Skinny Florentine Chicken Meatballs in Pan Sauce

Your favorite chicken dish turned into meatballs! My Skinny Florentine Chicken Meatballs in Pan Sauce take chicken meatballs to the next level. This pan sauce is decadent yet lightened-up, utilizing ingredients like reduced fat cream cheese, reduced sodium chicken broth, shallots and lemon. Fresh spinach is added to balance it all out and add an extra dose of healthy ingredients. The recipe makes 20 meatballs, so there's plenty to share--or keep it all for yourself for the rest of the week!

Course appetizer, dinner, lunch, main course

Keyword chicken meatballs, florentine chicken, pan sauce

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 35

Servings people; 5 meatballs each

Calories 319kcal

Author Steph

Equipment

mixing bowl
casserole dish
frying pan

Ingredients

Meatballs

1 lb ground chicken breast 98-99% fat free
1 egg
1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
2 tbsp pecorino Romano grated
2 tbsp fresh parsley minced
2 cloves garlic minced
1 shallot minced
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 lemon zested

Pan Sauce

3 shallots sliced
1/4 cup white wine
1 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp kosher salt
fresh cracked pepper
1 lemon juiced
2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
5 oz fresh spinach
1.5 oz reduced fat cream cheese

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375F.
Mince the parsley, garlic, and shallot.
Add them to a bowl with the ground chicken, egg, breadcrumb, dried basil, garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, and zest of a lemon. Mix together with your hands and form into 20 meatballs, using a small cookie scoop.
Add olive oil spray to a frying pan over medium heat. Working in two batches, sear the meatballs on all sides until golden brown (they will not be cooked through).
Place the partially cooked meatballs into a baking dish, and finish cooking in the oven at 375F for 20 minutes or until they reach an internal temperature of 165F.
To make the pan sauce, slice the remaining 3 shallots and add them to the same pan you cooked the meatballs in, sprayed with olive oil spray. Cook over medium high heat for about 5 minutes or until tender
Deglaze the pan with the white wine.
Once the wine is evaporated, sprinkle in the flour and stir to coat the shallots.
Pour in the juice of the lemon and the chicken broth. Simmer until the sauce thickens slightly (about 5 minutes).
Season with the salt and pepper, and stir in the cream cheese.
Finally, add the spinach to the pan and cover with a lid to wilt the leaves.
When the meatballs are done cooking, add them to the sauce in the pan and toss to coat. Simmer in the sauce until ready to serve.

Nutrition