Skip to main content

Gluten-Free Chicken Meatballs with Braised Lemon and Kale

3.5

(256)

Image may contain Food Meatball Dish Meal Furniture Table and Dining Table

Recipe information

  • Total Time

    35 minutes

  • Yield

    Servings

Ingredients

2

tablespoons olive oil, divided

2

medium shallots, minced, divided

1

scallion, minced (all parts), plus thinly sliced green tops for garnish

2

cloves garlic, minced

1

/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1

pound ground chicken meat

1

teaspoon kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, plus more

1

lemon, very thinly sliced and seeds removed

2

cups low salt chicken broth

1

large bunch curly kale, destemmed

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add shallot, scallion, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring constantly until softened and fragrant, about 6 minutes.

    Step 2

    Add 1/3 of ground chicken and cook just until cooked through, breaking up any clumps. Transfer to a medium bowl and let cool slightly. Add remaining chicken meat, salt, and several grindings of black pepper. Mix just to combine. Wipe out pot and add remaining Tbsp. oil. Heat over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Form meat mixture into 8 meatballs each about 2–2 1⁄2-inch in diameter and add to pot (mixture will be soft). Cook until light golden brown on all sides, 6–8 minutes total. Remove meatballs to a plate; set aside.

    Step 3

    Add remaining shallot and lemon slices and cook until lemon slices are tender and starting to turn light golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add chicken broth and return meatballs to pot.

    Step 4

    Bring to simmer, lower heat and cover. Cook meatballs until cooked through, 8-10 minutes. Add kale to pot, and cook until tender and bright green, 4–5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat. Divide kale and sauce among 4 shallow bowls, topping with meatballs and lemon slices. Garnish with sliced scallion tops and serve.

Nutrition Per Serving

5 servings
1 serving contains: Calories (kcal) 260 Fat (g) 14 Saturated Fat (g) 3 Cholesterol (mg) 80 Carbohydrates (g) 18 Dietary Fiber (g) 2 Total Sugars (g) 2 Protein (g) 21 Sodium (mg) 710
Sign In or Subscribe
to leave a Rating or Review

How would you rate Gluten-Free Chicken Meatballs with Braised Lemon and Kale?

Leave a Review

Reviews (256)

Back to Top
  • We heeded earlier comments, particularly from "Anonymous," and handled the meatballs gently to avoid disintegration, and reduced the liquid, with about a tablespoon of butter, after removing kale & meat. The results were excellent, served over brown rice. A few minor modifications to ingredient list: we added lemon zest to the shallot/onion/garlic saute, used two rather than one lemon (meyer), and added a bit of white wine to the braising liquid.

    • DnP

    • Healdsburg, CA

    • 6/9/2022

  • I did not need a binder for the meatballs, but be very gentle with them and let them cook for about 3 minutes until they release themselves from the pan with light shaking, if you try to turn them too early they stick and fall apart. The watery sauce was not appetizing to me, after I plated the kale, lemon and meatballs I cooked it down and added a tablespoon of butter to thicken.

    • Anonymous

    • 7/13/2021

  • I just read through this recipe. It seems to need a "binder" for the meatballs. I would use either 2Tbsp of tomato paste or mix in one medium egg.

    • Anonymous

    • Pennsylvania

    • 3/15/2021

  • This is one the most disgusting recipes I have had the displeasure of making. Whoever created this wasn't in their right mind. It is absolutely terrible and the ratio of ingredients are way off.

    • hbar

    • 8/30/2020