Sometimes I run out of ideas of how to prepare chicken and sometimes the easiest way to find inspiration for me is to watch the Food Network – of course when they have regular programs. I just can’t stand the reality shows playing over and over and the festival of constant contests…sorry but not my cup of tea.

Luckily, I came across a recipe from Sunny Anderson that involved adding lemon zest to chicken meatballs, and I LOVE lemons! So I thought I would give it a try and make it my own.

To make it my own I decided to add some fresh basil and a few ingredients I regularly use for turkey meatballs. One thing led to another, and I ended up adding  some ricotta and tomato paste as well since ricotta + basil + lemon + tomato = heaven.

And in fact, it was! The meatballs come out super tender and juicy with the fresh flavor of the lemon….delicious! So good that I had to make a post about it!

I love Tzatziki so I thought I would make one with basil instead of dill to go with the meatballs.

They paired fantastically!

I like the meatballs to be a little toasty outside and the ricotta makes them really tender and soft in the inside and if you serve them with the tzatziki it makes an extraordinary combination. They complement each other wonderfully.

We went to see Jason Bourne last weekend and it was pretty awesome 🙂 Have you guys seen it?

I hope you try this recipe. It is a different and delicious way to eat chicken. It is also a great alternative as an appetizer for a dinner party. You can also serve them with fresh bread and make sandwiches with the meatballs and the tzatziki…Yum!

Here is what you need:

Zesty Chicken Meatballs with Basil Tzatziki

Yield: About 23 meatballs (approximately 4 servings)

Ingredients

For the Meatballs:

1 lb of ground chicken

4 tbsp of ricotta

2 tbsp of olive oil

3 tbsp of mayo

1 tbsp of Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp salt

1/2 tbsp pepper

1 tsp of thyme

1/2 tsp of oregano

1 sprig of fresh basil (about 7-8 leaves), chopped

2 tbsp of tomato paste

1/3 cup of breadcrumbs or panko

lemon zest of 1 lemon

For the Basil Tzatziki

1 cup or  8 oz of fat free yogurt

juice of 1 lemon

1/2 cup of english cucumber, diced

1 clove of garlic, minced

1/2 tsp of salt

1/4 tsp of pepper

 

 

Instructions

Meatballs:

Preheat the oven to 400° Fahrenheit.

In a medium to large bowl, whisk olive oil, mayo, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, oregano, basil and thyme. Once you have mixed all ingredients add the ground chicken and add the breadcrumbs. Combine all ingredients and form the meatballs – approximately 22 (I used a small cookie spoon so that all meatballs would be the same size).

Place meatballs in a baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes or until meatballs are throughly cooked.

Tzatziki:

Stir yogurt with lemon juice, basil, garlic, salt and pepper, add the diced cucumber. Test for seasoning and adjust if necessary.

 

Notes

You can add 2 tbsp of brown sugar to the chicken mixture before you form and bake the meatballs to obtain a hint of barbecue flavor.

Try to use an english or a persian cucumber for the tzatziki, their skin is thinner and not waxed, so they don’t need to be peeled or seeded. They are usually sold wrapped in plastic.

Nutritional Facts calculated on 5 servings