The best chicken meatballs baked until golden brown and flavored with garlic, herbs and spices. These meatballs are great served as an appetizer, or over a big plate of spaghetti.
My family loves meatballs, I often make their favorite versions including slow cooker meatballs, sweet and sour meatballs, and this lighter chicken version.
My family loves meatballs, and these tender and juicy chicken meatballs are their all-time favorite. Chicken meatballs are a little lighter than their beef counterparts, but they’re still plenty flavorful and are super easy to prepare.
How do you make chicken meatballs?
To make chicken meatballs, place ground chicken, eggs, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, olive oil and seasonings in a large bowl. Mix everything thoroughly, then roll 1 inch balls out of the mixture.
Place the uncooked meatballs on a foil lined sheet pan and they are ready to bake. Put them in the oven until the meatballs are golden brown and cooked through. Add a sprinkle of parsley, then serve and enjoy.
Tips for chicken meatballs
- You can use ground turkey instead of ground chicken with great results.
- When you select your ground chicken, pick 93-96% lean ground chicken. Avoid 99% lean ground chicken breast.
- I like to serve these meatballs in garlic butter sauce. To make garlic butter sauce, simply cook in a pan 4 tablespoons of butter, 1 teaspoon of garlic, 2 tablespoons of fresh chopped parsley and a little salt and pepper to taste. You can also serve these meatballs in marinara sauce or with marinara sauce for dipping.
- Try putting a little cooking oil on your hands when you form the meatballs. That helps keep the meat from sticking to you and gives you smoother meatballs.
How do you keep meatballs moist?
There are a few tricks to keep your meatballs moist.
- Make sure you add the olive oil indicated in this recipe.
- Mix the meatballs thoroughly so the eggs and bread crumbs are evenly distributed.
- Use chicken meat that is 93-95% lean so that the meat has moisture.
- Don’t over bake the meatballs. Take them out of the oven when they are cooked through and the tops are browned.
Chicken meatball variations
These chicken meatballs are fantastic because they can be used in practically any sauce or modified as you like. Here are some changes you can try.
- Greek style: Add 1/2 cup chopped cooked spinach and substitute feta cheese for the parmesan cheese.
- Cheese lovers: Add 1/2 cup each of shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheese to the meatballs.
- Mexican: Omit the Italian seasoning, instead use 1 tablespoon of chili powder. Use shredded cheddar cheese instead of parmesan cheese. Sprinkle a little cilantro over the top of the meatballs when serving them instead of parsley.
- Bacon: Try adding 1/2 cup of cooked crumbled bacon to the meatballs.
- Stuffed meatballs: Put a 1/2 inch cube of mozzarella cheese inside each meatball. The cheese will be melted and gooey when you cut the meatballs open.
These chicken meatballs bake up browned on the outside and moist on the inside. They work perfectly in pasta, as a pizza topping, in a meatball sandwich, or as a party snack. The possibilities are endless!
More meatball recipes you’ll love
- Greek Meatballs with Lemon Dill Rice
- Turkey Meatballs (Slow Cooker)
- Asian Meatballs and Carrot Rice
- Cranberry Meatballs (Slow Cooker)
- Teriyaki Meatballs
Chicken Meatballs
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground chicken 96% lean
- 1 egg
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- cooking spray
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with foil, and coat the foil with cooking spray.
- Place the ground chicken, eggs, breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning in a bowl. Mix until thoroughly combined.
- Roll 1 inch sized meatballs, and place the meatballs in a single layer on the baking pan.
- Bake for 20 minutes, or until meatballs are browned and cooked through. Sprinkle with parsley, then serve.
Valerie says
This may seem like a silly question but do you start with cooked shredded chicken or raw?
Sara says
it’s raw ground chicken!
Kim says
If you don’t have fresh parsley how much should I use of dried parsley?
Sara says
1/3 of the amount for dried!
Diana says
I’ve been making these for the last 3 years or so, thank you so much for this delicious recipe, my family loves them!
Isabel L says
I love this recipe. They came out delicious My son is a picky eater and he even had seconds. Usually my meatballs come out a bit dry but these were perfect moist and delicious 😁. Thank you !!
C M says
Is there a substitute for egg?
Sara says
I would just omit it!
Mike says
What is the serving size for the 310cal?
Also great recipe
Sara says
It should be for 4 meatballs!
Kathy says
Can you freeze the meatballs?
Sara says
Yes you can!
MJ says
This was a simple recipe easily made. The meatballs were amazing. So flavorful. I took them out of the oven before they were totally cooked as they do tend to cook while standing. Had them in a Greek lemon/egg soup. So good. I didn’t have panko bread crumbs, but used a mix of stuffing crumbs and crumbs I make from bread going stale. Use a thermometer to check doneness, but realize the balls will cook even after you take them out, so don’t overcook!
Lori says
I accidentally got turkey meat instead 🤦🏻♀️. Can I use that instead?
Sara says
Yes that’s fine!
Tamiko Davis-West says
I’m looking forward to making this dish
Daniela says
Can I freeze after cooking? Thanks;
Sara says
Yes that should be fine!
Heather M Edgell says
I have been looking for foods with less fat grams and ran across this recipe. My husband actually liked them!! Very good!!!
Marissa Crockett says
How many meatballs do you consider a serving? Love these! They are a great healthy snack we prep for our week!
Sara says
It should be 4-5 meatballs!
Onic says
I just made this chicken meatballs and my husband said it was the best chicken meatballs he has ever had!
Treasure says
Can you substitute the cheese with something else? My son is allergic to dairy.
Sara says
I’d just omit it!
Kris says
I can’t have dairy either; I used nutritional yeast in place of the cheese – it worked very well
Susan says
I usually make turkey meatballs and have to add more spices because its so bland but these chicken meatballs are delicious! Followed recipe as is and it was perfect.
joanne says
Wow..made up a big batch of your Chicken Meetmeat Balls. We used a Bocatini pastas. It was fabulous, accompanied with a sourdough loaf of bread and green salad
Thank you so much
Joanne Smith
Poulsbo Wa
Melody Moore says
This turned exactly as I wanted and hoped for. Definitely my go-to meatball recipe for the future. Freezing a bunch to have on hand. I use tzatziki sauce in a pita for a middle eastern/Greek twist,
Darcy says
I ended up making these with ground turkey as thats all I had and they were delicious.
Blair says
These turned out SO deliciously! How do you get that amazing, burnished surface on your meatballs? Our oven sucks and I can never trust the temperature settings, so I set to broil in the final minutes, but yours are so glossy and browned! I even spritzed them with some oil to try to help…
Sara says
Make sure to put your meatballs on the top rack so they’re closer to the broiler heating element! Glad you enjoyed the recipe.