One Pot Pesto Chicken Meatballs
Saucy, flavor-packed, easy and speedy - these GORGEOUS basil pesto, chicken and bacon meatballs are a brilliant weeknight meal that feels special enough to serve for dinner parties or entertaining. They're made in one pot for ease, come together in just 30 minutes and perfect to prep in advance.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 621kcal
Ingredients
For the meatballs -
- 4 slices of bacon
- 1 lb (500g) ground chicken
- 1/2 cup basil leaves chopped
- 1 tablespoon basil pesto
- 4 garlic cloves crushed
- 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Black pepper
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce optional
For the sauce -
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves crushed
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 cup coconut milk
- ½ cup chicken stock
- ¼ cup pesto
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese grated
Instructions
- Make the meatball mixture. Set a large, high-sided pan you (ideally) have a lid for over high heat. Add your bacon, and cook until super crispy. This will take about five minutes and you'll want to flip the bacon a couple of times. Remove from the pan and chop into small pieces. Add the ground chicken to a mixing bowl, along with the chopped bacon, basil, 1 tablespoon of pesto, crushed garlic, 1/3 cup of panko breadcrumbs, the egg, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of fish sauce (if you're using it), the lemon zest and a very good grind of black pepper. Mix to combine well.
- Roll the meatballs. Line a large plate or tray with parchment paper. Wet your hands (this will stop the mixture sticking to them), then scoop up a heaped spoonful of the meatball mixture into your hands. Roll into a golf ball sized meatball, then place on the prepared plate and repeat with the rest of the mixture.
- Brown the meatballs. Drizzle the same pan you cooked the bacon in with a little olive oil and set over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs into the pan and cook until lovely and golden brown on all sides. You may need to do this is batches depending on the size of your pan. You don't need to cook the meatballs all the way through at this point - they'll cook in the sauce. You just want that lovely golden crust. Once the meatballs are brown, remove them from the pan and set them aside on a plate (I usually remove the parchment paper the raw meatballs were on and pop them onto the plate underneath it).
- Make the creamy pesto sauce. Add your crushed garlic, along with 1 teaspoon each of dried thyme and red pepper flakes and a big pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, for a couple of minutes until fragrant. Pour in 1 cup of coconut milk and 1/2 cup of chicken stock and stir through the aromatics. Bring to a simmer, then stir through 1/4 cup of pesto and most of the grated parmesan.
- Add the meatballs back into the sauce. Arrange the browned meatballs in the sauce, and bring the sauce back to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, then pop the lid on your pan and let simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the lid, then dollop the remaining pesto onto the meatballs and scatter with the remaining parmesan. Serve while hot, over rice (it's excellent with this loaded baked rice), pasta or fresh bread (focaccia or no-knead rosemary parmesan bread) is brilliant to mop up all the lovely sauce.
PRO TIP: When I have time, I like to pop the meatballs into the fridge to firm up for about 30 minutes - it's not a critical step but it just helps them keep their shape a little better when you brown them.
Notes
INGREDIENT NOTES: I highly recommend making your own pesto or using a good-quality fresh store-bought pesto for the best flavor. Avoid shelf-stable jarred pesto if possible - the flavor isn't as fresh. I've listed the fish sauce as optional as I know it can be divisive, but I promise it just adds a gorgeous savoriness that really adds to the flavor here (and isn't fishy at all!)
SUBSTITUTIONS: You can use regular heavy cream, sour cream or a plant-based alternative if you don't want to use coconut milk. Light coconut milk will give you a runnier sauce, whereas full-fat will be thicker and creamier. Swap regular basil pesto for sundried tomato pesto in both the meatballs and the sauce if you like. Skip the bacon if you don't eat pork, or you could use turkey bacon.
PREP AHEAD: You can mix and form the meatballs 24 hours in advance of cooking them - just store them covered in the fridge. Any leftovers will keep well for four days in the fridge.
OPTIONAL ADDITIONS: Stir broccoli or tender stem broccoli florets, cauliflower florets, green beans, frozen peas or a couple of big handfuls of spinach into the sauce before you add the meatballs back in to up the veggie factor if you like.
Nutrition
Serving: 200g | Calories: 621kcal | Carbohydrates: 14.1g | Protein: 33.2g | Fat: 49g | Saturated Fat: 21.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 24.7g | Cholesterol: 169.4mg | Sodium: 1442mg | Fiber: 1.3g | Sugar: 2g