We are making Chicken Parmesan Meatballs, which is basically chicken parmesan, the classic Italian dish, in a juicy meatball form. Loaded with lots of parmesan cheese in it, these parmesan meatballs are simmered in red marinara tomato sauce and smothered with gooey mozzarella cheese.
Chicken parm meatballs is such a delicious comfort food. Serve it over noodles or pasta for satisfying meal. It also freezes well and makes a yummy meal prep or leftovers.
Ground Chicken Parmesan Meatballs
There’s something comforting about a plate of chicken parmesan, or more traditionally known as, chicken parmigiana.
Today we are turning those classic chicken parm flavors we all know and love into juicy, tender ground chicken parmesan meatballs, which makes dinner even more fun and special!
These Chicken Parmesan Meatballs are packed with Italian-inspired flavor, made with seasoned ground chicken, plenty of parmesan cheese, herbs and spices, then baked until perfectly golden.
Finished with marinara sauce and melty mozzarella, they deliver everything you love about traditional chicken parm in a lighter, weeknight-friendly, freezer-friendly way.
I tested this recipe multiple times to make sure these ground chicken meatballs are soft, moist and juicy (secret: eggs!) while hold their shape and can be handled easily (thank you, breadcrumbs!). Finding the perfect balance is the secret to the perfect chicken parm meatballs.
And obviously, each meatball is made with robust herbs and spices, and a whole lot of parmesan, making sure you are not wasting your calories by eating bland meatballs. 😉
Chicken parmesan meatballs are first sear on a skillet and then transferred directly to be fully baked in the oven. Therefore, I highly recommend using a cast-iron skillet or a skillet that can be used both on the stovetop or in the oven.
These ground chicken parmesan meatballs are also kid-friendly and makes the best comfort food. A quick meal you can freeze for later that everyone loves, it’s truly the perfect dinner.
Tools
Here are some tools that you will need when making chicken parm meatballs:
- Large skillet (at least 12″ to 14″ wide) that is oven safe (or oven safe pan)
- Large mixing bowl to mix the meatball mixture so making the meatballs would be super easy
- 3- tablespoon cookie scoop or ice cream scoop (not necessary but makes scooping out the meatballs much easier!)
- Meat thermometer to make sure parmesan meatballs are fully cook!
Ingredients
As for the ingredients, here’s what you will need:
- Ground Chicken – Using lean and protein-packed ground chicken is what makes this recipe lower in calories than traditional beef meatballs. Ground turkey can be used in place of ground chicken too – when I did that I could barely taste the difference!
- Egg – keeps our ground chicken meatball mixture juicy and soft.
- Plain breadcrumbs – added to the ground chicken meatball mixture to help the meatball hold its shape.
- Parsley – bring a nice bite of freshness to each meatballs. Both Italian parsley or curly parsley would work. For convenience, dried parsley can be used as well. Oregano, basil or Italian seasoning can be used in place of or in addition to parsley.
- Garlic powder – important spice to really bring flavors to our meatballs. Fresh minced garlic can be used but I find that garlic powder binds to the other ingredients better.
- Onion powder – another spice to help bring flavors to the meatballs.
- Salt – essential as it enhances the other flavors and also boost the flavor of the meatballs as a whole.
- Black Pepper – necessary for a balanced flavor profile in your meatballs and more than just bringing about spicy flavors
- Parmesan cheese – The meatballs are loaded with the distinctive flavors of this beloved Italian cheese. On top of the cheese cooked into the meatballs themselves, a sprinkle on top of the final dish makes the flavor pop!
- Marinara sauce – Traditionally an Italian tomato sauce, using quality sauce that are thick and flavorful always brings about the flavor of this final dish. I typically use a high quality jarred marinara sauce. If you are feeling ambitious, you can definitely make your own!
- Mozzarella cheese – Top on the meatballs to mimic a traditional chicken parm! And there is no such thing as too much cheese. 😉
- Cooking oil – Used in the skillet to oil your meatballs and to help bring a beautiful golden seared color to the outside of these meatballs. Any neutral oil can be used.
How to make chicken parm meatballs
Here’s how to make these juicy chicken parmesan meatballs in a few simple steps.
Meatball mixture
First, bring together the mixture for our chicken parmesan meatballs.
Add ground chicken, parmesan, parsley, eggs, breadcrumbs, seasoning, salt, and pepper to a large mixing bowl and combine using your hands.
Be careful not to overwork the ingredients together for soft and tender meatballs.
Cook meatballs
Grab a small fistful of meatballs and shape into a round shape.
Alternatively, you can also use a large 3-tablespoon cookie scoop.
I like to keep my chicken parm meatballs to about 2-inch in diameters (they are chunky meatballs!) and typically will be able to get 15-18 meatballs, which will fit a 12-inch cast iron skillet nicely.
If you are making small meatballs, you will need two skillets.
When ready to sear meatballs, drizzle cooking oil onto skillet and heat to medium/medium high heat.
Add meatballs to skillet and flip it a few times. Know that it will be really hard to fully sear meatballs on all sides, so just get most of it and let the oven cook them the rest of the way through.
Simmer meatballs
Once most of the sides are golden brown, pour marinara sauce over the meatballs making sure all are covered, then sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top.
Bake
Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake in a preheated oven at 350℉ for 15-20 minutes or until the meatballs reach an internal temperature of 165℉ when measured using a meat thermometer.
At this point, cheese should be ooey gooey, melty, and the dish should be looking oh-so dreamy.
If you want the tops of melted cheese to be golden brown, you can broil it in the oven for an addition 2-3 minutes.
If desired, serve with fresh chopped parsley, parmesan, and red pepper flakes.
Variation and Substitution
Here are some other ingredients you can add or use in place of what is called for:
- other ground meats: use ground turkey instead of ground chicken will yield pretty much the same results. I could barely taste the difference! Ground beef or pork can be used but the fat content will be higher and may change the structure of the meatballs.
- other herbs and spices: feel free to add other Italian inspired herbs to the meatball mixture such as basil, oregano or Italian seasoning
- other breadcrumbs: instead of plain breadcrumbs, you can use Italian breadcrumbs or panko breadcrumbs if you happen to have those on hand.
- adding some kick: feel free to add red pepper flakes or Calabrian chilies to the marinara sauce.
What to serve with chicken parmesan meatballs
Serving over spaghetti is a classic (and my favorite!), but not the only way to enjoy this recipe! Here are some ideas to serve these delicious chicken parm meatballs as well:
- over zucchini or squash noodles for a healthier, low carb option.
- over regular rice, cauliflower rice or risotto.
- on top of crusty sourdough bread, garlic bread, or any bread!
- on top of baked potatoes or baked sweet potatoes.
- sandwich the meatballs between hoagie rolls or make it into a chicken parm meatball sub!
Tips and Tricks
Keep the following few points in mind for the best meatballs you’ve ever had:
- Don’t overwork the meat mixture: When mixing the ingredients to form the meatballs, be sure to gently toss them together instead of smashing them together. Overworking the meat will result in dense, tough meatballs.
- Firmer meatballs: Add more breadcrumbs if you want to the meatball mixture to be firmer. If you are using greasier meat, you will need to add more breadcrumbs to firm it up as well.
- Softer meatballs: on the other hand, if meatballs are too firm and you would like them to be softer, add some cooking oil or another egg into the meatball mixture.
- Smaller meatballs: you can make this into smaller meatballs but you may need to use two skillets to sear and fit all of them.
- Size of skillet: The size of the pan you use to make your meatballs should be large enough to accommodate the size of the meatballs and sauce. I find that a 12-inch skillet will comfortably fit the meatballs if you roll them into 2-inch diameter meatballs. If using a smaller sized skillet, you can use two skillets to accommodate all the meatballs.
- Do not skip searing meatballs: Searing the meatballs really gives the meatballs a nice texture and also give it a nice caramelized flavor that is unique to well seared meats. Don’t feel like you have to sear every single side of the meatballs but try to get at least most of it before baking.
Storage and Reheating
Chicken parmesan meatballs is the perfect make ahead recipe. You can freeze the meatballs shaped but uncooked, or freeze them after they are fully cooked.
If freezing after cooking, simply store and freeze in a freezer bag or freezer airtight container. Freeze up to 3 month in the freezer – these serve as yummy freezer meals anytime!
Do not add marinara sauce and cheese to meatballs before freezing.
If you want to reheat, simply bring them into the refrigerator to defrost at least a day ahead, and then bring to room temperature and follow the reheating instructions below to reheat.
Or if you don’t have the time to defrost, place them frozen in the oven at 350℉, cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until they are heated up all the way through.
As for refrigeration instructions, chicken parm meatballs can be store raw (ground chicken may not store past 24 hours raw) or cooked (with sauce and cheese).
If reheating from the fridge raw, simply proceed to the instructions in the recipe card and bake meatballs, red sauce and cheese together in the oven, as instructed below.
If reheating from the fridge cooked (meatballs, red sauce and cheese already baked together in the oven), chicken parm meatballs should warm well in the microwave for 80-90 second on high for one person serving in the microwave.
Frequently Asked Questions
I like marinara but any Italian pasta red sauce would work. Some other common types include tomato basil, arrabbiata, or tomato vodka sauce.
Yes! You most definitely be made ahead of time. To make ahead: cook/bake meatballs then freeze them for up to 3 months. Remember to bring to the refrigerator 24 hours ahead to defrost and reheat in oven or microwave. Adding marinara sauce and melting the cheese on them before serving.
– The fat in the meatballs helps keep it less dry – avoid using extra lean chicken.
– Eggs in the mixture helps keep the meatballs soft and moist – make sure you are using large eggs. If needed, add 1-2 tsp of cooking oil to the meatball mixture.
– And finally, avoid overcooking them! As soon as meatballs reach an internal temperature of 165℉ remove from heat. Overcooked meat will mean dryer meatballs.
Most likely your mixture is too wet or you could have used meat with a high fat content. Add more breadcrumbs to give the meatballs more structure.
Due to the size of the meatballs, it is going to hard to fully cook the meatballs without burning the outsides. I would strongly advise to finish cooking the meatballs, along with sauce and cheese, in the oven.
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More Meatball Recipes
I love meatballs! Here are more meatball recipes:
More Italian (American) Favorite
- Skillet Chicken Parmesan
- Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta
- Baked Pesto Chicken
- Baked Ziti
- Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta
Chicken Parmesan Meatballs
Ingredients
- 2 lb ground chicken
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 cup parmesan grated
- ¼ cup parsley chopped
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 24 oz marinara sauce
- 2 cups mozzarella shredded
- cooking oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- In a medium mixing bowl, add ground chicken, breadcrumbs, parmesan, parsley, eggs, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Use hands to gently mix together. Be careful not to over mix.
- Once all of the ingredients are combined, form meat into 2-inch meatballs. Should yield 15-18 meatballs.
- Heat skillet over medium heat. Once hot, drizzle with cooking oil. Add meatballs to skillet searing them on each side.
- Pour marinara sauce over the meatballs making sure all meatballs are covered in the sauce. Top with the mozzarella cheese. Place in preheated oven and bake 15-20 minutes or until the meatballs reach an internal temperature of 165℉ when measured with a meat thermometer.
- Serve and enjoy!
