Baked Chicken Meatballs with Buttery Couscous

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Soft, mild chicken meatballs baked (not fried) until golden, then rolled through a warm tomato sauce and spooned over fluffy buttered couscous. Gentle oregano-and-parmesan flavour, nothing spicy, nothing chewy — a weeknight dinner small kids actually finish, made from things you can grab at any supermarket.

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground chicken
• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3/4 tsp salt

• 2 cups jarred marinara or tomato pasta sauce
• 1 cup couscous
• 2 tbsp butter

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C) and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment.
2. In a bowl, combine the ground chicken, panko, egg, half the parmesan (1/4 cup), oregano, olive oil and salt. Mix gently with a fork or damp hands just until it comes together — overmixing makes the meatballs tough. Roll into 20 balls, each about the size of a walnut, and space them out on the sheet.
3. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, until the meatballs are lightly golden and cooked through (165°F / 74°C in the centre). No need to turn them.
4. While they bake, pour the marinara into a large skillet and warm over medium-low heat for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring now and then, until it just bubbles at the edges. Turn the heat to low.
5. Make the couscous: bring 1 1/4 cups water and the butter to a boil in a small saucepan with a pinch of salt. Stir in the couscous, cover, take off the heat and let it sit 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
6. Slide the baked meatballs into the warm sauce and turn them gently to coat, about 2 minutes. Spoon over the couscous and finish with the remaining 1/4 cup parmesan.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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