Chicken Florentine Meatballs

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Chicken Florentine Meatballs

This chicken Florentine meatballs recipe has flavorful, tender meatballs that are smothered in a garlic cream sauce with spinach! It's straightforward to make and elegant.

Prep Time20

Cook Time20

Total Time40

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian American

Keyword: Chicken Florentine Meatballs

Servings:

Author: Natasha Bull

Ingredients

Meatballs:

1 pound ground chicken
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese + extra for serving
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt + pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons olive oil (for frying) + more if needed

Sauce:

2 tablespoons butter
3-4 cloves garlic minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 cup heavy/whipping cream
1.5 teaspoons cornstarch
2 cups (loosely packed) fresh baby spinach

Instructions

To a prep bowl, add all the meatball ingredients (except for the olive oil). With your hands, mix it together until combined, but don't overwork the mixture. The mixture may be quite wet. Form 1.25" meatballs (it'll make approx. 20). Place them on a parchment paper lined baking sheet for easy clean-up.
Add the olive oil to a skillet over medium-high heat and let it heat up for a few minutes (should be very hot!). Fry the meatballs in two batches until they're browned all over (about 5 min/batch). I use tongs to turn them quickly and easily. They will brown quite fast, so turn them often. If needed, add another splash of olive oil to the skillet for the second batch. Transfer your meatballs to a plate once they're browned.
Add the butter to the pan, and once it melts, stir in the garlic. Let it cook for about 30 seconds.
Add the wine to the skillet and let it bubble for about 1 minute.
Stir in the chicken broth, Italian seasoning, and cream. Scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with 3 teaspoons of cold water and stir it into the sauce.
Once the sauce starts to bubble, add the meatballs back to the pan. Reduce the heat to medium, and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes.
Add the spinach to the skillet and use tongs or two spoons to tuck it under the meatballs. Cook for 2-3 more minutes or until the spinach is wilted and the meatballs are cooked through (165F).
Season with extra salt & pepper as needed, and serve with some parm grated on top if desired.

Notes

If the sauce gets too thick, add in another splash of cream or chicken broth.
If you're not using sea salt or kosher salt, you may want to add a bit less to the meatball mixture.

Nutrition