Chicken meatballs in mushroom sauce
Chicken meatballs in mushroom sauce are an easy weeknight dinner. The meatballs simmer until tender in creamy mushroom gravy. The meatballs are full of flavor from herbs and Pecorino Romano cheese, plus they can be made ahead of time. The sauce is creamy, delicious and full of meaty mushrooms.
I’ll give you variations and substitutions where I can, plus helpful tips and tricks for success. Read on for this info as well as the recipe. If you’d like to skip straight to the recipe, use the jump to recipe button at the top of the post.
You may also be interested in my ricotta meatballs and my Greek chicken meatballs recipes. For ease of browsing, you can find all of my meatball recipes in one place.
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Why you should make this recipe
- Quick & Easy – Ready in under an hour, this is easy enough for weeknights.
- Make ahead – The meatballs can be made a day or two ahead of time.
- Perfect for gatherings – Easily scale up the recipe to feed a larger group.
Chicken meatballs in creamy mushroom sauce
Tender chicken meatballs in creamy mushroom gravy can be served over mashed potatoes, polenta, or my personal favorite, thick noodles. If you prefer, you can also enjoy them with a green vegetable instead of a starchy side.
The meatballs are delicious, don’t get me wrong, but this sauce is so good. It really makes the dish, and honestly, you could serve it with anything.
Ingredients
You’ll need some basics for this chicken meatballs in mushroom sauce dinner. Most of the ingredients are likely already in your kitchen.
Chicken meatball ingredients
- Ground chicken – Also called chicken mince, this is the base of our meatballs.
- Pecorino Romano – My cheese of choice for nearly everything.
- Breadcrumbs – If you don’t have them, a great substitute is crushed saltines, or a panade made with milk and bread.
- Garlic, granulated onion, dried thyme, salt & pepper – These give our meatballs tons of flavor.
- Egg – Provides moisture, but it’s main job is to help bind everything together.
- Olive oil – This is the fat that I use to brown the meatballs. Use a neutral oil, if you prefer.
Mushroom sauce ingredients
- Mushrooms – We can’t have a mushroom sauce, or gravy, without them.
- Onion and garlic – These aromatics give the sauce amazing flavor. Cooking them down mellows their flavor.
- Butter – Butter gives the sauce richness and makes it glossy.
- Flour – Flour thickens the sauce and gives it body.
- Rosemary, thyme, salt & pepper – These ingredients give our mushroom gravy a ton of flavor.
- Cream – Added in off heat, it transforms the sauce into a creamy, delicious emulsion.
- Chicken stock – Homemade, or store – bought, make sure it tastes good, because you will taste it.
How to make
Here’s a quick summary of how to make chicken meatballs in mushroom sauce. Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full recipe.
- First, brown the chicken meatballs in olive oil. Then remove meatballs from pan and set aside.
- Next, make the mushroom sauce. Cook onions, garlic and mushrooms. Thicken the sauce with flour. Then add wine and stock to the pan. When sauce has thickened, return meatballs to the pan.
- Remove pan from heat and add cream.
- Serve meatballs with mushroom gravy.
Chicken and mushroom meatballs FAQ’s
Yes. You can make the meatballs and the sauce ahead of time.
Yes. I would probably freeze them in separate containers, but they can both be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Variations and substitutions
I used white mushrooms in this sauce, but you can try mixing it up with cremini mushrooms, sliced portobellos, or king oyster mushrooms.
Try adding a splash of dry white wine, like a Sauvignon Blanc or a Chardonnay, to the sauce as it is cooking down. It gives the sauce an incredible flavor. You can also omit the cream, and serve the sauce without the added dairy.
I used ground chicken for the meatballs, but you can switch it up with ground turkey or ground beef.
Serving suggestions
I would serve these chicken meatballs in creamy mushroom sauce over noodles, mashed potatoes, rice or polenta.
Serve a light dessert, like my blueberry poundcake, to finish off the meal.
Helpful tools and equipment
- I use this #40 scoop to portion the meatballs. It holds a little less than 2 tablespoons, which makes a nice, small meatball.
- All-Clad 12 inch pan – This is the exact pan I used to make this recipe. I like the extra handle on the side – it makes picking up a full pan much easier on your wrists.
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Chicken meatballs in creamy mushroom sauce
Ingredients
For the chicken meatballs
- 1/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs // 60ml
- 1 egg
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese // 60ml
- 1 tsp. granulated onion or onion powder
- 1 tsp. dried thyme
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 lb. ground chicken chicken mince // 454g
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
For the mushroom sauce
- 4 tbsp. unsalted butter // 57g
- 1 cup yellow onion diced // 250ml
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 lb. mushrooms cleaned and thinly sliced // 454g
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tsp. dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary or 1 heaping teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour // 30g
- 2 cups chicken stock // 500ml
- 1/4 cup dry white wine optional
- 1/4 cup light cream or half and half
Instructions
Make meatballs
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine all ingredients, except ground chicken. Mix well to combine.
- Gently fold in chicken, combining until nearly uniform. Try not to overwork the meat.
- Use a small cookie scoop to portion out 24 meatballs and place on a small baking sheet or large plate. (Meatballs can be made ahead of time, covered with plastic wrap and placed in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook.)
- Heat a 12" sauté pan over medium/medium-high heat. Add olive oil and swirl to coat the pan.
- Place meatballs in the pan and brown, turning over to brown tops and bottoms. Once meatballs are browned, remove from pan and set aside. Meatballs will not be cooked all the way through at this point. They will finish in the sauce.
Make mushroom sauce
- Using the same pan, melt butter over medium heat.
- Add onions and cook until starting to soften, about 5 – 6 minutes. Add garlic, and stir to combine.
- Add mushrooms, stirring to combine. Sauté mushrooms for 10 – 12 minutes, until they have started to cook down and release their liquid.
- Sprinkle flour over the vegetables, stir to coat, making sure there are no pockets of flour. Add wine, if using.
- Add dried thyme and rosemary, season with salt and pepper. Add chicken stock and stir to combine.
- Add meatballs back into the sauce, and cover the pan. Reduce to medium-low heat and simmer meatballs for 15 minutes.
- Remove from heat. Add cream and stir until fully incorporated. Serve with noodles, mashed potatoes, polenta or rice.
Nutrition
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