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Baked Chicken Francese Meatballs

These baked chicken francese meatballs are the perfect twist to an Italian favorite. Delicious lemon packed meatballs swimming in a classic lemon sauce tossed with al dente pasta. So much flavor packed into an easy dish that can be cooked in just 20 minutes! 

baked chicken francese meatballs with pasta

Is there anything better than pasta and meatballs? I know the traditional red sauce and meatballs get all the praise but today I’m here to bring you something equally delicious – baked chicken francese meatballs and pasta in a homemade white wine and lemon sauce.  

So. Much. Deliciousness. 

If you’re a fan of all things lemon you’ll love this twist to the classic Italian-American dish. Plus, if you’re not big into frying you’ll love easy it is to make this dish because the meatballs are cooked right in the oven. 

Nothing better than oven-baked meatballs. Trust me! 

Baked Chicken Francese Meatballs cut in half

What is chicken francese? 

If you’re not familiar with chicken francese let’s cover it quickly. 

Chicken francese is one of those dishes that you see on almost every Italian-American restaurant menu. It starts with breading a chicken cutlet in flour and egg, pan-frying it and then making a sauce out of white wine, lemon juice, and butter. Since it’s Italian you can bet it’s almost always served with pasta.

It’s super simple and delicious but can be tiresome for folks who are not into the whole breading and pan-frying thing. 

So, I took all those flavors you would find in the traditional dish and turned it into an easier to make meatball and pasta dish. 

Baked Chicken Francese Meatballs in a pan with pasta

Since I made this dish I have made it 2 more times just for Art and me.

We LOVE it! 

If you’re super into sauce you can easily double the sauce ingredients to make it extra saucy. Personally, I love the lemon white wine combo so I have been known to really double up on the sauce. 

Baked Chicken Francese Meatballs in a skillet

What do I need to make this dish?

  • Ground chicken
    • I LOVE ground chicken which I feel like if you have followed me for a long time you will know that to be 100% true. It can hold a lot of flavors so it’s the perfect ground protein for a lemon heavy meatball. 
  • Lemon
    • I like to buy big lemons so I know I’m getting something extra juicy. 
  • Panko bread crumbs
    • Using panko helps keep the meatballs together. Ground chicken has a tendency to be very soft so you need something to help form the balls. 
  • White wine
    • You want to use a nice dry white wine. I typically grab a chardonnay because its buttery taste goes well in a dish like this. 
  • Pasta
    • While you could easily serve this over mashed potatoes I feel like pasta is your best bet.

Baked Chicken Francese Meatballs in a skillet with pasta and sauce

Loving these baked chicken francese meatballs?

Why not try a few of my other delicious meatball recipes! 

baked chicken francese meatballs with pasta

Baked Chicken Francese Meatballs

Author: Brandy O'Neill - Nutmeg Nanny
4.53 from 19 votes
Print Pin
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground chicken
  • 3 cloves garlic grated
  • 1 lemon zested and juiced, divided
  • 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
  • 1/4 cup minced parsley divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 1/2 pound cooked pasta

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside.
  • In a medium-sized mixing bowl add ground chicken, garlic, lemon zest, panko bread crumbs, 2 tablespoons minced parsley, kosher salt, and black pepper.
  • Mix together with your hands and form into 2 tablespoon-sized balls.
  • Place the meatballs onto the prepared baking sheet.
  • Cook the meatballs for about 20 minutes or until fully cooked.
  • While the meatballs are cooking start making the sauce.
  • In a large 12-inch skillet add dry white wine, butter, and lemon juice.
  • Simmer over medium-high heat until the mixture has cooked down to a syrupy consistency.
  • Whisk in chicken stock and simmer until the sauce has cooked down by half.
  • Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the parsley.
  • Add the cooked pasta and meatballs to the mixture and toss to combine.
  • Serve warm.

Notes

Note: if you love parsley feel free to add 2 tablespoons more parsley into the meatball mixture.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 480kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 148mg | Sodium: 576mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g
Course Main Course
Keyword chicken, chicken francese, dinner recipe, easy dinner, ground chicken, italian food, meatballs
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Brandy

About Brandy!

I am a food lover and recipe developer bringing you delicious recipes that taste great and are easy to make! My food is inspired by travels around the world and my love of flavorful food. A list of things that make me happy: cats, Coke Zero, houseplants, and travel. Read more...

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