30 minutes or less/comfort/dinner/easy/noodles/recipes

Creamy Comforting 30 Minute Butter Chicken Meatballs

Posted March 28, 2019 by Stephanie

Sometimes, some things just come together serendipitously. Things like these delicious butter chicken meatballs. Recently, Mike and I went through a period where we were obsessed with Indian food. All the food we made for dinner parties was Indian. But at the same time, I also had a thing for meatballs. One day, we had both leftover in the fridge: a bit of butter chicken sauce and a bunch of meatballs. I looked at the containers, right next to each other, and I had the brilliant idea of combining the two. It was so good! This is spaghetti and meatballs like you’ve never seen before, and trust me when I say you’re going to love it.

Creamy Comforting 30 Minute Butter Chicken Meatballs | www.iamafoodblog.com

If you’ve never had butter chicken with pasta, you might think this is a bit of a strange combination. But hear me out: it’s really good – think of it like a basic tomato-based sauce with a bunch of spices and a touch of cream. You end up with a creamy, yet fresh tomato sauce bursting with flavor.

Speaking of tomatoes, in this post we used Mutti’s signature tomato offering: Finely Chopped Tomatoes (Polpa). I’m a huge fan of Mutti so I’m absurdly excited to be collaborating with them on this post. I love their retro Italian branding, the fact that they’re a family owned company and have been around since 1899, and just how fresh their products taste. With just perfectly sun-ripened tomatoes and salt – it’s like they’ve captured the feeling of being in Italy in the summer, without the flight.

If you’re looking for a fresh, flavorful weeknight dish that comes together quickly, this butter chicken is tailor made for you. First up, you make the meatballs: a simple mix of ground chicken, breadcrumbs, eggs, and salt and pepper. The meatballs are baked, so there’s no fuss with frying them – they end up perfectly cooked through, and much healthier then pan fried. While they’re baking in the oven, you’ll have your hands free to make the sauce by opening up a can of tomatoes, and adding the spices. A quick simmer melds all the flavors together. When the meatballs are cooked through, combine everything together and you’re ready to eat! We love the meatballs with pasta, but of course you can have them with rice too. Either way, they’re delicious!

Creamy Comforting 30 Minute Butter Chicken Meatballs | www.iamafoodblog.com

Creamy Comforting 30 Minute Butter Chicken Meatballs | www.iamafoodblog.com

Creamy Comforting 30 Minute Butter Chicken Meatballs | www.iamafoodblog.com

Creamy Comforting 30 Minute Butter Chicken Meatballs | www.iamafoodblog.com

Creamy Comforting 30 Minute Butter Chicken Meatballs | www.iamafoodblog.com

They’re just as good on basmati too!

Creamy Comforting 30 Minute Butter Chicken Meatballs
serves 4


  • 1 pound ground chicken
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 1/4 cup panko
  • salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1 can Mutti Finely Chopped Tomatoes (Polpa)
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Heat the oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with foil.

In a bowl, mix together the chicken, egg, panko and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Wet your hands slightly and shape into meatballs, placing on the foil lined baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes or until the meatballs are crisp and cooked through.

While the meatballs are cooking, make the sauce by combining the Mutti Finely Chopped Tomatoes (Polpa), garlic, garam masala, turmeric, paprika, cumin, cayenne, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Keep on a low simmer.

When the meatballs are cooked, add to the sauce, along with the heavy cream and butter. let simmer together, string occasionally until the sauce thickens lightly, about five minutes. Remove from the heat, taste and adjust the seasoning. Finish with cilantro and enjoy hot!

This post was created in collaboration with Mutti but all opinions are our own. Thanks for supporting i am a food blog!

5 Comments

  1. Susie says:

    This looks insanely delicious. I haven’t seen Mutti products in my grocery store. If I can’t find it, would other canned chopped tomatoes work as well with some extra chopping? Thanks for sharing this recipe!

    1. Stephanie says:

      yes, crushed will work too! Or you can find mutti here

  2. Cindi says:

    I’ve never heard of that brand of canned tomatoes. This sounds great. I will have to try it.

  3. Sabrina says:

    new dish for me, love the ingredients, especially the spices, don’t think i’ve used some of these before, or at least in combination, thank you

  4. Danielle says:

    Made this tonight – delicious! I think Indian-Italian fusion is the way of the future.

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