Giada De Laurentiis Shares Chicken Piccata Meatball Recipe

We recently chatted with Giada De Laurentiis following the release of her new cookbook, Super-Italian: More Than 110 Indulgent Recipes Using Italy’s Healthiest Foods, and now she’s revealing the recipe that’s already become the most popular among her fans: Chicken Piccata Meatballs.

Like her chicken marsala meatballs, the piccata version is inspired by the classic dish and features the familiar Italian flavors that she loves—including tangy capers, peppery Italian parsley and, of course, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. 

Because De Laurentiis and her partner, Shane Farley, celebrated the success of the dish by sharing a video of them making it on Instagram, everyone gets an up-close, step-by-step look at the process from the chef herself.

After watching it ourselves, we can verify that the recipe features everything adored about the original, just in circular shape and with even more tenderness, thanks to De Laurentiis’ soaked breadcrumb method. And though the meatballs are packed with most of the flavors used to coat the cutlets in the classic, she doubles down by finishing them off in a silky sauce like the original. Here’s what you need to know if you want to add yourself to the list of fans falling for this fun recipe.

First, do like De Laurentiis and soak bits of soft white bread in milk. The mixture helps bind the ingredients and adds extra moisture, resulting in a tender texture after the meatballs are baked. That’s right, she bakes the meatballs, which means that they require way less oil than frying and are quicker and less messy to make.

To achieve the most authentic piccata flavor, the chef blends ground chicken (along with the soaked bread mixture) with freshly grated Parm, egg, lemon zest, chopped shallots, capers and parsley, before rolling them into balls, placing them onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, and then popping them under the broiler for about seven minutes, or until golden.

Oh, and she dropped this pro-tip: “The trick to having [the meatballs] not stick to your hands is to keep your hands damp.” In an adorable exchange, Farley pointed out, “I don’t see that in the recipe,” only to admit to being wrong after she reiterated the tip by reading it right out of the pages of her new book lying open on her kitchen countertop.

We don’t get to see the full sauce steps, but the recipe on her Giadzy website is pretty straightforward. Simply soften shallots in olive oil, then whisk together a sprinkling of flour with chicken broth and lemon juice and finish with whole capers. Since the sauce comes together quickly, the meatballs go right into the pan once they’re out of the oven.

De Laurentiis plated her serving with a mix of what looks like steamed broccoli and a colorful salad, while her partner opted for a baked potato. And that’s one of our favorite things about her new recipe: that it’s a creative interpretation of a classic that makes you feel free to add your own twist, whether mixing in a few of your own favorite flavors or just serving it with the sides that you like best.

And speaking of doing things differently, our take on the chef’s new recipe calls for dry whole-wheat panko breadcrumbs—a small change that not only saves time but also ups the fiber content. Whichever you choose, it’s sure to be a hit the next time you’re craving Italian.