Chicken Meatballs with Fennel
Chicken meatballs with fennel and peas is a nourishing dinner to serve over rice or couscous. It’s packed with protein and fiber, and cooked in a zesty lemony sauce with a delicious blend of spices.
The meatballs are so flavorful when cooked in the sauce, but can even be baked and enjoyed as is. I love serving this dish over a bowl of fluffy white rice or pearled couscous and extra squeeze of lemon. It’s a hearty dinner that comes together all in one pot.
This is one of those dinners I love to prepare for shabbat and enjoy all weekend long. Leftovers are just as delicious a few days later, making it the perfect make ahead meal. The fennel softens in the sauce and adds a refreshing burst of flavor to the dish.
If you love fennel like me, here are some other recipes to try with fennel-
What you’ll need to make Chicken Meatballs with Fennel
For the chicken meatballs-
- ground chicken
- lemon zest
- parsley & cilantro
- egg
- breadcrumbs
- spices: turmeric, cumin, salt & pepper
For the sauce-
- lemon juice and zest
- fennel and peas
- spices: salt, pepper, cumin, turmeric
- date syrup
- water
- Start by preparing the chicken meatballs- combine the ground chicken in a bowl with the chopped herbs, spices, lemon zest, egg and breadcrumbs. Shape into slightly flattened meatballs
- Pan-fry the chicken meatballs in olive oil until browned on both sides. They don’t need to be fully cooked through
- Remove the seared meatballs from the pan. Add in the fennel and a little extra olive oil with the spices.
- Next pour in the lemon juice, lemon zest and peas. Toss together
- Pour the water into the pan then nestle the meatballs into the sauce. Drizzle with date syrup and cover the pan.
- Bring everything to a boil, then lower to simmer. Cook over a low flame for 35-45 minutes
Prepare ahead of time
The chicken meatballs can be made in advance and frozen for up to two months. If you plan to freeze them raw, you can thaw them the night before in the fridge then bake or pan-fry them when ready to cook.
If you plan to freeze them cooked, I suggest cooking them fully through on the pan, and then freezing.
This one-pot dish is so hearty and simple to make. I know you guys are going to love it!
Chicken Meatballs with Fennel & Peas
Ingredients
Chicken Meatballs
- 1.2-1.5 lbs ground chicken
- Handful of fresh parsley and cilantro finely chopped
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/4 cup olive oil
Lemon Sauce
- 2 fennel bulbs trimmed and sliced into thin wedges
- 15 oz bag frozen peas
- 2 cups water
- Juice from 2 lemons about 3 tbsp
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp date syrup
Directions
- Start by preparing the chicken meatballs- combine the ground chicken in a bowl with the chopped herbs, spices, lemon zest, egg and breadcrumbs. Shape into slightly flattened meatballs- you should get around 14.
- Add 1/4 cup of olive oil to a saute pan on medium heat. Once hot, pan-fry the chicken meatballs in the oil for about 3-4 minutes per side, until browned. They don't need to be fully cooked through.
- Remove the seared meatballs from the pan. Add in the fennel and a little extra olive oil with the spices. Cook together for 2-3 minutes.
- Pour in the lemon juice, lemon zest and peas. Toss together
- Pour the water into the pan then nestle the meatballs into the sauce. Drizzle with date syrup and cover the pan.
- Bring everything to a boil, then lower to simmer. Cook over a low flame for 35-45 minutes
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