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.
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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.
Video
Chef’s Tips
- This recipe makes 24 1-inch meatballs.
- Don’t overmix the meatball micture.
Kelly Bassler says
This is a great recipe, but HEED the salt warnings about your cajun spice! Mine turned out a bit salty even though I cut the cajun spice in half! I used Slap Ya Mama! I served mine over rice (cooked without salt) and it helped a little. I baked my meatballs in the oven for about 15 minutes, then put them in the sauce to simmer for 5 minutes before serving. It was delicious… just a bit salty. I’ll definitely make this again with a different cajun spice, maybe.
Kathy says
Hi Kelly! Some seasoning have a lot of salt for sure. Thank you for sharing. I am glad you liked the recipe and hope you give it another chance with less Cajun seasoning!
Terry Barnes says
This was the easiest recipe to follow and the tastiest meatball I’ve had in a very long time. I did not have ground chicken or a red bell pepper. I subscribed ground turkey and an orange bell pepper. In the end I was afraid to add the heavy cream because the taste was perfect without it. I must say I was pleasantly surprised. The heavy cream did not take away from the flavor. It added another element. I was so full from “tasting” the meatballs I never got around to making pasta. I will be making these again soon.
trish says
How would this be served over polenta?
Kathy says
Just pour it over! So good
Michaela says
I make this dish on a regular basis and my son and I love it!
michele says
Holy wow these were great! They were so tender and the cajun flavoring was so good, we actually went and got some bread to soak up all of the liquid, not wanting to waste all of that deliciousness!
Connie says
Made these meatballs last night. It was a big hit! Everyone loved them. Followed the recipe exactly as written. We served them with pasta. My son asked me to make it for his birthday next month. Thank you.
Kathy says
So happy to hear! Thank you for the feedback Connie.
Kathryn says
My Cajun seasoning is very salty and we have a sodium issue at our house so I adjusted accordingly. This is deliciously different from other creamy sauces. Just made this for Super Bowl and the pan was virtually licked clean! Thanks for another menu idea.
Kathy says
Glad you all enjoyed it!! Smart move with the seasoning!! One can always add more right??
Jackie Frentz says
You can buy no salt or low salt Cajun seasonings, depending where you live and shop. We are on low sodium diets too.
Victor says
That looks like something I’d definitley like to try.
Ellis says
I made this recipe tonight after seeing it on Facebook, so glad I did. It was easy to make and the result was delicious. Spiced just right for me. Although my meatballs looked slightly more rustic than the picture, they were super tasty. I served it with rice and green beans. Look forward to trying more of your recipes.
Kathy says
Thank you so much! Rustic is beautiful!!
Patty says
we tried them over noodles 1-23-18 very good! me and my son like them, too spicey for my daughter
Kathy says
Hi Patty! Thank you for the feedback. Glad you like them. The spiciness varies according to the type of Cajun seasoning you use. But yes, it has a quick! 🙂
Thanks!!
Albert Bevia says
These meatballs look insane good! and what a great idea to use a ice cream scoop to form the meatballs…stunning recipe
Kathy says
Thank you Albert! Ice cream scoop is the way to go! Y
Sherrie says
We made these meatballs as soon a s we saw them on pinterest. We are glad we did! They are fabulous! Moist and tasty and that sauce is to die for. Thank you! Sherrie and Ron
Kathy says
Thank you! We love them too!
Teresa Hartling says
Quick question because I’m going to try and make this tonight. We’ve been excited to try it. My question tho, you said heavy cream, is that the same as heavy whipping cream? Is there a difference? I’m new to trying new recipes and don’t want to mess this up.
Kathy says
Hi Teresa, heavy cream and heavy whipping cream are the exact same thing.
Teresa Hartling says
Thank you!!