These tender Chicken Meatballs are smothered in a rich and tasty Cajun Cream Sauce. This simple chicken meatball recipe makes the best golden brown, juicy homemade meatballs that are perfect served as an appetizer or a main dish.
If you love Cajun dishes, I’ll bet you would love this Creamy Cajun Shrimp Pasta and these easy to make Cajun Grilled Shrimp Skewers. They are always a favorite around here!
I am always looking for easy and flavorful ground chicken recipes to make for dinner. Just like ground turkey, ground chicken cooks fairly quickly which makes it a great option for weeknight meals.
Ground chicken is also a budget friendly, lean and healthy protein that can be made into so many dishes like this Thai Basil Chicken and one of my favorite recipes, Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps. With the right seasonings, you can turn minced chicken into a wonderful restaurant quality meal.
The Best Chicken Meatballs
These Chicken Meatballs with creamy Cajun sauce are one of the best meatballs I’ve ever had.
I know that may seem like a bold claim, but this chicken meatball recipe is seasoned to perfection. Garlic, Cajun seasoning and Parmesan cheese spice up these made from scratch ground chicken meatballs. To add a second layer of flavor, the chicken balls are seared to golden brown and cooked in the most delicious gravy like creamy Cajun sauce.
How To Make Chicken Meatballs
Although ground chicken is lean, these meatballs are juicy and tender. One of the secrets for tender meatballs is mixing the ingredients gently without over working the meat.
- In a medium bowl mix together the ground chicken, garlic, egg, Panko breadcrumbs, Cajun seasoning, Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley. Mix until well combined.
- Form the meatballs and place them on a plate or sheet pan. I use a small ice cream scoop (about 1-inch in diameter).
- Working in batches, brown the meatballs on all sides. At this point, The meatballs won’t be cooked all the way through. Transfer to a plate.
The Cajun Sauce
The rich and creamy Cajun sauce is made with only 5 ingredients!
- In the same skillet where you brown the ground chicken meatballs, melt the butter and cook the onions stirring often until they become translucent. Add the red bell peppers and sauté e for about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the flour and cook stirring constantly for 2 – 3 minutes.
- Slowly, stir in the chicken broth, whisking constantly until the sauce thickens a bit. Add the Cajun seasoning and mix to combine.
- Return the meatballs to the skillet and simmer until the meatballs are cooked through, about 8-10 minutes.
- Stir in the cream and turn off the heat. Adjust seasoning to taste and serve sprinkled with chopped parsley
Can I Make Chicken Meatballs In The Oven?
Yes, you can bake chicken meatballs if you prefer. Instead of frying the meatballs in batches, you can place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil and bake the meatballs in a preheated 400 F degrees oven for about 18 – 20 minutes for fully cooked meatballs.
Is The Cajun Sauce Spicy?
Some Cajun spice mixes have more heat than others so I cannot say for certain however, in my experience the sauce has a very mild spice taste.
What To Serve With Chicken Meatballs With Cajun Sauce?
We love to serve Chicken Meatballs with Cajun Cream Sauce over pasta, rice and mashed potatoes. These tasty meatballs are also a great appetizer served with some freshly baked bread.
Freezing And Storing Meatballs
Chicken meatballs are a great recipe to make ahead. They can be stored in the fridge for 2 – 3 days.
To Freeze Uncooked Meatballs: Place the raw meatballs on a parchment paper lined sheet pan and freeze. Once frozen, transfer them to a freezer bag or a sealed container.
To Freeze Cooked Meatballs: Shape and brown the meatballs and freeze them before making the sauce.
Chicken Meatballs Recipe Tips
- Don’t overmix the meatball mixture. It’s best to combine all the ingredients by hand (someone has to do the messy job right?) until just combined.
- You can make these meatballs with ground turkey or ground lamb also.
- This is my favorite homemade Cajun seasoning recipe, it’s so easy to make with very simple ingredients you probably already have at home.
- Check the saltiness of the Cajun seasoning mix before adding it to the meat mixture. Some store bought mixes are saltier than others. If you prefer, get Low Sodium Cajun Seasoning Mix.
Take A Look At These Other Chicken Recipes:
This post was first published in 2018 and has been updated to provide the reader with additional information. The recipe remains the same.
Chicken Meatballs in Cajun Cream Sauce
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- 1 1/2 pound ground chicken
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 egg, whisked
- 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
- 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning (read notes)
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
- 2 -3 tablespoons olive oil
For the Creamy Sauce
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup red bell pepper, finely chopped
- 2 tablespooons flour
- 2-3 teaspoons Cajun seasoning (read notes)
- 1 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
Instructions
To Make the Meatballs
- In a medium bowl, mix together the ground chicken, garlic, egg, Panko breadcrumbs, Cajun seasoning, Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley. Mix until well combined.
- Form into small meatballs of about about 1-inch in diameter. I use a small ice cream scoop to make the process easier and the meatballs more uniform.
- In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium high heat. Working in batches, brown the meatballs on all sides until golden brown. Add additional oil if needed. At this point, the meatballs won’t be cooked all the way through. Transfer to a plate.
To Make the Creamy Sauce
- In the same pan you cooked the meatballs, melt the butter over medium low heat. Add the onions and cook stirring often for about 4 minutes or until they become translucent. Add the bell peppers and cook for another 2 – 3 minutes.
- Add the flour and cook stirring constantly for about 2 – 3 minutes. This is a “roux” and it will start to get deepen in color.
- Slowly add the chicken broth whisking constantly until it thickens a bit. Add the Cajun seasoning and mix well. Return the meatballs to the skillet and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 8 – 10 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through.
- Stir in the cream and turn off the heat, Adjust seasoning. Add the chopped parsley and serve.
Recipe Notes
- This recipe makes 24 1-inch meatballs.
- Don’t overmix the meatball micture.
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