Marry Me Chicken Meatballs | Don’t Go Bacon My Heart

These Marry Me Chicken Meatballs are juicy, tender and simmered in an irresistible creamy sun dried tomato sauce. A restaurant-worthy dinner that’s surprisingly easy to make.

And that’s what makes this recipe so awesome – it’s simple to make, it uses regular, store-bought ingredients, but the final dish is so delicious that it’ll most certainly become an instant family favourite. Follow me…

Ingredients Notes

Chicken Meatballs

You’ll want to start by making the meatballs, just so you can finish cooking them in the sauce. I like to fry the meatballs in a little oil from the jar of sun dried tomatoes because it’s free flavour! In terms of making the meatballs, here are some tips to keep in mind:

• Over-mixing – whilst it’s important to make sure all the ingredients are evenly distributed, don’t squeeze the mixture into oblivion. This will cause the meatballs to turn out tough.
• Scoop then roll – the quickest, most efficient way to roll meatballs is to scoop even chunks out one by one, then roll them. I like to use a 1 tbsp measuring spoon, but a small ice cream scoop will do the trick.
• Wet your hands – if you find the mixture is sticky, wet your hands before rolling.
• Keep it moving – when frying the meatballs, make sure you keep turning them so they stay spherical and brown evenly.

Process shots: add ingredients to bowl (photo 1), mix (photo 2), scoop out chunks of meat (photo 3), roll into balls (photo 4), add to pan (photo 5), fry (photo 6).

Marry Me Chicken Sauce

The sauce comes together in a matter of minutes once the meatballs are done, so you’re already close to the finish line. There should be some leftover fat in the pan, so leave that there for an extra boost of flavour. From there, here are a few things to consider:

• Cream – I recommend keeping the cream at room temp. Sometimes adding fridge-cold cream to hot stock can cause it to curdle.
• Simmer to reduce – the sauce will be watery at the start, but just keep simmering and stirring away, and it’ll soon thicken up.
• Finish in the sauce – make sure you add the meatballs in at the end for a few minutes, just to properly coat them in the sauce and warm them back through. If there’s any resting juices from the meatballs too, add that in for bonus flavour.

Process shots: fry garlic and chilli flakes in butter (photo 1), add stock, cream, parmesan and sun dried tomatoes (photo 2), stir and simmer (photo 3), stir in meatballs (photo 4).

Serving Suggestions

Once the sauce has thickened and clings to the meatballs, go in with a large helping of fresh basil for a final pop of flavour and colour. To go alongside, you’re mainly looking for something to mop up that delicious sauce.

Here I’ve served with Orzo & Garlic Bread. I like to cook the orzo (75-100g/2.5-3.5oz per person), then toss it in a glug of extra virgin olive oil and a good squeeze of lemon juice, then thin it out with excess pasta water as needed.

• Orzo Alternatives: you just sub with regular pasta, or even rice. For full comfort, go for Mash!
• Garlic Bread Alternatives: crusty bread is a simple alternative. For something lighter, just add a Simple Salad.

For another ‘marry me’ recipe, check out my Marry Me Chicken Tacos!

Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for these marry me meatballs shall we?!

How to make Marry Me Chicken Meatballs (Full Recipe & Video)

• Sharp Knife & Chopping Board

• Box Grater (for onion)

• Large Mixing Bowl

• 1 tbsp Measuring Spoon (to scoop meatballs)

• Large Tray or Plate (to place meatballs)

• Large Pan & Tongs

• Wooden Spoon

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

• Add all of the meatball ingredients (besides the oil) to a large bowl and mix until everything is evenly distributed. I typically use my hand to do this.

• Use a 1 tbsp measuring spoon to scoop out 20 even-sized chunks of meat and place them on a large plate or tray. One by one, roll the chunks of meat into balls. If the mixture is sticky, wet your hands before rolling.

• Add 1 tbsp oil to a large pan over medium/medium-high heat. Once hot, add the meatballs and fry until golden all over and cooked through the centre, frequently turning to make sure they brown evenly. This can take around 10-15 minutes, so just be vigilant (for reference, safe internal temp of chicken is 165F/74C).

• Remove the cooked meatballs and place to one side, then turn the heat to medium if it isn’t already. Melt the butter, then fry the chilli flakes and garlic for 20 seconds or so (be careful they don’t burn). Pour in the stock and cream, then stir in the parmesan and sun dried tomatoes until the parmesan melts.

• Simmer the sauce for around 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently, or until it begins to thicken (it will thicken; just keep simmering and stirring away). Check for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper, then stir through the meatballs until coated in the sauce. The sauce shouldn’t be watery, instead, it should be thick enough to coat the meatballs.

• Scatter over a handful of tiny basil leaves or roughly torn larger ones, then serve up and enjoy!

a) Ground/Minced Chicken – most stores sell it these days, and if you have the choice, get the higher fat % so the meatballs stay juicy. If you can’t find it, just add 1lb/500g boneless skinless thighs to a food processor and blend into a ground meat texture. 
b) Consistency – if you find the sauce is still thin after 5 minutes, just continue simmering to reduce and thicken. If you over-thicken, just stir through a splash of stock (or even water) to loosen it up again.
c) Basil – I like to pluck all the small leaves from the bunch, then just roughly dice/tear some larger ones, using around half the bunch. 1 bunch of fresh basil is typically 1oz/30g in total.
d) Calories – Whole recipe divided by 4.

Calories: 557kcal | Carbohydrates: 25.21g | Protein: 31.55g | Fat: 38.52g | Saturated Fat: 17.812g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4.301g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13.492g | Trans Fat: 0.342g | Cholesterol: 221mg | Sodium: 1115mg | Potassium: 1588mg | Fiber: 3.8g | Sugar: 12.17g | Vitamin A: 1357IU | Vitamin C: 12.9mg | Calcium: 232mg | Iron: 4.09mg

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