These Baked Chicken Meatballs are the BEST! The perfect addition to any meal or to eat right on their own. Bonus: they’re meal-prep friendly to stock up throughout the week!
Best Anytime Baked Chicken Meatballs
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Made them for dinner last week, and am making them again this week. They were delicious! Easy ingredients to keep on hand and easy to make ahead. Great recipe!
So when I say anytime, I really do mean anytime.
That’s what I love about these baked chicken meatballs. They are SO EASY to make and they can sort of turn into anything.
Here Are Some Of Their Best Features…
- They are BAKED.
- They are CHICKEN. (Turkey’s good, too.)
- They use one bowl.
- There are no cutting boards involved.
- There is no splattery sautéing.
- They are meal-prep friendly.
- Also freezer friendly.
- THEY GO WITH ANYTHING, anytime.
I’m not a meatball lover, but I LOVE THESE MEATBALLS.
These baked chicken meatball bites can go with spaghetti and meatballs, baked rigatoni, or any pasta for that matter. They can be served with mashed cauliflower and green beans (my current favorite), or saved for quick and healthy lunch meal prep with roasted veggies. Half of the batch can be tossed with buffalo sauce and half can be frozen for next week’s Swedish meatball dinner.
I don’t memorize many recipes – I have the magic green sauce, soft chocolate chip cookies, and wild rice soup burned into my brain, but that’s about it. THAT BEING SAID, this baked chicken meatball recipe is absolutely a memorize-the-general-concept-and-make-it-anytime type of situation.
See? Anytime. I told you I was serious about that part.
How To Make These Chicken Meatballs
K, the recipe is such a breeze. Are you ready?
First, your ingredients. Just pile ’em in a bowl. All you really need to remember is panko, parm, egg, and chicken. The spices are pretty flexible.
Now OBVIOUSLY WASH YOUR HANDS and take off your rings and all that. And then dive in.
Mix, roll, roll, roll. And bake.
Put your feet up, relax for a minute, smell the deliciousness coming from the oven.
And then you’re done!
One of my favorite things about these is that even with being baked, they get a really nice browned exterior. You can always throw them in a saute pan if you feel like they need a little extra browning, but I will legit eat these straight off the baking sheet. Browned to perfection, if you ask me.
Okay, so what are you going to make with these? Because these are the little baked chicken meatballs that could! Me? I’ll eat them straight off the pan or maybe in this Chicken Meatballs with Peppers and Orzo orrrrrrrr in this Garlic Herb Spaghetti OR in this Creamy Baked Orzo with Meatballs OR OR OR for this Butter Chicken Meatballs magic. YUM.
They can be anything they set their minds to. An-y-thing!
Baked Chicken Meatballs: FAQs
Can I use ground turkey for these meatballs?
Yes! I really love making this with ground chicken OR ground turkey. If I use ground turkey, I like the dark meat ground turkey that they sell at Whole Foods.
Why do you use garlic and onion powder? Can’t I use fresh garlic and onions?
I prefer chunk-less meatballs when it comes to onion and garlic which is why I prefer to use powder. But if you like to have the chunks, I think you could use finely minced fresh garlic and onion with good results!
What’s that delicious sauce that’s pictured with the meatballs? I want it!
The sauce pictured here is a store-bought vodka sauce from DeLallo! It’s delicious. This romesco sauce would also be AMAZING!
Can I use these for traditional spaghetti and meatballs?
Absolutely! I’d still bake them, and then afterwards let them simmer in some good spaghetti sauce.
If you’re on the spaghetti train, I’d also recommend these Ricotta Meatballs!
Prefer To Watch Instead Of Read?
Best Anytime Baked Chicken Meatballs
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 30 meatballs / 6 servings 1x
Description
These Baked Chicken Meatballs are the BEST! The perfect addition to any meal or to eat right on their own. Bonus: they’re meal-prep friendly to stock up throughout the week!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 pound ground chicken or turkey
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (optional – makes meatballs more moist and yummy)
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- black pepper to taste
- additional seasonings optional!
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and a little cooking spray.
- Mix: Mix all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl.
- Roll: Roll the mixture into about 30 small balls. Place on baking sheet.
- Bake: Bake for 25-30 minutes.
- ENJOY!
Equipment
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Notes
For mixing, I usually wash my hands, take my rings off, and mix it all up with my hands.
Freezer Meal Version
- Mix, roll, and freeze:
1 pound ground chicken or turkey
1 egg
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
black pepper to taste
*Note: you can also bake them first at 400 degrees for 20 minutes and then freeze them fully cooked - Bake from raw/frozen: 400 degrees for 30 minutes
- Final Step: Serve with literally anything – personal fave includes some kind of pasta, red sauce, and a salad.
- Check out our full freezer meal posts with all recipes and instructions here!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: baked chicken meatballs, chicken meatballs, meal prep meatballs
This recipe is included in our ultimate freezer meal guide below.
Keep The Meatball Love Going
- Harissa Meatballs with Whipped Feta
- Vegetarian Swedish Meatballs
- 30-Minute Vegetarian Meatballs
- Lemongrass Meatball Bowls
- Chicken Meatballs with Peppers and Orzo
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Filed Under: 5 Ingredients All Recipes Dinner Main Dishes Meat and Chicken Most Popular Quick and Easy Spring
May 29, 2018
Nice to meet you!
I’m Lindsay and I ♡ FOOD. I used to be a teacher, and now making food and writing about it online is my full-time job. I love talking with people about food, and I'm so glad you're here.
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Ouu I want to make itty bitty slider buns and eat a million of these (and maybe share them with the kids..maybe)!
That would be amazing!
I made these last night. They are so easy and delicious. I followed the receive exactly. They are so flavorful.reminds me of popcorn chicken.will make often.! 💪👏💜
I doubled the recipe, but with 3 hungry boys I don’t think there will be any left. These chicken meatballs are little bites of joy. Very easy recipe…
I made these with canned chicken (2 5oz cans drained. About 1 cup chicken.) I used keto nut breading. I got 25 out of the batch using a teaspoon. Good!
CANNED chicken???
Made these today for my 2 kids (3yrs and 10months) they were delicious I ate 3 before my kids got any😆. I used 2 chicken thigh and a small breast and blitzed it till mince texture also added grated onion and carrot. Will definitely make these again. Thank you for the recipe
I love to have these in the freezer — I made a triple batch today!
I was just curious if anyone has made these in an air fryer and what the temp/cooking time would be?
Came here looking for this info, too!
Yes, I make these in the air fryer. 180 degrees for 20 mins – perfect and delicious every time!
I make these in my air fryer. 375 F. 16 mins.
I made 4 batches. 1 for dinner. 3 for the freezer. Used these gems in “Italian wedding soup” , sliders and a stir fry . delicious
These meatballs are in very regular rotation in our house! Husband likes his with buffalo sauce, I prefer tzatziki and we’ll both have some sort of veggie or a simple salad for a quick supper. Have also enjoyed these in pasta in place of a more “traditional” meatball.
These are great! Simple but still flavorful. I made these to go in the butter chicken recipe, and they worked well!
Made these last night and got a rave review! These would be great for a church carry-in. I’ll be adding this recipe to my card file.
Looks yum! Question – is the taste of parmesan strong? My husband’s not a huge parmesan fan (criminal, I know). If it is – would you have any recommended substitutes or quantity adjustments?
I wouldn’t say it’s too strong! If you find it is, you could always try subbing in another hard cheese.
Made these and they were really tasty. If I make them,for about 30 people can,I double or triple the recipe? What do you recommend?
I made these for my 8 month old. So I added 1/4c of milk instead of olive oil (I wasn’t sure if olive oil would make them soft enough for her but may try it next time) and used mozzarella cheese instead of Parmesan just to help add softness for her and didn’t use any salt. She loved them. We ate them too they were definitely a softer/moister meatball but definitely still held together and a really yummy family meal which is a win.
These were so easy to make, & so tender & flavorful! The only tweak I made was that I used chili infused olive oil for 1 of the tbsp, to give it a little kick. I baked them a little shorter & then let them cook in marinara sauce til done. We ate them just as they were & also made meatball sammiches. Super yummy!!
Sounds like a real winner 😂
These are my go to, for anything calling for meatballs. So delicious every time. Thank you!!
I am amazed at how crispy golden brown these are from being baked! Love the simple ingredient list too…can’t wait to try! 🙂
Hope you enjoy them! 🙂
These are the BOMB dot com
Delicious! I used Gluten-free Breadcrumbs, freshly minced onion and garlic, and they’re perfect!
These look great! If sensitive to gluten, do you think you could sub oats for the panko, or would you just leave the panko out altogether and not worry about a substitution?
Hi Melanie! Some pulsed oats might do the trick, otherwise almond meal/almond flour should work as well!
Hi! It may not have the exact same taste/texture as regular panko, but I found Ian’s gluten free panko at several grocery stores. I have tried it in a meatloaf recipe (using ground beef) and thought it was really good with no funny taste. So maybe that would work here if you can find it. I’m definitely going to try it as soon as possible. This sounds so good!
Gluten free breadcrumbs worked just fine! Have made these 3 times already, everyone loved them including 2 picky kids. Straightforward, easy recipe. Added dried parsley flakes but otherwise as written, aside from gf panko.
I don’t eat dairy- will the recipe work without the parm?
Yep, it’ll still work!
I used nutritional yeast instead of cheese in mine- came out great
I inadvertently left the cheese out the first time I made them so I can confirm they are still great!
I generally swap panko for quinoa or rice flakes and they tend to work just fine. I’ll let you know how I go with these!
I use Ian’s gluten free Panko breadcrumbs (they are made of rice flour). They work great!
Works great with the Ian’s brand gluten free panic if you can find it! 🙂
You can buy gluten free panko at many markets!
You can use crushed up pork rinds in ppace of the panko
I’m in Seattle, and some of the stores here sell gluten-free panko. As well as gluten-free breadcrumbs. Always in my pantry! Worth looking for!
I used ground 1/2 cup ground almonds and turned out great (even though I forgot the egg!)
GF panko exists. Ask your grocer.
They do make a gluten free panko.
Is it possible to just leave out the cheese? I’m lactose intolerant, unfortunately
No. It is not possible.
My husband is dairy free so I leave it out and they’re still amazing
These were great! I made them (mostly) as written with ground chicken except I added a little less than 1/2 a tap of Italian herb blend and I used 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan rather than 1/2. I used unseasoned Pablo. They came out delicious.
Sounds delish, Lauren!
These are great! Thank you for an easy recipe that turned out so tasty and moist. I’m going to make these next week for a family event appetizer.
I substituted nutritional yeast instead of cheese- came out great
Thanks for the tip! I was wondering if nutritional yeast would work.
I ha e ground beef/venison mix defrosting…think they will turn out ?!?
Do you do anything different to freeze them? Or just bake as normal and pop them in the freezer?
Hi! If I don’t want to mix milk and meat, what could I sub for the Parmesan?
Thanks!
I used soy cheese and it turned out perfectly fine & delicious! You should try it!
I know this is an old comment, but I had the same question (ctrl+f for the win!).
I made a substitute non-dairy Parmesan with: 1 cup of cashews, 1/4 cup nutritional yeast, 1 tsp garlic powder (I like garlic), and 1/2 tsp granulated salt, in the food processor at high speed until powdered.
This makes about the right amount for a 1-to-1 substitution in a double recipe (2 lbs of meat), plus a little left over to sprinkle on top.
Delicious and so easy! Never doing meatballs on the stovetop again!
These look great! I know you said they’re freezer friendly, but would you recommend freezing before baking or after? Thanks!
We’d freeze them after baking!
cooking/reheating instructions for already cooked but frozen would be helpful, please!
I was going to ask the same question. What are the reheating instructions for full baked and then frozen? (Thaw first? And then reheat for how long at what temp?) thank you!!
We’d suggest reheating in the oven at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.
I don’t like meatballs either but this recipe somehow has me convinced. First, the look absolutely delicious. Secondly, they would make such a great dish to meal prep and, thus, would make weekday dinners so much faster. Thank you for sharing!
E || OH LA LATKES
Seasoned Panko or plain panko?
These are genius! I like that they go with everything! The hubby and I can pick different sauces to dip if we want. Loving that these are also super easy!!
It’s 215 calories per serving. How many make a serving?
It will be about 5 meatballs per serving!
Yummy!
I can’t wait to try.
Easy and Simple Recipe
Mmmm yum! Love the beautiful caramelized colour on those meatballs! (:
OMG – how did you know I was looking for a chicken meatball recipe to make today?!?! Perfect timing as I was looking for inspiration to make healthy chicken meatballs for my 11.5mo old daughter! I loved how EASY your recipe was and it was super tastey! Since I was making these for my baby, I decided to omit the salt/pepper and added in a small organic zucchini (grated and moisture removed). Made 37 mini meatballs in total and froze them after cooling for easy meal prep. Thank you for sharing this recipe, love your blog and recipes! Xo
Love that! Glad you enjoyed them, Michelle!
I have some already have some cooked chicken and would like to throw it in the vitamix to grind it up. Any idea on how long would I need to bake of using cooked chicken, please?
Thank you for a great recipe! For how long can we freeze these meatballs?
This recipe looks quite simple but the results are just splendid. Will definitely try it out
Hope you enjoy it!
I love chicken meatballs!
These are incredible! New staple in our house for sure. So quick, healthy, and easy. Thank you for another great recipe!
Glad to hear that, Allie!
After they are baked, to freeze them, can I just put them all together touching? In other words, i don’t need to freeze them in a single layer
I think we should eat vegetable salad with this… I like this and Would like to make it soon… How can I make it without the oven?
You could definitely sauté them in a pan on the stove – just be sure to check that they’re cooked all the way through!
GLUTEN FREE YES
I have been making these meatballs for several years now and use potato flakes for the bread crumbs. Works perfect !! I usually add 1 T of Parsley, 1 t Italian Seasoning and 1/4 t Red Pepper Flakes (my own favs)
WE LOVE THEM !!
Hey!! Wondering what you suggest instead of Panko to make it GF?
Some almond meal or almond flour should do the trick!
I made these last night for dinner and we devoured them. So easy, so yummy, and so perfect for lunch the next day. I’m going to have to make a double batch next time around. I think these would even be great for meal prep with a little salad and sauce for dipping!
I would like to make these as a freezer meal. Do you recommend freezing them raw, then baking or putting in crockpot? Or freezing them already cooked?
We would recommend cooking them first and then freezing!
I’ve never tried to make meatballs with chicken before! Definitely adding this to my must make list!
These look amazing will be making soon. I have 1 question are you using ground chicken breast or a mix? Thanks for all your lovely recipes.
Just ground chicken!
These look wonderful! Would they also work with rotisserie chicken?
Hi Suzanne! We’ve only made the meatballs using raw ground chicken or ground turkey. We don’t think it would work with chicken that has already been cooked.
Made these tonight and they burned on the bottom before they were done in the middle. I greased the cookie sheet. Any idea why mine aren’t as pretty as yours? 🙂
Weird! I’ve done these before with parchment paper and no spray – you could give that a try too!
The parmesan gets really melty while baking and the meatballs get stuck to the foil (oiled) at the end. How do I prevent this in future? Thanks