Chicken Meatballs | Easy, Versatile, and Tender

Baked Chicken Meatballs are tender, juicy, and totally delicious! This versatile and lighter meatball recipe is made in minutes with everyday ingredients.

Because I always keep it real with you, I’ll share that just prior to my husband taking a bite of his loaded chicken meatball sub for dinner the other night he asked, “why chicken meatballs?” in a way that indicated he was…unsure…of the meal he was about to devour (real Italian Beef Sandwich energy here).

Three minutes later he declared it the best meal I’d made in “a very long time“. Unsure as to whether or not I should be slightly offended or thrilled, I went with the latter and here we are.

Take it from my husband — easy, baked Chicken Meatballs will be the best meal you’ve made in a very long time! 😉

Watch How to Make It!

Easy Baked Chicken Meatballs

I think the best way to describe this recipe, per my husband’s reaction, is that it’s surprisingly delicious. Meatballs of course are totally tasty, but these easy, baked chicken meatballs are going to blow you away.

Made with a handful of everyday ingredients, mixed up in minutes, then baked to golden brown perfection — with the most delicious crispy crust! — they’re going to change what you envision when you hear the word “meatball”.

Why You’ll ADORE Chicken Meatballs

• 30 minute meal: ground chicken meatballs go from fridge to table in under 30 minutes — including prep time and cook time. YES!
• Make-ahead: these meatballs are perfect for meal prep! Roll then store the uncooked meatballs in the fridge, or bake them completely up to 3 days ahead of time.
• Freezer-friendly: toss the unbaked or baked meatballs into the freezer for later. This is a great meal to make a double batch of and stock the freezer of a new parent with.
• Lighter than beef: these meatballs are lower in fat and calories compared to being made with 90/10 ground beef, with the same amount of protein.
• Dairy free: while many meatball recipes call for parmesan cheese or pecorino romano cheese, these meatballs are still so flavorful without any dairy.
• No searing: pop the meatballs onto a baking sheet then send them off into the oven — no extra searing step needed.
• No chopping required: ‘nuf said!

Ingredients Needed

Aside from the ground chicken, I always have all the ingredients needed to make homemade chicken meatballs on hand. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Ground chicken: includes dark and white meat that makes for the most tender and flavorful meatballs. Using 99% fat-free ground chicken can result in dry and crumbly meatballs.
• Egg: helps make the meatballs stick together.
• Extra virgin olive oil: gives the baked meatballs the most delicious and crispy golden-brown crust.
• Panko bread crumbs: binds the meatballs together and provides tenderness. I use Kikkomen gluten-free panko bread crumbs.
• Herbs and seasonings: dried parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper provide lots of flavor with no chopping needed.
• Worcestershire sauce: since these meatballs don’t contain cheese, a splash of worcestershire sauce provides an ooph of umami flavor.

How to Serve Chicken Meatballs

One of the best things about chicken meatballs is how versatile they are. The sky’s the limit when it comes to how to serve them. Here are some ideas:

1. Spaghetti: top cooked pasta with marinara sauce and the baked meatballs. Serve with Gluten Free Focaccia.
2. Meatballs subs: slather sub rolls with garlic butter then toast and stuff with sliced provolone cheese or mozzarella cheese and meatballs.
3. Salad: quarter warm chicken meatballs then scatter on top of a cold, hearty salad.
4. Appetizer: scoop the meatballs a bit smaller then bake and serve with pesto, or toss in buffalo sauce and serve with homemade ranch.
5. Soup: scoop the meatballs with a teaspoon then bake and drop inside Chicken and Rice Soup or Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup instead of chicken breasts.
6. Mashed potatoes and gravy: top a scoop of mashed potatoes with meatballs and gravy then serve with steamed green beans or a fresh salad.

Top Tips for Juicy Chicken Meatballs

This easy, 30 minute meal isn’t rocket science but there are 2 tips I want to call attention to so you get the most tender and juicy baked chicken meatballs ever:

1. Use ground chicken: be sure to buy ground chicken, which is a mixture of white and dark meat, versus 99% fat-free ground chicken breast for the most tender and flavorful meatballs. You can use ground turkey (again, not ground turkey breast) if you like.
2. Over-bake: as I instruct in my recipe for Baked Chicken Thighs, the way to make dark meat more tender and flavorful, is to overcook it. So, bake the meatballs to an internal temperature of 200-ish degrees instead of 165 degrees, which is what ground chicken technically only needs to be cooked to.

Alrighty, let’s bake!

How to Bake Chicken Meatballs

Step 1: Combine the meatball ingredients

To a large bowl, add the egg, panko breadcrumbs, dried parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and worcestershire sauce then whisk with a fork to combine.

Note: you CAN use fresh herbs, garlic, and onion, etc, but the meatballs are plenty flavor-packed as written.

Step 2: Crumble ground chicken on top

Crumble a pound of ground chicken on top then use your hands to mix until everything is combined. The mixture will be soft and slightly sticky — that’s ok!

Step 3: Roll the meatballs

Use a spatula to divide the chicken meatball mixture into quarters, then each quarter into four sections. Roll each section into a ball then place onto a parchment paper or non stick-sprayed foil-lined baking sheet.

Step 4: Bake the meatballs

Bake the meatballs for 16-18 minutes at 400 degrees or until the internal temperature as read by an instant-read thermometer reaches at least 165 degrees. Like my Baked Chicken Thighs, I bake chicken meatballs until the internal temp is around 200 for supremely tender meatballs.

Step 5: Use ’em up!

This is where it gets fun! How will you use your chicken meatballs?

• On top of spaghetti
• Inside a meatball sub
• Tossed with buffalo sauce and served as an appetizer
• On a salad
• Dipped into pesto
• Dropped inside soup
• Over mashed potatoes with gravy

How to Make Ahead or Freeze

Like I said, this recipe is a meal-prepper’s dream. Here’s how you can make or freeze the chicken meatballs ahead of time.

• To make ahead: prepare the recipe through the rolling step then refrigerate the unbaked meatballs in a dish for up to 3 days. Or, bake the meatballs then cool completely and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat leftovers with a splash of chicken broth in the microwave or with sauce in a pan on the stove over medium heat.
• To freeze: prepare the recipe through the rolling step then freeze solid. Transfer the frozen meatballs to a Ziplock freezer bag then freeze flat for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, tacking on an extra 5-7 minutes. Alternatively you can freeze the baked then cooled meatballs. Bake from frozen for 15-20 minutes or until heated through.

More Easy Italian Dinner Ideas

Description

Baked Chicken Meatballs are tender, juicy, and totally delicious! This versatile and lighter meatball recipe is made in minutes with everyday ingredients.

Ingredients

• 1 large egg
• 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup gluten free panko-style bread crumbs
• 2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• scant 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1lb ground chicken (not 99% fat free ground chicken breast)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees then line a half sheet pan with parchment paper or nonstick sprayed-foil and set aside.
2. To a large mixing bowl add the egg, extra virgin olive oil, bread crumbs, worcestershire sauce, dried parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper then whisk with a fork to combine. Crumble the ground chicken over the top then use your hands to mix until everything is just combined — don’t over mix or the meatballs can become tough.
3. Divide the meatball mixture into quarters, then each quarter into four portions. Roll each portion into a ball to create 16 meatballs total then place onto the prepared baking sheet.
4. Bake the meatballs for 16-18 minutes or until the internal temperature of the meatballs reach at least 165 degrees as read by an instant-read thermometer. I prefer the texture of the meatballs when they’re baked to an internal temperature of at least 200 degrees (dark meat becomes more tender when cooked to a higher temperature), which takes 16 minutes in my oven. Note: if using 99% fat free ground chicken breast, which I do not recommend, only bake the meatballs until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees otherwise they will become dry.

Notes

• Be sure to buy ground chicken vs 99% fat-free ground chicken breast at the grocery store. Ground chicken breast will create dry and crumbly meatballs.
• I like serving these meatballs as I would beef meatballs — on top of spaghetti with good quality marinara sauce, or stuffed inside toasted gluten free hoagie buns with melted mozzarella or provolone cheese and a scoop of marinara sauce.
• To make ahead of time: follow the recipe through step 3 then place the meatballs into a glass storage container and refrigerate for up to 3 days before baking. Alternatively, you can bake the meatballs then cool and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days ahead. Reheat with a splash of chicken broth in the microwave, or in a pot with marinara sauce on the stove over medium-heat.
• To freeze the raw meatballs: follow the recipe through step 3 then transfer the baking sheet to the freezer. Once the meatballs are frozen solid, transfer to a freezer Ziplock bag and freeze flat for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen for 25-30 minutes or until the meatballs have reached at least 165 degrees in the centers.
• To freeze the baked meatballs: bake the meatballs then cool and transfer to a freezer Ziplock bag then freeze flat for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen for 15-20 minutes or until warmed through.

Serving suggestions:

• Spaghetti: top cooked pasta with marinara sauce and the baked meatballs. Serve with Gluten Free Focaccia.
• Meatballs subs: slather sub rolls with garlic butter then toast and stuff with sliced provolone cheese or mozzarella cheese and meatballs.
• Salad: quarter warm chicken meatballs then scatter on top of a cold, hearty salad.
• Appetizer: scoop the meatballs a bit smaller then bake and serve with pesto, or toss in buffalo sauce and serve with homemade ranch.
• Soup: scoop the meatballs with a teaspoon then bake and drop inside Chicken and Rice Soup or Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup instead of chicken breasts.
• Mashed potatoes and gravy: top a scoop of mashed potatoes with meatballs and gravy then serve with steamed green beans or a fresh salad.

This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.

Photos by Ashley McLaughlin