Tender chicken meatballs sauce (Printable Version)

Savory chicken meatballs in a creamy sun-dried tomato and parmesan sauce, perfect for a comforting dinner.

# What You Need:

→ Chicken Meatballs

01 - 1.1 lb ground chicken
02 - 1 large egg
03 - ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
05 - ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
06 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
07 - 1 tsp dried oregano
08 - ½ tsp salt
09 - ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

→ Marry Me Sauce

10 - 2 tbsp olive oil
11 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
12 - ½ cup chicken broth
13 - ½ cup heavy cream
14 - ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, sliced, drained
15 - ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
16 - 1 tsp dried Italian herbs
17 - ½ tsp chili flakes (optional)
18 - Salt and pepper, to taste
19 - Fresh basil, chopped, for garnish

# Steps:

01 - Set oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, combine ground chicken, egg, panko breadcrumbs, minced garlic, Parmesan, parsley, oregano, salt, and pepper. Mix gently until just blended.
03 - Shape the mixture into 16 uniform meatballs and arrange them evenly on the prepared baking sheet.
04 - Bake meatballs for 15 minutes until lightly golden and fully cooked through.
05 - Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
06 - Add drained sun-dried tomatoes to the skillet and cook for an additional minute.
07 - Pour in chicken broth and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.
08 - Stir in heavy cream, Parmesan, Italian herbs, and optional chili flakes. Continue to simmer for 3-4 minutes until the sauce slightly thickens.
09 - Add the baked meatballs to the skillet, spoon sauce over them, and simmer for 5-7 minutes to heat through and meld flavors.
10 - Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. Garnish with fresh basil before serving.

# Expert Pointers:

01 -
  • Rich, creamy sauce that feels restaurant-quality but comes together in about 25 minutes.
  • Chicken meatballs stay impossibly tender because you're not overcooking them—the oven does the work gently.
  • Sun-dried tomatoes give you that concentrated, luxurious flavor without any fussy techniques.
02 -
  • Don't overmix the meatball mixture—your hands should barely combine everything, or they'll become rubbery instead of tender.
  • The cream needs gentle heat, not a rolling boil, or it can separate and look broken; keep the flame medium and stir often.
  • Those sun-dried tomatoes are concentrated flavor bombs, so if you're sensitive to salt or richness, start with half and adjust.
03 -
  • Make the meatballs ahead and freeze them unbaked, then bake straight from frozen and add 3–4 extra minutes to the baking time—this saves you on busy nights.
  • Let the cream come to room temperature before adding it to the hot broth to minimize the chance of it curdling.
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