baked chicken meatballs with carmelized tomato glaze

i love meatballs more than you can probably imagine. beef meatballs, pork meatballs, vegetarian ‘meat’balls during my meat-free years – i’ve devoured + adored them all. the one thing i don’t love? when i make them, i do so in huge quantities so we can have some that night, leftovers for later, + extras to share. sauteeing 4 dozen meatballs in 95 degree weather is not so fun.

with most meatballs, i prefer a pan-sauteed version to a baked one, since they get that tasty caramelization on the outside. however, when i ran across this recipe for baked chicken meatballs with a caramelized tomato glaze, i thought, hmm, interesting idea. i had never tried a chicken meatball, but i was ready to try.

the result was astoundingly delicious. seriously. i couldn’t believe how wonderful these turned out. the pancetta adds a lovely salty bite while the tomato glaze is simply amazing. these are the most tender, light meatballs i’ve ever eaten. they work perfectly with pasta, as sliders, or on a toasted flatbread sandwich (pictured above). so, if you’re looking for a quick-baking, easy-to-prepare, lighter take on traditional meatballs? try these. i promise you will be impressed!

*note: the original recipe also called for a side of pepperonata, but another 35 minutes with a 400 degree oven blazing? no thanks! you can find that portion of the recipe at the gourmet link below.

baked chicken meatballs

adapted from gourmet, as seen on smitten kitchen, makes about 4 dinner servings, or more as appetizers or sliders.

ingredients

3 slices italian bread, torn into small bits (1 cup)
1/3 cup milk
3 ounces sliced pancetta, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 small garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 large egg
1 pound ground chicken
2 tablespoons tomato paste, divided
3 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

directions

preheat oven to 400°F with a rack in the upper third of the oven. soak bread in milk in a small bowl until softened, about four minutes.

cook pancetta, onion, + garlic in one tablespoon oil with 1/2 teaspoon each of salt + pepper in a large skillet over medium heat until onion is softened, about 6 minutes. cool slightly.

squeeze bread to remove excess milk, then discard milk. lightly beat egg in a large bowl, then combine with chicken, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, pancetta mixture, bread, + parsley. form 12 meatballs + arrange in a 4-sided sheet pan or baking/roasting dish.

stir together remaining tablespoons of tomato paste + oil + brush over meatballs, then bake in upper third of oven until meatballs are just cooked through, about 20 minutes.

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