by: Holly Erickson and Natalie Mortimer of Modern Proper
Cook Time
30 minutes
Prep Time
30 minutes
Yield
15 meatballs
Total Time
30 minutes
Prep Time
30 minutes
Yield
15 meatballs
ingredients
- Lemon-Dill Cream Ingredients
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh dill
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Meatball Ingredients
- 1 pound ground chicken
- ¼ cup plain breadcrumbs
- 1 large egg
- 2 garlic cloves, grated
- 1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon fresh dill, minced
- ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Tomato Sauce ingredients
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 (14-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
- Lemon wedges, for serving
- Minced fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, for serving
directions
- Make the lemon-dill cream. In a small bowl, combine sour cream, dill, lemon zest and juice, salt, and cayenne. Stir to mix well.
- Make the meatballs. In a large bowl, combine the chicken, breadcrumbs, egg, garlic, salt, lemon zest, paprika, dill, and pepper. With wet hands, mix well and form golf ball–size meatballs (about 2 tablespoons each). Place meatballs on a plate. You should have about 15 meatballs.
- Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is glistening, add the meatballs in a single layer. Cook, undisturbed, until the meatballs are just browned on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Turn them carefully and cook to brown the opposite side, about 3 more minutes. Transfer the meatballs to a plate, leaving the oil in the skillet.
- Make the sauce. Over medium heat, add the onion to the same skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 more minute. Add the crushed tomatoes, chicken stock, paprika, salt, and caraway. Use an immersion blender to blend the sauce directly in the skillet. (Alternatively, transfer the onion, garlic, and oil to the base of a blender. Add the tomatoes, chicken stock, paprika, salt, and caraway and blend on high until smooth, about 2 minutes. Then return the sauce to the skillet.)
- Return the meatballs to the skillet and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cover and cook until the meatballs are cooked through, about 10 minutes.
- Transfer the meatballs and sauce to a serving dish and add dill cream and minced parsley over the top. Serve with lemon wedges.
notes
Always wet your hands when working with meatballs! This step keeps the meat from sticking to your hands, and also yields smooth meatballs.
In general, meatballs should always be 2 tablespoons. A cookie scoop is a great tool for the job.
The sauce is everything! Be generous when serving.
