A while back I schlepped over to Costco and bought a few simple ingredients and prepared food items with the intention of making a series of fast, simple meals that would be perfect for a week night when there’s little time and little energy but you still want a tasty plate of food – and not the same-old-same-old stuff. This Chicken Meatball Skillet is the first off the press and totally fits that bill.

The Chicken Meatball Skillet is ridiculously tasty even though the ingredients list is short and ordinary. It’s amazing what can happen when you thoughtfully combine certain flavors together. Delicious does not have to be long, complicated, or involve a trillion things. Also, this Chicken Meatball Skillet is cheap. Some find the transition to whole, fresh foods expensive. This recipe is definitely not that, especially if you are able to shop at somewhere like Costco, Sam’s Club, or a similar wholesale / discount situation.

This dish is a snap to throw together, and if you make sure to get the meatballs out of the freezer the night before so they can defrost naturally in the ‘fridge, you can have dinner on the table with 15 minutes of tossing your coat on the bench as you walk in the door from your day. I like to keep several packs of these meatballs in the freezer for those times when I haven’t planned and need a virtually instant meal. The rest of the ingredients are staples in my ‘fridge or can be found at every grocery store, so grabbing them on the way home will be fast and hassle-free.

If you have a favorite chicken meatball recipe that you love and enjoy making you can totally use those. If you make them in bulk, bake them, and store them in the freezer they will be as easy to use as the prepared ones from the store.

If you’ve been looking for simple, tasty meals that require more assembly than cooking, this Chicken Meatball Skillet has you covered!

Chicken Meatball Skillet

Author: Carrie Brown | Prep time:  5 mins   |   Cook time:  10 mins  |   Total time: 15 mins  |  Serves: 2 – 4

What You Need

• 1 TBSP avocado oil or coconut oil
• 1 lb / 450g chicken meatballs (I used these and got them at Costco), cut in half or quarters
  
• ½ cup / 4 fl oz. heavy cream
• Sea salt and ground black pepper to taste (Get the best sea salt here and use code: carriebrown for 15% discount!)
  
• 8 oz. / 225g baby or cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
• 8 oz / 225g mushrooms, quartered or cut into thick slices
• 3 TBSP finely chopped fresh basil
  

What You Do

1. In a large pan heat the oil, add the halved or quartered meatballs, and saute over high heat until browned. You are not trying to cook them, just brown them, so a few minutes over high heat should do the trick.
   
2. Add the heavy cream, season with the sea salt and ground black pepper, stir well and bring the cream just to the boil.
3. Reduce the heat so the cream is simmering, add the cut tomatoes and mushrooms and stir well.
   
4. Allow the mixture to simmer for a few minutes until the mushrooms are *just* cooked and the tomatoes warmed.
5. Carefully spoon the meatballs and sauce into serving dishes and sprinkle liberally with the chopped fresh basil.

Top Recipe Tips

• If your meatballs are frozen, get them out of the freezer the night before and let them defrost naturally in the ‘fridge. Meat does not fare well in the microwave and no one likes tough meatballs. No one.
• If you cannot find the same meatballs that I used, feel free to use any clean, grain-free chicken meatball that you like and can get locally, or you can always make your own.
• Do not over cook once you have added the mushrooms and tomatoes. They will start releasing all their moisture, become soggy, and give you a very runny, watery sauce. Plus, no one likes wrinkly vegetables.
• I do not recommend using dried basil instead of fresh as the cooking time is so short it could well be like munching on dried grass. No bueno.

• Check out the Ingredients Guide for information on ingredients.
• Where Are The Macros and Nutritional Info?

Helpful Cooking and Recipe Links

• More chicken recipes
• Come laugh and learn with us over at The Kitchen Podcast
• Come hang out in The Keto Kitchen Facebook Group
• For lots more great recipes check out our scrumptious cookbooks!
• Check out the categories and tags at the top of the post to help you find more recipes using certain ingredients or from certain categories.
• Discounts on great keto products and resources.

Podcast Episodes and You Tube Videos

• How and Why to Measure Food
• Where Are The Macros and Nutritional Info?

Substitutions

• Don’t. Just buy the correct ingredients and you, too, shall have a fabulous outcome!
• I do not recommend using dried basil instead of fresh as the cooking time is so short it could well be like munching on dried grass. No bueno.
  
• You can use thick coconut milk instead of heavy cream for dairy-free. The flavor will be a little different.