Move over ground beef - Juicy Baked Chicken Meatballs are a star-studded entree coming to take the crown. These are protein-packed, filling yet light, and packed with flavor. Make a double or triple batch, and freeze for later; your future self will thank you!
You can have a juicy, tasty meatball without red meat. Chicken meatballs are a great meal prep option that pairs well with all sorts of side dishes! I love serving them over red skin mashed potatoes or alongside roasted balsamic brussels sprouts for a low carb option.
The Coined Breakdown
- Total Cost per serving (6 meatballs): $0.98
- Total Cost (about 28 meatballs): $4.87
- Those Other Guys: $14.99 per serving
Ingredients
- Ground Chicken - obviously the main ingredient in our chicken meatballs! You can find this in the poultry section of your grocery store, usually next to the ground turkey (and not far from the ground beef!) I normally get 92% lean.
- Roasted Shallot - Adding a shallot provides flavor, but not a lot of people know that it also lends moisture to our meatballs. Since we're using a lean cut of meat with not a lot of fat, this ingredient is important for a juicy, light meatball. You can substitute with half an onion if you don't have a shallot.
- Breadcrumbs - These help bind the meat mixture together to make a ball. You can use panko breadcrumbs, plain, Italian seasoned, or gluten-free.
- Egg - This is another binding agent for the meatballs.
- Spice Mix - We pack these meatballs with flavor! There's some salt and Cajun seasoning, black pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika. My secret ingredient is ground sage - sage goes so well with chicken!
- Herb Butter - Once the meatballs are done and out of the oven, we're going to brush them with a combination of melted butter and Italian seasoning. For extra flavor and moisture, plus it gives them a beautiful sheen.
Variations and Substitutions
Greek Chicken Meatballs: Stir in some finely chopped feta cheese, add ground oregano, and substitute the sage for ground rosemary.
Tuscan Chicken Meatballs: Add the baked meatballs to a tuscan sauce containing heavy cream, sun-dried tomatoes, and fresh spinach leaves.
Stovetop Party Meatballs: Cook your chicken meatballs per the instructions, then stir them into a homemade sweet and savory sauce to make "baby shower meatballs".
Traditional Spaghetti and Meatballs: Instead of ground beef meatballs, use ground chicken meatballs in your spaghetti dish. Baste them in the red sauce, then serve over noodles.
Turkey Meatballs: More in a turkey mood? Try my Curry Turkey Meatballs for a tasty twist on the classic.
How to Make Baked Chicken Meatballs
Step 1: Add all of your meatball ingredients to a large mixing bowl.
Step 2: Form into ball shape with your hands.
Step 3: Using a mini cookie scoop, portion out the mixture into even-sized meatballs.
Step 4: You can bake as is, or gently roll them to make a smoother meatball.
Step 5: Add a touch of cooking spray to the meatballs for extra browning. Bake at 400°F for 12 minutes, then broil on low for an extra 2 to 3 minutes.
Step 6: Finally, brush the hot meatballs with a combination of melted butter and Italian seasoning.
Recipe Pro Tips
- Start with room temperature ingredients. Ensuring your ground beef and egg are room temperature instead of cold and straight from the fridge helps everything combine easier for a better blend. Same for your roasted shallots - let those come to room temperature instead of adding while hot!
- Speaking of shallots... mince them well. Dicing the roasted shallots into small pieces makes a better, more cohesive meatball and provides more moisture to your dish.
- Hand roll the meatballs gently. Don't handle your mix roughly like play-dough; Gently roll the scooped portions just until smooth. Packing the mixture too tight can make these chicken meatballs tough.
- Broil the meatballs towards the end of cooking. For that beautiful golden brown crust, set your oven to low broil and cook the tops for an additional 1 to 2 minutes.
- Follow the cooking time and temperature precisely! Ground chicken has less fat than beef or turkey, so it can overcook a lot faster. Use the cooking time in this recipe as a guide. And since sometimes oven temperatures can vary by oven, an instant-read thermometer will ensure your meatballs are cooked to perfection!
Recipe FAQs
Make sure you do not over-bake them, by cooking them per the time listed in the instructions below. Tough meatballs can also be caused by over-handling when shaping. Make sure you don't form the meatballs too tight, by gently rolling the mixture until it just forms a ball. Using the cookie scooper will do most of the work for you!
No! Unlike other meatball recipes, these completely bake right in the oven. I love using this recipe for meal prep, because it's a one-bowl recipe and hands-off as far as cooking.
These only take about 14 minutes total cooking time (regular baking + a few minutes on broil), but you can also use an instant-read oven thermometer. You want the meatballs to read an internal temperature of 165°F, or 74°C.
Yes - I put the instructions in the recipe notes below, but can explain here as well.
If you're freezing after baking, let the meatballs cool completely, then add to a freezer bag or freezer-safe container.
If you want to freeze the raw meatballs, portion them out into balls and add them to a parchment-lined pan per Step 7. Add the tray to the freezer, and freeze for 1 - 2 hours until the raw meatballs are solid. Then, add them to a freezer bag or freezer safe container.
For fully baked, frozen meatballs - bake at 400°F for 15 - 18 minutes, until warmed through.
For the raw, frozen meatballs - bake at 400°F for 20-23 minutes, until the internal temperature of the meatballs reaches 165°F.
Other Meal Prep Recipes You'll Love!
If you tried this Juicy Baked Chicken Meatballs Recipe, or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I love hearing from you! Thanks for visiting!
Juicy Baked Chicken Meatballs
Equipment
- Baking Tray
- Parchment Paper
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Silicone Spatula
- Disposable Food Prep Gloves
- 1.5 tablespoon Cookie Scoop
- Basting Brush
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 pound ground chicken I usually use 92% lean
- 1 count egg
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- 1 count shallot roasted and minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground sage
Herb Butter Sauce
- 1 tablespoon salted butter melted
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F.
- If you haven't already, slice your shallot into thin rounds and cover with a tablespoon of olive oil. Roast the shallot on a sheet pan in a 400℉ oven for about 10 minutes, until softened.
- Remove the shallot pieces from the oven, and mince into small pieces.
- Start the meatballs by prepping a large baking tray with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, add all of the meatball ingredients.
- Using a silicone spatula, or a gloved hand, mix well until everything is well combined.
- Using a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop (also called a mini scoop), scoop out portions of the mixture onto the parchment-lined tray. This recipe yields about 28 meatballs.
- If you prefer a smoother meatball, you can use gloved hands to gently roll each portion into perfectly shaped balls.You can also have someone spray non-stick spray on your hands!
- Spray the balls with cooking spray, then bake for 12 minutes. After that, turn your oven to a low broil and bake for another 2 to 3 minutes.
- Meatballs should have a golden brown crust. Remove from oven, and let them cool slightly while you make the herb butter.
- Stir together melted butter and the Italian seasoning, then brush on top of the hot meatballs.
- Serve over your choice of sides - I've paired this recipe with Roasted Garlic Red Mashed Potatoes or Sheet Pan Roasted Asparagus!
Jerrald says
The flavor from the roasted shallot is what made these chicken meatballs so good. My wife doesn’t eat red meat, so using ground chicken is genius! Will make these again next week for dinner over garlic noodles with a cream sauce. Thanks!
Shani W. says
Thank you so much for the great comment, Jerrald! The garlic noodles pairing sounds amazing - I'll have to try it!
Anonymous says
OMG you talk about a great quality meal that's easy to follow and not heavy on the pockets... these meatballs are perfect!!!!! Shani keep the heat coming!!
Shani W. says
Thank you so much for the great comment! I'll keep 'em coming for sure! 🙂
Liz says
these made the best meal prep protein for this week! I doubled the recipe to account for my macros… will be making again
Shani W. says
Thanks so much for commenting, Liz! I love using this for meal prep Sundays as well.
Shani W. says
Thank you for commenting Liz! Great idea to use these for meal prep 🙂