Chicken Meatballs with Pumpkin Risotto
These savory Chicken Meatballs with Pumpkin Risotto are the ultimate fall comfort meal, complete with garlic, parmesan, and crispy toasted sage!
When the fall weather starts to roll in, I immediately crave warm, cozy dinners. And let me tell you, this recipe checks every single box! The combination of juicy chicken meatballs and creamy, savory pumpkin risotto feels like a special restaurant meal, but it is actually so easy to make at home.
The meatballs are packed with garlic and parmesan, which balances out the earthy sweetness of the pumpkin so well. Plus, that crispy toasted sage on top takes the whole dish to the next level! This is one of those meals that will absolutely impress the family or dinner guests!
To make the meatballs, we just combine lean ground chicken with garlic, parmesan, and a few simple seasonings. They bake up super tender and juicy! While the meatballs are in the oven, you can whip up the creamy pumpkin risotto on the stove.
The risotto base gets its rich texture from arborio rice, pure pumpkin puree, parmesan cheese, and a touch of cream at the very end. Once everything is plated, you top it off with fresh sage leaves fried in butter until crispy. It smells amazing while it cooks and tastes even better!
Ingredients for Garlic Parmesan Meatballs and Pumpkin Risotto
The Chicken Meatballs: Ground chicken stays nice and light. We mix it with freshly minced garlic, grated parmesan cheese, and breadcrumbs. This gives the meatballs a savory, classic Italian flavor profile.
The Pumpkin Risotto: Creamy arborio rice cooks slowly in broth and real pumpkin puree. Then, we stir in freshly grated parmesan cheese and a splash of heavy cream. This creates an unbelievably velvety texture without being too heavy.
Toasted Sage Garnish: Fresh sage leaves get fried in melted butter for just a minute until crispy. This simple garnish adds a gorgeous crunch and a nutty, aromatic herbal finish to every bite.
Tips for the Best Pumpkin Risotto and Meatballs
Warm Your Broth First: Always keep your broth simmering in a small saucepan next to your risotto pot. Adding warm broth keeps the rice cooking evenly. Adding cold liquid slows down the cooking process and ruins the texture.
Stir Frequently for Creaminess: Gentle, frequent stirring releases the natural starches from the arborio rice. That starched liquid combines with the pumpkin and cream to build a rich sauce without needing tons of heavy butter.
Bake or Pan-Fry the Meatballs: You can easily bake these chicken meatballs on a parchment-lined sheet for easy cleanup. But if you want a nice golden-brown crust, quickly sear them before baking (which is why these look so perfectly golden!).
Don’t Skip the Toasted Sage: Sage and pumpkin are a match made in heaven! Watch the sage leaves closely when frying them in butter. They crisp up very fast and can burn quickly if left in the pan too long.
Craving more savory pumpkin recipes? Try these!
One-Pot Pumpkin Orzo and Chicken
Chicken Meatballs with Pumpkin Risotto
These savory Chicken Meatballs with Pumpkin Risotto are the ultimate fall comfort meal, complete with garlic, parmesan, and crispy toasted sage!
Ingredients
For the Meatballs:
- 1 pound ground chicken breast
- 2 garlic cloves. minced
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs
For the Pumpkin Risotto:
- 4 tablespoons butter, divided
- 1 shallot, finely diced
- 1 cup arborio rice
- 1/3 cup white wine
- 32 ounces chicken stock
- fresh sage leaves
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup heavy cream (or half and half)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. In a mixing bowl, add the ground chicken breast, minced garlic, Parmesan cheese, salt, egg, and breadcrumbs. Mix thoroughly until well-combined. Form into about 12 evenly shaped meatballs and set aside.
- Heat a saute pan with a touch of olive oil over medium heat and sear the meatballs on each side for about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the meatballs to a lined baking sheet and bake for approximately 10-15 minutes at 400 degrees until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. (NOTE: If you choose to skip searing the meatballs in a pan first and just go straight to baking them, they will need to bake for more time). Once cooked, remove from the oven and set aside.
- In a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat, add 3 tablespoons of the butter. Once melted, add in the shallot and cook in the butter for about 3 minutes. Then stir in the rice and cook for another 2 minutes. Pour in the white wine and stir until absorbed.
- Stir in about 1/2-3/4 cup of the chicken stock. Lower heat to medium. Continue stirring the rice until the stock is absorbed. Repeat these steps adding up to 3/4 cup of the stock each time and stirring constantly until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender (it takes me about 4-5 rounds of this for the rice to be fully cooked).
- While cooking the risotto, heat another small pan over medium high heat. Add the remaining butter and about 1/3 cup fresh sage leaves. Once the butter is melted, add the sage leaves in a single layer and let fry about 45 seconds. Remove from heat, leaves will crisp as they cool. Crumble or chop and set aside.
- Once the risotto is cooked, stir in the pumpkin puree, Parmesan cheese, and heavy cream until melted and combined. Season with salt to taste. Stir in the crumbled crispy sage leaves. Add the cooked meatballs on top. Serve.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 618Total Fat: 29gSaturated Fat: 15gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 168mgSodium: 1406mgCarbohydrates: 39gFiber: 2gSugar: 5gProtein: 44g
