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. YUM.
They can be anything they set their minds to. An-y-thing!
Baked Chicken Meatballs: FAQs
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.
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!
The sauce pictured here is a store-bought vodka sauce from DeLallo! It’s delicious. This romesco sauce would also be AMAZING!
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
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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One More Thing!
This recipe is part of our best healthy-ish recipes page. Check it out!