into the meat too, so every bite tastes like the sauce.
The sauce is the exact sauce from my Marry Me Chicken, and the amount of sauce is right for 20 to 22 meatballs, with plenty left over to serve with pasta or rice. I served mine over mashed potatoes with a few fresh basil leaves, and it took me about 40 minutes start to finish in one 12-inch skillet.
Ingredient Notes
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
- Ground Chicken: The recipe was tested using lean ground chicken and will work well with lean ground turkey too.
- Onion: Grate a small yellow onion using a box grater, and add the onion and its juices to the meat. This moisture is what keeps the meatballs juicy.
- Breadcrumbs: Plain dried breadcrumbs are the choice here. I’ve also tested chicken meatballs with gluten-free breadcrumbs and with the same amount of almond flour. Both options work well.
- Sun-Dried Tomatoes: Choose sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil. Use just the tomatoes in both the sauce and the meatballs. The oil can be used to sear the meatballs for extra flavor.
- Parmesan: Grate fresh Parmesan cheese. Half goes in the meatballs, half in the sauce.
- Heavy Cream: Use heavy cream, not half-and-half. It will not thicken the same way.
- Chicken Stock: Choose low-sodium stock so the salt stays in your control with the Parmesan.
- Chili Flakes: I like this recipe a bit spicy, so I use a whole teaspoon of chili flakes in the sauce. If you’re not a fan of heat, use less, or leave them out.
- Basil: Fresh leaves for garnish; these are added at the very end.
How To Make Marry Me Chicken Meatballs
1. Mix: Combine the meatball ingredients in a large bowl. Use your hands and mix until just combined.
2. Shape: Form the mixture into 20 to 22 meatballs, using a cookie scoop to portion the meat and keep the meatballs the same size.
3. Sear in a skillet with oil, working in batches if needed to keep them in a single layer. The meatballs should be browned, but they don’t need to be fully cooked at this time. Remove from the pan.
4. Build Flavor: Add butter to the same pan, and then sauté the garlic and sun-dried tomatoes for 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Deglaze the pan with chicken stock, scraping up the brown bits from the pan.
5. Make the Sauce: Turn the heat to very low or off, then stir in the heavy cream, Parmesan, herbs, and chili flakes until the cheese melts.
6. Simmer: Return the meatballs to the skillet. Simmer gently for about 5 minutes, or until the meatballs reach 165°F (74°C) in the center, measured with an instant-read thermometer. The sauce should coat the back of a spoon.
Ground Chicken Meatballs That Stay Juicy
My chicken meatball method/ratio really works to keep the meat juicy and flavorful. The recipe can be adjusted for different flavors, but I always come back to the combination of lean ground chicken, a grated onion with juices, egg, and breadcrumbs.
To keep the meatballs from getting tough, mix the meat with your hands to incorporate the ingredients without overmixing.
Try my other chicken meatballs: buffalo chicken meatballs, chicken pesto meatballs, slow cooker Tuscan chicken meatballs with gnocchi, or Asian chicken meatballs.
Recipe Tips
- Use a 12-inch skillet. This size is wide enough to sear all the meatballs at once. If your pan is smaller, just do the meatballs in batches. A nonstick skillet is the easiest choice for searing meatballs, but you can also use stainless steel or cast iron. Just preheat the pan well before the meatballs go in, or they will stick.
- Add the dairy on very low heat, or off the heat. Cream and Parmesan added to a hot, bubbling pan can curdle. Turn the heat right down, stir in the cream and Parmesan, then add the meatballs back and simmer on a very low heat for 5 minutes.
- Bake the meatballs instead. If you would rather not sear, bake them on a lined sheet pan at 350°F (180°C) for 18 to 20 minutes. Then make the sauce and add the meatballs in.
- If the sauce is not thick enough. It should have the right consistency by the end, but if you want it thicker, mix 2 teaspoons cornstarch with 2 teaspoons cold water. Stir it into the sauce and simmer until thickened.
Make Ahead and Freezing
- To make the meatballs ahead of time: Freeze raw chicken meatballs on a pan until solid, then transfer to a zip-top bag. Bake from frozen at 350°F (180°C) for 22 to 25 minutes, then add the meatballs to freshly made marry me sauce. It’s important to make the sauce fresh, as it does not freeze well.
- To reheat leftovers: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently with a splash of stock or cream to loosen up the sauce.
What To Serve With Marry Me Meatballs
I really enjoy this creamy, slightly spicy sauce over mashed potatoes, but it also works well with pasta or rice. To round out the meal, serve it with a side salad, or some easy garlic bread.
If you’d like to make a version with the pasta cooked in the same pan, try my Marry Me Chicken Orzo.
Variations
- Add Spinach: Stir it in when you add the meatballs, and skip the basil for a version of this recipe that is more Tuscan style.
- Use Turkey: Marry Me turkey meatballs can be made using this exact same recipe.
- A Gluten Free Option: This recipe has been tested using the same amount of gluten free breadcrumbs and the same amount of almond flour in place of the standard breadcrumbs.
FAQ
It’s said that the recipe for Marry Me Chicken is so amazing that if you make it for your partner, they will instantly ask you to marry them.
Butter, garlic, chicken stock, heavy cream, Parmesan, sun-dried tomatoes, chili flakes, oregano, thyme, and basil create this sauce.
Both recipes start the same way, with a creamy sun-dried tomato base, but are finished differently. Marry Me Chicken finishes with fresh basil, while Tuscan chicken adds spinach, as in my Tuscan Chicken Meatballs with Gnocchi.
It goes well with mashed potatoes, pasta, rice, or garlic bread.
The sauce can separate if the cream and Parmesan are added over high heat. Turn the heat to very low or off when mixing these ingredients in.
The raw marry me meatballs can be frozen for up to 3 months. Bake them from frozen and combine with freshly made sauce for serving.
Yes. Use my Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken Meatballs with Gnocchi as a starting point. Add fresh basil instead of or in addition to the spinach in that recipe.
No, half-and-half won’t thicken the same way.
More Marry Me Recipes
The Classic: Marry Me Chicken
Slow Cooker: Crockpot Marry Me Chicken
One Pan Meal: Marry Me Chicken Orzo
Fall Variation: Pumpkin Marry Me Chicken
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Marry Me Chicken Meatballs
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- 1 pound (450 g) lean ground chicken
- 1 small yellow onion grated with its juices
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup (60 g) dried breadcrumbs
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup (38 g) sun dried tomatoes packed in oil drained and finely chopped
- ½ cup (43 g) grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) oil from the sun-dried tomato jar, or olive oil, for searing
For the Sauce
- 1 tablespoon (14 g) unsalted butter
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup (38 g) sun dried tomatoes packed in oil drained and chopped
- 1 cup (240 ml) low sodium chicken stock
- 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream or double cream in the UK
- ½ cup (43 g) grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon chili flakes
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt to taste
- Fresh basil leaves for garnish
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, grated onion with its juices, garlic, breadcrumbs, egg, sun dried tomatoes, Parmesan, salt, and ground black pepper. Mix with your hands just until combined.
- Using a level 1½ tablespoon cookie scoop, portion the mixture and roll into about 20 to 22 meatballs.
- Heat the oil in a 12 inch (30 cm) skillet over medium high heat. Add the meatballs in a single layer, working in batches if needed to avoid crowding.
- Sear for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until browned, then transfer to a plate. The meatballs do not need to be cooked through at this stage.
- Reduce the heat to medium and melt the butter in the same skillet.
- Add the garlic and sun-dried tomatoes, and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
- Pour in the chicken stock and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.
- Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to very low. Stir in the heavy cream, Parmesan, chili flakes, oregano, and thyme, until the cheese melts into the sauce.
- Return the meatballs and any accumulated juices to the skillet and spoon the sauce over them.
- Simmer gently over very low heat for about 5 minutes, or until the meatballs reach 165°F (74°C) in the center. The sauce should coat the back of a spoon.
- Taste the sauce and add salt if needed.
- Garnish with fresh basil leaves and serve.
Notes:
- Shaping: Lightly wet your hands if the mixture sticks. Avoid overmixing or packing the meatballs tightly.
- Skillet: A nonstick skillet makes searing easier. If using stainless steel or cast iron, preheat the skillet well and let the meatballs form a browned crust before turning.
- Salt: The measured salt is Diamond Crystal kosher salt. Other brands have different crystal sizes, so the same spoonful may make the dish saltier.
- Cream sauce: Keep the heat very low when adding the cream and Parmesan, and avoid a vigorous boil. The sauce will thicken as it sits.
- Baking option: Bake the shaped meatballs on a lined baking sheet at 350°F (180°C) for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the centers reach 165°F (74°C). Prepare the sauce in the skillet, then add the cooked meatballs and spoon the sauce over them.
- Thicker sauce: Mix 2 teaspoons cornstarch with 2 teaspoons (10 ml) cold water. Stir into the sauce and simmer gently until thickened.
- Freezing: Freeze the uncooked meatballs on a baking sheet until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. Bake from frozen at 350°F (180°C) for 22 to 25 minutes, or until the centers reach 165°F (74°C), then add to freshly made sauce. The cream sauce may separate when frozen and thawed.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stove with a splash of stock or cream.
- Spinach: Add 2 cups (60 g) baby spinach to the sauce when returning the meatballs to the skillet, and simmer until wilted.
- Gluten free: Use ½ cup gluten free breadcrumbs or ½ cup almond flour in place of the regular breadcrumbs, and use gluten free chicken stock. Both breadcrumb alternatives have been tested.
- Heat: Reduce or omit the chili flakes for a milder sauce.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
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