Chicken Chasseur Meatballs
I’ve been on a huge meatball kick lately, as is evident by these Meatloaf Meatballs and these Pizza Meatballs, but now I’m bringing a bit more sophistication to my meatball game. These Chicken Chasseur (Hunter’s Chicken) Meatballs take a classic French dish and turns it into your new favorite recipe to make when you want to impress.
I first made Chicken Chasseur back in high school when I participated in a culinary competition for C-CAP, which is a great organization that teaches young kids all about the culinary arts and prepares them for working in the industry. We compete for scholarships and one of the recipes I had to learn was chicken chasseur. It’s engrained in my brain and I still make it all the time. I thought it was appropriate to give it the meatball treatment because it sounded so great, and guess what? It is!
Chicken Chasseur Meatballs
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Skillet
Ingredients
Meatballs:
- 2 pounds ground chicken
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup Panko or plain bread crumbs
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsely
- 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon or 1/4 teaspoon dried tarragon
- 1/4 crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Sauce:
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium shallot diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 pound crimini mushrooms sliced
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
- 1 medium tomato diced
- 1 teaspoon fresh tarragon finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh parsley finely chopped
- Kosher salt and coarse black pepper
Peas (optional):
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small shallot diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 12- ounces frozen peas
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- To make the meatballs, in a large bowl, combine the chicken, eggs, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, parsley, tarragon, red pepper flakes and lemon juice until evenly incorporated, but try not to over-mix at this point. Roll out into meatballs just shy of a golfball size.
- Set a large skillet over moderate heat with 2 tablespoons butter and the olive oil. Once hot place half of the meatballs in the skillet, trying not to overcrowd them. Cook on both sides until golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. We’re not looking to cook them all the way through at this point. Transfer to a small baking sheet and continue browning the rest of the meatballs. Once all have browned, place the baking sheet in the oven until cooked through, about 12 to 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, keep the same skillet over moderate heat. Add in the shallot, garlic and mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until golden brown. Once browned, season with salt and pepper. Add in the wine and cook until mostly evaporated. Stir in the chicken stock and cook until the sauce has thickened and reduced by half. Add in the tomato, tarragon, parsley and a pinch of salt and pepper. Once thickened, remove from the flame and add in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, stirring until melted through and glossy. Spoon the sauce over the meatballs and serve with couscous, rice, mashed potatoes and/peas.
- The peas are optional, but just in case I’ll add the recipe here for you. Set a large skillet over medium heat. Add in a tablespoon of olive oil and stir in shallot and garlic with a pinch of red pepper flakes. Cook until just beginning to brown. Then add in the peas, no need to thaw, and cook until bright green and warmed through. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and stir in the parmesan before serving. Enjoy!
