Chicken Parmesan Meatball Skillet
Try this Chicken Parmesan Meatball Skillet recipe, or contribute your own.
Try this Chicken Parmesan Meatball Skillet recipe, or contribute your own.
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp. italian seasoning
- 4 cups chicken broth (or water)
- 1 lb. ground chicken
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs (japanese style bread crumbs)
- salt and pepper to preference
- 12 oz spaghetti noodles broken up
- 24 oz. jar of marinara sauce
- 3 large bay leaves
- freshly chopped parsley for garnish
- Carbohydrate 57.2388102756319 g
- Cholesterol 80.4860174924287 mg
- Fat 12.3871837776592 g
- Fiber 2.33432573991119 g
- Protein 26.8711085738601 g
- Saturated Fat 4.67995064809724 g
- Serving Size 1 1 to 8 (173g)
- Sodium 973.031450158618 mg
- Sugar 54.9044845357207 g
- Trans Fat 1.09204503353326 g
- Calories 449 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Combine the ground chicken, egg, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, bread crumbs, ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese and salt and pepper in a large bowl and mix until combined.
- Form mixture into several meatballs, then place the flour in a shallow bowl and lightly dredge (coat) the meatballs on all sides.
- Heat a large, oven safe skillet, over medium heat and add the olive oil.
- Sear the chicken meatballs on all sides, until browned all over, then place the whole skillet into the preheated oven to finish cooking off the meatballs.
- Bake for 10 minutes, or until the insides of the meatballs reach 165 degrees F.
- Remove meatballs from skillet and keep warm.
- Return skillet to the stove top over medium heat and add the broken pasta noodles, stirring constantly, so the noodles get lightly toasted.
- Add the pasta sauce, chicken broth (or water) and the bay leaves.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally until the pasta is tender, about 20 minutes.
- Remove the bay leaves, and add the meatballs to the top of the cooked pasta.
- Cover the meatballs with the mozzarella cheese and cook in the 400 degree oven for an additional 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted. (Optionally - if your skillet has a lid, just cover the top of the skillet and let the cheese melt while still on the stove top)
- Garnish the top of the skillet dinner with the remaining grated parmesan cheese and freshly chopped parsley. Enjoy!
Limited cookware requires deliberate sequencing to prevent starchy, waterlogged pasta and rubbery proteins. Ground chicken possesses high moisture and low natural fat compared to beef, meaning it easily toughens when overworked. Gentle handling during the mixing phase preserves the tender crumb created by the panko breadcrumbs, which absorb internal juices during baking. Dredging the formed spheres in all-purpose flour creates a dry exterior barrier, ensuring the olive oil quickly develops a deep, golden-brown crust at 400 degrees Fahrenheit without drying out the interior meat.
Starch management dictates the second half of the process. Raw spaghetti noodles must undergo a brief dry-toast in the residual skillet fats before liquid is introduced. This thermal toast denatures surface starches, locking the structure of the pasta so it absorbs the marinara and broth without disintegrating over the 20-minute simmer. Acidity from the tomato sauce breaks down proteins in the meat and cheese concurrently, balancing the heavy fats of the mozzarella through chemical tenderization.
Variations in liquid absorption depend on starch content; water can substitute for chicken broth entirely if a lighter, more tomato-forward flavor profile is preferred without altering the cooking time.
