Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Meatballs in One Skillet Step-by-step instructions

Before you start

Set out everything before the pan goes on the heat, because the sauce moves quickly once it starts. Mince the garlic, drain and slice the sun-dried tomatoes, tear the basil leaves, and measure the broth, cream, salt and pepper into small bowls. Line up a mixing bowl, a plate for the finished meatballs, and an instant-read thermometer.

Instructions

Mix and shape

1. 1Mix the meatball base
   In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground chicken, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, egg, half the minced garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and the black pepper. Mix with a fork or clean hands just until everything is evenly incorporated, no more than 30 seconds. Overworking the mixture is what turns ground poultry dense, so stop as soon as the ingredients come together.
   Look for The mixture should hold together when squeezed, with visible flecks of Parmesan and garlic throughout.
   Tip Chilling the bowl and the mixture for 10 minutes makes the sticky poultry blend far easier to shape.
2. 2Shape the meatballs
   With damp hands or a small cookie scoop, roll the mixture into 12 meatballs, about 1 1/2 inches across and roughly 2 tablespoons each. Press gently rather than packing them tight; a light hand keeps the crumb tender. Set them on a plate as they are shaped and keep them in the refrigerator if the rest of the prep will take more than 30 minutes.
   Look for Twelve even balls, smooth on the outside with no large cracks.
   Tip Wetting the hands between rolls prevents the mixture from sticking and gives a smoother crust later.

At the end of this phase there should be 12 even meatballs, about 1 1/2 inches across, resting on a plate with no visible streaks of unmixed egg or breadcrumb.

The mixture should feel tacky but hold together firmly when squeezed, and a shaped ball should not slump or crack at the seams. The surface of each meatball should look smooth and slightly glossy from the damp hands used to shape it.

Brown the meatballs

3. 3Brown the meatballs
   Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the meatballs in a single layer, leaving space between them, and brown for 6 to 8 minutes, turning every couple of minutes so all sides color evenly. Work in two batches if the pan feels crowded; crowding steams the meat instead of browning it.
   Look for Deep golden-brown crusts on at least three sides, with the pan sizzling steadily but not smoking.
   Tip Do not worry about cooking the centers through; the simmer in the sauce finishes the job.
4. 4Rest the meatballs aside
   Transfer the browned meatballs to a clean plate, leaving the rendered fat and any browned bits in the skillet. Those crusty bits are the flavor base of the sauce, so resist wiping the pan. Set the meatballs aside while the sauce comes together; they will finish cooking gently in the cream.
   Look for The pan bottom shows a thin film of fat with browned bits clinging to it.
   Tip Pour off excess fat if more than a tablespoon remains, so the finished sauce is not greasy.

The meatballs should now show a deep, even golden-brown crust on at least three sides, with the edges looking slightly crisped where the crust met the hot oil.

The pan should hold a thin film of fat and a scattering of browned bits stuck to the bottom, which smell toasty and savory, never burnt. The meatballs will still be undercooked at the center, and that is expected at this point.

Sauce and finish

5. 5Bloom the garlic and tomatoes
   Set the skillet over medium heat and add the remaining garlic, the sliced sun-dried tomatoes, and the red pepper flakes if using. Stir for about 1 minute, until the garlic turns fragrant and the tomatoes begin to sizzle in the pan fat. Keep the heat moderate; burnt garlic turns bitter and cannot be rescued once it darkens.
   Look for A strongly fragrant, sweet-tangy aroma and the garlic softening to a pale gold.
   Tip A spoonful of oil from the sun-dried tomato jar deepens the color and flavor of the sauce.
6. 6Deglaze with broth
   Pour in the chicken broth and scrape the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon, lifting every browned bit into the liquid. Let it bubble for 2 minutes so the broth reduces slightly and concentrates. This deglazing step is what makes a simple cream sauce taste like it simmered for hours.
   Look for The liquid darkens and the pan bottom looks clean, with no dark spots left stuck to it.
   Tip Use low-sodium broth so the sauce stays balanced as it reduces.
7. 7Add the cream
   Lower the heat to medium-low and stir in the heavy cream along with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Simmer gently for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Cream sauce should never boil hard; a lazy bubble keeps it smooth and glossy.
   Look for The sauce coats a spoon in a thin, even layer and leaves a clean line when a finger is drawn through it.
   Tip If the sauce thickens too fast, loosen it with a splash of broth rather than water.
8. 8Simmer the meatballs through
   Nestle the meatballs and any collected juices back into the sauce. Cover partially and simmer over medium-low for 8 to 10 minutes, turning once halfway, until the meatballs are cooked through to an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) when checked with an instant-read thermometer. The sauce will loosen slightly as the meatballs release their juices.
   Look for The meatballs feel firm with a gentle spring, and the thermometer reads 165°F (74°C) at the center of the thickest ball.
   Safe temperature 165°F (74°C) internal temperature (poultry)
   Tip Check two or three meatballs, since the largest ones set last.
9. 9Finish with basil
   Take the skillet off the heat and scatter the torn basil over the surface, folding it gently into the sauce so it wilts in the residual warmth. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper. The basil should stay bright green; adding it over direct heat would dull both the color and the flavor.
   Look for Wilted, vivid green basil ribbons suspended in a rosy, glossy cream sauce.
   Tip Tear the leaves by hand rather than cutting; bruised edges release more aroma into the sauce.
10. 10Serve hot from the pan
    Spoon the meatballs and sauce onto warm plates or serve straight from the skillet at the table, making sure every portion gets plenty of the sun-dried tomato cream. The dish is at its best the moment the basil goes in, when the sauce is at its glossiest and the meatballs are at their juiciest.
    Look for Steam rising off the plate and sauce pooling generously around each meatball.
    Tip Warm the plates briefly under hot tap water so the sauce stays fluid at the table.

The finished skillet should hold plump meatballs nestled in a rosy, glossy cream sauce that coats the back of a spoon and pools generously between them.

The largest meatball must read 165°F (74°C) at its center on an instant-read thermometer. The sauce should smell sweet and garlicky with a faint tang from the sun-dried tomatoes, and the basil should be just wilted, still bright green.

Common mistakes

Three mistakes account for most disappointing batches. The first is overmixing: ground poultry turns bouncy and dense within seconds of overworking, so mix only until the ingredients disappear into each other.

The second is crowding the pan during browning, which drops the temperature and steams the meatballs pale instead of searing them golden; brown in two batches if needed. The third is boiling the cream hard, which can split it into a grainy sauce.

How to tell it’s done

The only reliable test is temperature: ground poultry must reach 165°F (74°C) at the center, so check the two or three largest meatballs with an instant-read thermometer, aiming for the middle of each ball rather than the edge. Visually, a cooked meatball looks firm and plump with a slight spring when pressed, and the juices released into the sauce run clear.

• Poultry: 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part