Chicken Piccata Meatballs

These meatballs are a simple way to get the flavors of chicken piccata without dealing with cutlets. The capers and lemon in both the meatballs and sauce keep things bright, and broiling instead of pan-frying means less oil and less babysitting.

June Arthurs
March 23, 2026
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Ingredients (~12 meatballs)

Meatballs

  • 1/2 lb ground chicken
  • 2 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese
  • 3 Tbsp Italian seasoned bread crumbs
  • 2 tsp chopped capers, drained
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp onion powder
  • 1/4 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 Tbsp parsley, finely chopped
  • 1/2 tsp lemon zest

Piccata Sauce

  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp butter
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup chicken broth
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp lemon zest
  • 1 Tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
  • 1 Tbsp capers, drained

Optional Toppings

  • Grated parmesan cheese
  • Lemon zest
  • Fresh parsley

Preheat Oven to Broil and Mix the Meatball Ingredients

Set your oven to broil and grease a baking sheet with oil or cooking spray.

In a large bowl, add the 1/2 lb ground chicken, 2 Tbsp parmesan, 3 Tbsp bread crumbs, 2 tsp capers, 1 egg, 1 clove minced garlic, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp onion powder, 1/4 tsp Italian seasoning, 1 Tbsp parsley, and 1/2 tsp lemon zest.

Mix with your hands or a wooden spoon until everything is well combined. The mixture should hold together when you squeeze it.

Form and Broil the Meatballs

Use a mini ice cream scoop or a spoon to portion out the meatballs – you should get ~12 meatballs total.

Roll each portion into a ball and place on the prepared baking sheet with some space between them.

Broil for ~9 minutes, then flip each meatball and broil for ~2 more minutes on the other side.

The meatballs should be browned on the outside but they’ll finish cooking in the sauce later.

Start the Piccata Sauce with Garlic

While the meatballs are broiling, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil and 1 Tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium heat.

Once the butter melts, add the 2 cloves minced garlic and cook for ~1 minute until fragrant. Don’t let the garlic brown or it’ll turn bitter.

Add Flour and Liquids to Build the Sauce

Whisk in the 1 1/2 Tbsp flour until it dissolves into the oil and butter – this happens fast, usually ~30 seconds.

Pour in the 3/4 cup chicken broth and 1 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice. Whisk to combine and let the sauce simmer for ~2-3 minutes.

It’ll start to thicken slightly as the flour cooks out.

Add Capers, Lemon Zest, and Parsley

Stir in the 1 Tbsp capers, 1/2 tsp lemon zest, and 1 Tbsp parsley.

Let the sauce cook on low heat for ~5 minutes to let the flavors come together.

Finish Cooking the Meatballs in the Sauce

Add the broiled meatballs to the sauce and spoon some sauce over the top of each one.

Cover the skillet with a lid and let everything cook together for ~5 more minutes. This finishes cooking the meatballs through and lets them soak up the sauce.

The meatballs should hit ~165F internal at this point.

Serve over pasta, on a salad, or just as they are with extra parmesan, lemon zest, and parsley if you want.

Chicken Piccata Meatballs

These meatballs are a simple way to get the flavors of chicken piccata without dealing with cutlets. The capers and lemon in both the meatballs and sauce keep things bright, and broiling instead of pan-frying means less oil and less babysitting.
prep time15 minutes
cook time24 minutes
total time39 minutes
Print Recipe

Ingredients

Meatballs

  • 1/2 lb ground chicken
  • 2 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese
  • 3 Tbsp Italian seasoned bread crumbs
  • 2 tsp chopped capers, drained
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp onion powder
  • 1/4 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 Tbsp parsley, finely chopped
  • 1/2 tsp lemon zest

Piccata Sauce

  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp butter
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup chicken broth
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp lemon zest
  • 1 Tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
  • 1 Tbsp capers, drained

Optional Toppings

  • Grated parmesan cheese
  • Lemon zest
  • Fresh parsley

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to broil and grease a baking sheet.
  • Combine ground chicken, parmesan, bread crumbs, capers, egg, garlic, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, parsley, and lemon zest in a bowl.
  • Mix with hands until well combined.
  • Form mixture into 12 meatballs and place on baking sheet with space between them.
  • Broil for 9 minutes, flip, and broil for 2 more minutes until browned.
  • Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
  • Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
  • Whisk in flour for 30 seconds until dissolved.
  • Pour in chicken broth and lemon juice, whisk to combine, and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
  • Stir in capers, lemon zest, and parsley.
  • Simmer sauce on low heat for 5 minutes.
  • Add broiled meatballs to sauce and spoon sauce over each one.
  • Cover and cook for 5 more minutes until meatballs reach 165F internal temperature.
  • Serve over pasta or salad with optional toppings of parmesan, lemon zest, and fresh parsley.