If you’ve made my baked meatballs or my Italian baked chicken recently, you’ll want to try these chicken meatballs. An awesome new riff that my family has been absolutely loving! I think of these baked meatballs as an “anytime” type dinner. You can make them any night of the week, and serve them up however you like–straight form the pan; with your favorite grain or pasta (I have a killer spaghetti dinner idea below). Or, for sandwich night, make Italian meatball subs!
What I love about this ground chicken meatballs recipe
- Easy Sheet-Pan Dinner. Anytime I can toss everything on one sheet pan or baking sheet for a quick bake is a win! You may have seen some of my earlier dinners: sheet pan chicken and veggies; bajed eggs; sausage and peppers; baked shrimp, you name it!
- Delicious. The secret is in the chicken meatball mixture with loads of Italian flavors (more on this later!)
- Meatballs Made with Ground Chicken. Don’t get me wrong, I will eat beef meatballs for sure! But like my earlier turkey meatballs, this recipe is a great alternative if you’re looking for something different or a little lighter.
Meatball Mixture for Italian Chicken Meatballs
Okay, so what’s in the flavor-packed mixture for this chicken meatball recipe? Clearly a meatball recipe starts with ground meat, and here the choice is ground chicken (or turkey). And as you guessed, some eggs and bread crumbs are used for binding. But there is more…Let’s talk flavor makers! Flavor Makers: We’re talking Italian-style baked chicken meatballs, so the flavor-makers are decidedly Italian–a combination of garlic, fresh thyme and parsley, dried oregano and just a hint of paprika for depth. And yes, a little freshly ground Parmesan cheese! If you like heat, add a pinch of red pepper flakes. Pro Tip: If you’re looking for juicy chicken meatballs (or turkey meatballs) help the meatball mixture with some extra virgin olive oil. Quality Extra virgin olive oil is a healthy and important source of fat here, adding a bit of depth and moisture to the chicken meatballs. But in addition to what goes in the meatball mixture, I love adding a little more Italian to the sheet-pan in the form of red onions and tomatoes. And why not roast the veggies with the chicken meatballs at once?!
How do you make chicken meatballs from scratch?
Making chicken meatballs from scratch takes one large bowl, one baking sheet or sheet pan (affiliate link), and four main steps:
What can I serve with meatballs besides pasta?
I love this sheet-pan meal! You can eat the meatballs and veggies right out of the pan with for a low-carb meal. Add a salad or another side like these baked zucchini sticks! OR serve them over your favorite grain. For sandwich night, you can simply make Italian subs using these baked meatballs and veggies! My simple tomato panzanella salad would make a great addition to start! But if you really want an epic meatball and spaghetti dinner, here is what you do: Cook spaghetti according to package and drain. While warm, toss spaghetti with more extra virgin olive oil and a bit of grated Parmesan cheese. Add the baked chicken meatballs with the tomatoes and onions and toss some more to combine. So good!
Gluten Free Option
For the gluten free option of this chicken meatball recipe, simply replace the bread crumbs with cornmeal. My friend who specializes in gluten free meals thinks cornmeal is the best option because it has a way of keeping the meatballs nice and tender. You can use maybe less cornmeal than the recipe requires for bread crumbs (about 1/4 cup or so is okay.)
Similar Recipes to Try:
Crispy Chicken Schnitzel Baked Greek Meatballs and Potatoes with Garlic and Lemon Easy Meatball Soup Grilled Chicken Kofta Eggplant Rollatini You may also enjoy 50+ Top Mediterranean diet recipes. For all recipes, visit us here. JOIN MY FREE E-MAIL LIST HERE. This post originally appreciated on The Mediterranean Dish in 2019 and has been recently updated with new information and media for readers’ benefit. Enjoy!
