These Baked Chicken Meatballs could not be easier, made with ground chicken and just a few pantry staples but they are SO flavorful and are delicious to eat plain, or in your favorite entrees!
Why This Recipe Works
So easy — These take only 30 minutes to make and that includes putting them together and baking them. Plus, the ingredients are probably already in your pantry and fridge.
Delicious — The ground chicken is such a nice break from the norm. It has a mild flavor so it picks up the herb flavor so well. Plus, it’s quick-cooking and not too greasy.
Customizable — You can add any of your favorite herbs into these chicken meatballs. Or add parmesan cheese, extra garlic, onions — you name it. Plus, you can put these on top of any kind of pasta, with all sorts of sauces (marinara, Browned Butter Alfredo Sauce, BBQ sauce), and more.
Kid-friendly — I’ll tell ya what, my kids LOVE these meatballs. They love to just put them on a fork and eat them just like that. Or dipped in sauce. Or cut up in pasta. I usually make a double batch because they eat the first batch all up and there are zero leftovers.
Here’s How You Make It
- First, preheat the oven to 425 degrees and then grease a rimmed baking sheet. (not pictured)
- Then, in a large bowl combine the ground chicken with the egg, panko, Italian seasoning/Herbs de Provence, garlic, onion powder, olive oil, salt, and pepper and mix the ingredients well (I do this by hand). (photos 1-2)
- Scoop mounds of the chicken mixture into your hands, then roll in your palms to shape into a ball. Repeat with the rest of the chicken. Try to make them all about the same size. (photos 3-4)
- Place the chicken meatballs at least 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. (photos 5-6)
- Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until the outside is browned. Allow them to cool slightly before serving plain, or in your favorite entrees. (see below)
Can I Use Ground Turkey Instead of Ground Chicken?
The answer is, yes, you sure can use ground turkey instead of ground chicken. Ground turkey makes a perfect substitute. If you use the darker turkey (with a fat content of more like 85/15), the turkey meatballs will have a slightly deeper taste, but will still be just as delicious as chicken.
Why Are My Meatballs Tough?
Are you so excited about your chicken meatballs and go to bite into them and they are tough and chewy? There might be a couple reasons for this:
- You’ve shaped and packed the meatballs too tightly.
- You didn’t add enough oil. Be sure to use 2 tablespoons of olive oil. The added fat helps the chicken meatballs not dry out when they’re baking.
- Also you can oil your hands as you shape and roll the meatballs to add a little extra oil and make them easier to roll — which means less packing and rolling on your end.
- The meat was too warm. Keep your meat and other ingredients cold. That way the fat won’t break down before you put the meatballs in the oven.
- You cooked them too long. Be sure not to overbake them. 15-20 minutes should be plenty of time at 425 degrees.
Should I Put Egg in My Meatballs?
I always put eggs in my meatballs. I use them for a binder (to keep the meatballs together) and not as an added source of moisture. Use about 1 egg per pound of meat, that should be plenty.
Expert Tips and Tricks
- Want a different protein? You can easily swap the ground chicken for ground turkey, beef, or pork in this chicken meatballs recipe.
- These meatballs are amazingly plain, straight from the oven! They go great with marinara, alfredo, or gravy. I also love to serve them in curry, pasta, (like my Thai Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk, and Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta), with Asian noodles, or with this Roasted Red Pepper Sauce over rice or couscous, like my Lemon Couscous, for example.
- These meatballs freeze really well. I love to double the recipe and then freeze the other half for another day. Simply let the meatballs cool completely before putting them in an airtight container and into the freezer. These chicken meatballs will freeze for up to 6 months.
- These chicken meatballs (once cooked) will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.
What can I say? We love meatballs. They are so easy to make and work on top of spaghetti (cue the song), mashed potatoes, in sliders, or just by themselves. These are a little twist on your typical beef meatballs. These are made with chicken and they are healthy, easy, and simple to put together — which is great for those crazy nights when you want to just get dinner on the table.
More Meatball Recipes You’ll Love
- Best Baked Meatballs
- Swedish Meatball Pasta
- Slow Cooker Party Meatballs
- Hawaiian Meatballs
- Greek Meatballs
- Slow Cooker Spaghetti and Meatballs
- Slow Cooker Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs
- Best Baked Beef Meatballs
Baked Chicken Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground chicken - see note
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning or Herbs de Provence
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼-½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper - or 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees and grease a rimmed baking sheet.
- In a large bowl combine ground chicken, egg, panko, Italian seasoning/Herbs de Provence, garlic, onion powder, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- Mix ingredients well (I do this by hand).
- Scoop mounds of the chicken mixture into your hands, then roll in your palms to shape into a ball.
- Place chicken meatballs at least 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes until outside is browned. Allow to cool slightly before serving plain, or in your favorite entrees.
Did you forget the grated cheese? Also, did you forget milk to moisten the breadcrumbs? I basically make my chicken meatballs exactly as my beef/pork/sausage/veal meatballs for my meat sauce.
Hi Janet, This recipe doesn’t call for any grated cheese or milk. 🙂
Omg! Delicious! I used ground beef because that’s what I had on hand. Super easy to make and very flavorful! Can’t wait to try it with ground chicken!
The recipe for baked meatballs is indeed fantastic and the recipe is nicely explained here. I wish to try it, but as I have read that baking with ghee is a safer option than any other cooking oils, I want to cook the recipe with grass-fed ghee. Will it be a good idea friends? Let me know your views also.
https://milkio.co.nz/baking-with-ghee/
Can these be frozen?
Yes, they can!
My picky son said they tasted good. Gonna try them in BBQ sauce. I made them without salt to reduce sodium.