Chicken Meatballs in Tomato Sauce : Gluten Free
I visited an Italian Deli today and I was so inspired to try an Italian dish when I got home. I was absolutely blown away but all the mouthwatering Italian cheese and pastas and ice-cream in this quaint little deli. My friend took me with her and we both are shopaholics so we spend more than we should. But it was all worth it. So I am sharing with you my Italian Inspired Chicken Meatballs in Tomato Sauce.
These Chicken Meatballs in Tomato Sauce is so flavorsome and delicious. My kids enjoyed it, especially with some gooey cheese on top. Cheese always makes everything so delicious. I just can’t resist cheese, give it to me everyday and I will eat it without a moan. In fact there’s always cheese in my refrigerator because I have a cheese loving family.
You can serve the meatballs on a bed of pasta or some mashed potato or zucchini noodles. I guess it will work however you wish to serve them. They are light, juicy and delicious. I seared my meatballs in a little olive oil poured the tomato sauce over with some slices of cheese and popped it into the oven.
I did not add any breadcrumbs to my meatballs so it’s also gluten free. Instead I rolled my meatballs into some chickpea flour just to hold it together and they turned out perfect. Some days I am so clever, I even surprise myself and other days I don’t know what happens…haha!
When cooking the meatballs also keep a close eye on them, you don’t want overcooked meatballs. If you overcook them they will be hard and dry.
Some of my other favourite dishes:
Creamy Garlic Mushroom Parmesan Chicken
Chicken Meatballs in Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
Tomato Sauce
- 1x400 gram can of Italian chopped tomatoes
- 1 cup passata
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 1 green chilli finely chopped
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp dried italian herbs
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp paprika
- salt
- sugar only if required
Chicken Meatballs
- 500 gram chicken mince
- 2 tspn minced garlic
- 1 tspn dried Italian herbs
- 1 tspn dried oregano
- 2 tspn fresh thyme leaves only
- 2 tspn chilli flakes
- 1 tspn salt
- 1 large egg beaten
- 2 tbsp grated parmesan
- 2 tbsp chickpea flour
- 5 slices mozzarella cheese
- fresh parsley to garnish
Instructions
Tomato Sauce
- Add the olive oil, bay leaf and onion to a saucepan and cook the onion until translucent. Add the chilli and garlic and sauté for a minute
- Add the Italian herbs and oregano and let it fry for a few seconds
- Add the tomatoes and passata. Season with salt. Add a little sugar if tomatoes are too acidic. Simmer on low heat until tomatoes are cooked and oil surfaces to the top, about 10 minutes
Chicken Meatballs
- Mix all the garlic, Italian herbs, oregano, thyme, chilli flakes and salt together. Add the chicken mince, beaten egg, parmesan and chickpea flour and give it a light mix. Season with salt
- Divide mixture into 16 portions, using a ice-cream scoop as mixture will be quite mushy and make them into balls
- Wet your hands and finish off into a neat ball
- Refrigerate for 10 minutes. Turn on the grill function in your oven
Heat 2 tablespoon olive oil and fry the chicken meatballs, just until they are brown on both sides. Doesn't have to be fully cooked as it will cook further in the oven
Place them in an ovenproof dish, pour the tomato sauce over and place some mozzarella slices on top. Pop it into the oven for a few minutes, about 5-8 minutes or under the grill function just until cheese is melted
Notes
- You can use the tomatoes as it is or you can blend them if you prefer a smooth sauce
- The cheese is optional. You can also fry the meatballs and use the tomato sauce as the dip
- If you do not have chickpea flour you can leave it out. I usually roll the meatballs in the chickpea flour but this time I added it to the mixture and I found my meatballs a little lighter
- The mixture will be mushy so use an ice-cream scoop to divide the mixture. Wet your hands and then roll them into neat balls
