These Baked Chicken Meatballs with garlic butter are bursting with great flavor, and they're super easy to make! They're full of parmesan cheese, herbs, and spices, then they're drizzled in a little garlic-infused melted butter for even more flavor. Make a batch as a main course or serve them on cocktail sticks as an appetizer.
These easy Baked Chicken Meatballs are a great way to enjoy a healthier version of traditional meatballs.
They are lower in fat and calories, and still provide a good source of protein. They are also easy to make and can be enjoyed as a main course or as an appetizer.
Plus, they are a great way to add flavor to your favorite dishes!
I've served them up with a light drizzle of garlic butter for extra bold flavor.
They're perfect as an appetizer (try them with a dish of Wingstop Ranch or Homemade Donair Sauce to dip them into!). But we also love serving them with fresh pasta noodles and marinara sauce.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Baked chicken meatballs are easy to make and can be made ahead of time.
- They are a great source of protein and are low in fat.
- You can easily make them into a delicious meal without spending a lot of time in the kitchen.
- They are a great way to get kids to eat more protein.
- Baked chicken meatballs are a great addition to any meal - try them in a sub sandwich, on pasta noodles or with mashed potatoes and gravy.
- They can be served with a variety of sauces and sides.
- They are a great way to make a healthy and delicious meal quickly.
- A freezer-friendly recipe.
- You can adapt the seasonings to change up the flavor.
Ingredients
You only need simple pantry ingredients for this recipe!
- Ground Chicken - Ground chicken is a great budget-friendly way to enjoy poultry.
- Parmesan - parmesan cheese is rich and adds lots of great flavor.
- Panko breadcrumbs - panko is a larger form of dried breadcrumbs. You can substitute for regular or Italian dried breadcrumbs.
- Parsley - chopped fresh herbs add lots of flavor. You can substitute with 3 teaspoons of dried parsley.
- Tomato paste - also called tomato puree - the thick, concentrated tomato paste in a small can or tube.
- Chicken broth - you can substitute other broth, such as vegetable.
- Egg - to help bind the chicken meatballs.
- Olive oil - to brown the tops.
- Paprika, Garlic Powder, Italian herbs, and Salt - Spices for lots of great flavor.
- Butter and Minced Garlic - for the optional garlic butter to drizzle over the cooked chicken balls.
See the recipe card for quantities and method.
Instructions
Follow these step-by-step instructions, then scroll down for the full ingredients list and method.
Preheat the oven to 390°F.
Place the ground chicken into a bowl, along with the beaten egg, salt, and spices and mix gently.
Add the parmesan, panko breadcrumbs, chopped parsley, and tomato paste.
Thoroughly mix all the ingredients with a spoon, spatula, or your hands.
With damp hands, form the mixture into 2-inch balls, then place them into a 9x13-inch baking dish.
Pour the chicken broth over the meatballs in the dish. Brush the tops of the meatballs with olive oil. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until cooked through.
Meanwhile, melt the butter and stir in the minced garlic. Set aside to infuse, while the meatballs cook.
Let the meatballs cool slightly, then serve drizzled with the garlic butter.
Scroll down for the full ingredients list and method.
Substitutions
- Try this recipe with ground turkey or ground pork.
- Instead of panko, use regular dried breadcrumbs.
- You can use Italian breadcrumbs, and leave out the additional herbs.
Variations
- Gourmet - make them gourmet with a little Truffle Oil.
- Spicy - Add a little cayenne for a bit of heat. Sriracha is great too.
- Kid-friendly - if your kids don't like garlic, leave it out of the meatballs and omit the garlic butter.
Serving Suggestions
There are so many ways to serve up chicken balls!
- Serve with classic spaghetti and tomato sauce.
- Drizzle with a creamy garlic sauce and serve over mashed potatoes.
- Add a creamy pesto sauce.
- Serve on a bed of mashed potatoes.
- Serve on a bed of rice - or Texas Roadhouse Seasoned Rice (copycat).
- Enjoy your chicken meatballs with Alfredo Sauce and tagliatelle.
- Serve in a wrap with lettuce and tomato.
- Serve in a sandwich with melted cheese.
- Add to a meatball sub.
- Serve in a pita pocket with a yogurt-based sauce.
- Serve on a bed of couscous.
- Serve in a hoagie with lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise.
- Serve on top of a salad.
More Chicken Recipes
Chicken is so versatile! Be sure to try these other chicken recipes too.
- Chicken Leg Quarters
- Pesto Chicken
- Honey Mustard Chicken Legs
- Tajin Chicken
- Crockpot Cheesy Chicken and Rice
- BBQ Chicken Legs In Oven
- BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwich
Storage and Freezing
Store: Store the cooked meatballs in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Reheat: Reheat in an air fryer, oven or skillet until warmed through.
Freeze: You can freeze cooked or uncooked chicken meatballs. Cook them from frozen at 400°F(200°C) for 30 minutes or until cooked through.
Top tip
If you like your baked chicken meatballs extra browned all over, you can turn each one over towards the end of the cooking time and bake for an extra few minutes until browned. Additionally, you can fry them in a skillet over high heat for a few minutes to brown them up.
Food Safety Tips
- Before cooking, wash your hands and countertops.
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food that has touched raw meat.
- Always wash your hands after touching raw meat.
- Never leave cooking food unattended.
- Keep those pot/pan handles turned in away from the front of the stove.
- When cooking at high temperatures, use oils with a high smoking point, to avoid harmful compounds.
- Ensure you have good ventilation when cooking on gas.
- Put foods in the fridge or freezer within 2 hours of cooking. Reduce this to within 1 hour if it is 90 degrees or hotter outside.
- Safely thaw food in the fridge, under cold running water, or in the microwave.
- To ensure food is cooked through, it's best to use a food thermometer. Be aware that you can’t always tell by looking.
Cook to safe temperatures:
- Beef, Pork, Lamb: 145 °F
- Fish: 145 °F
- Ground Beef, Ground Pork, Ground Lamb: 160 °F
- Turkey, Chicken, Duck: 165 °F
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📖 Recipe
Baked Chicken Meatballs
Equipment
- Bowl
- 9x13-inch baking dish
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground chicken
- ½ cup grated parmesan
- ⅓ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 4 tablespoons chopped parsley
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 egg beaten
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon Italian herbs
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the garlic butter
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 cloves garlic minced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 390°F.
- Place the ground chicken into a bowl, along with the beaten egg, salt, and spices and mix gently.
- Add the parmesan, panko breadcrumbs, chopped parsley, and tomato paste.Thoroughly mix all the ingredients with a spoon, spatula, or your hands.
- With damp hands, form the mixture into 2-inch balls, then place them into a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- Pour the chicken broth over the meatballs in the dish. Brush the tops of the meatballs with olive oil. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until cooked through.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter and stir in the minced garlic. Set aside to infuse, while the meatballs cook.
- Let the meatballs cool slightly, then serve drizzled with the garlic butter.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors, so is not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietician for special diet advice.
Biana
Yum! Meatballs with garlic butter sound delicious, will be great served with a cucumber tomato salad.
Amanda Wren-Grimwood
These look so moreish with all that garlic butter! I am having friends for drinks on Saturday and these will be perfect.
Beth
Oh yum! So much lighter than beef meatballs. The kids loved the garlic butter!
gabbi
This was so juicy and so flavorful, the best meatballs that we have tasted so far. We had them with fries and spinach salad. My kids want to make them again so it's on my weekend menu plan again already.
Dana
These are absolutely delectable. I love chicken and turkey meatballs and this recipe did not disappoint. So happy to have it in my arsenal! Next time I'm making extra for the freezer.