Ingredients
- 2 lb ground chicken or boneless skinless chicken thighs to make your own ground chicken at home
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tbsp minced fresh parsley
- 1/4 cup white breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup sparkling water
- kosher salt to taste (if using kosher salt: 1 tbsp; if using regular salt: 1/2 tbsp), see note 1 about testing the seasoning
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp ground pepper
- 1 medium onion grated
- 3-4 garlic cloves
- 1/2 cup neutral oil like sunflower oil or vegetable oil for frying the meatballs
Instructions
- Add the sparkling water to the breadcrumbs, allowing them a few minutes to soak in the water.
- To a large mixing bowl, add all the ingredients for the meatball patties (the ground chicken, grated parmesan, grated onion, minced garlic, eggs, chopped parsley, breadcrumbs soaked in sparkling water, thyme, salt, and black pepper).
- Knead the chicken mixture for about 5 minutes until it’s all homogenous. Cover it and let it rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. You can also leave it in the fridge overnight. (see note 1 for adjusting the seasoning)
- Divide the mixture into 20 meatballs and shape each one into an oblong patty shape.
- Heat the skillet (frying pan) over medium heat. We’ll cook the meatballs in three batches.Add 3 tbsp of oil to the skillet, and once the oil is hot, add the first batch of meatballs.Cook for 3 minutes on one side, and then flip and cook for 3 minutes on the other side. Then, flip them again and cook for 3 minutes on the first side again, and then flip and cook for another 3 minutes on the second side. In total, the meatballs are being cooked for 12 minutes.Remove the first batch of meatballs to a warm tray or plate and repeat the process with the second and third batch (adding 2-3 tbsp of oil before pan-frying each batch of meatballs).
- Once the meatballs have been pan-fried, add all the meatballs to a large skillet or a pot (with a lid). Add 1/3 cup of boiling water to the bottom of the pan or pot and put the lid on to steam the meatballs (on medium heat) until the water has evaporated (about 10 minutes).
Notes
Note 1: Checking the seasoning. If you want to adjust the seasoning perfectly to your taste, cook a little bit of the meat mixture (after resting it in the fridge in step 3) to taste it before shaping and cooking all the meatballs. Take about half a tablespoon and shape it into a little patty. Cook in the frying pan with a little bit of oil on both sides until cooked through. Taste it and adjust the seasoning in the meatball mixture, if necessary.