Baked Chicken Meatballs
Updated Aug 21, 2025
Baked Chicken Meatballs recipe is made with ground chicken, fresh garlic, seasoning, and rolled into balls and baked in the oven, and ready in 30 minutes.
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Baked chicken meatballs are my little weeknight lifesavers. To make my chicken meatballs, I mix in some breadcrumbs, a handful of Parmesan, and a blend of spices like oregano and paprika that make these meatballs anything but bland. You just mix everything together, roll them up, and before you know it, they’re baking in the oven.
Baked Chicken Meatballs Ingredients
- Ground chicken: You can find ground chicken in the meat section at the grocery store.
- Parmesan cheese: This is my secret ingredient!
- Breadcrumbs: Read my tips on how to make your own breadcrumbs.
- Egg: Room temperature eggs mix better.
- Seasonings: Oregano, dried parsley, paprika, fresh garlic, salt, and pepper.
How to Make Baked Chicken Meatballs
Bake the Meatballs
Baked Chicken Meatball Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground chicken
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Avocado oil cooking spray
- Marinara sauce for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, egg, garlic, oregano, parsley, paprika, salt, and pepper.
- Using wet hands (with either water or olive oil), combine everything until well-blended.
- Using a medium spring-loaded cookie scoop, scoop about 2 tablespoons of the chicken mixture, roll into a ball, and place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining mixture; you should get about 15 meatballs.
- Spray with cooking spray and bake for 15 minutes, flipping halfway through. Serve with marinara, if desired.
Equipment
Notes
Original Stovetop Method with Marinara Sauce
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, egg, garlic, oregano, parsley, paprika, salt, and pepper.
- Using wet hands (with either water or olive oil), combine everything until well-blended. Form the mixture into small 1–2 inch meatballs. You should get about 12–15 balls.
- Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Transfer the meatballs to the pan and cook for 2–3 minutes per side, until they get lightly browned, but not fully cooked.
- Pour the marinara sauce over the chicken meatballs, reduce the heat to low, and simmer uncovered for 12–15 minutes, turning the meatballs once.
- Toss in cooked spaghetti and serve with fresh basil, if desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Recipe Tips
- Make your own ground chicken in a food processor. If you can’t find ground chicken or only have breasts or thighs, place them in the food processor until they’re ground. Add the remaining ingredients and pulse lightly until just combined.
- Mix the meatball mixture by hand. It’s tempting to use a spoon, but your hands will combine the ingredients more efficiently and without over-mixing. Wet your hands first with water or oil so the mixture doesn’t stick to them.
- Grate your own cheese. Store-bought shredded cheese often has anti-caking agents, which can prevent the cheese from melting well. Also, sometimes it has a powder residue or grainy texture from the caking agents. Use high-quality cheese and grate it yourself for the best results!
Serving Ideas
- Sauces: Marinara Sauce, Alfredo Sauce, Cottage Cheese Pasta Sauce
- Salads: Italian Pasta Salad, Caprese Salad, Mixed Greens Salad
- Pasta: Cacio e Pepe, Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes, Pink Beet Pasta
FAQs
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3–4 days. Reheat for a few minutes in a skillet, in the oven, or in the air fryer until warmed through.
Yes! You can freeze them before or after cooking.
To freeze the meatballs before cooking, lay the formed balls on a flat baking dish in the freezer for at least 4 hours. When frozen, place them in an airtight bag for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and cook according to the recipe instructions.
To freeze the meatballs after cooking, place them in an airtight bag for up to 2 months. To reheat, thaw in the fridge overnight and re-warm for a few minutes in a skillet, in the oven, or in the air fryer.
Your mixture might have been too wet, or you might not have combined the ingredients well enough before forming the balls. I recommend refrigerating the balls for about 30 minutes before cooking to help hold their shape better.
Yes, that was my original method for making this recipe! You can see the full stovetop instructions for the Italian chicken meatballs recipe at the bottom of the recipe card.
The meatballs are done when they’re no longer pink in the middle. The safest way to check is by using a meat thermometer. They should reach an internal temperature of 165°F.
More Meatball Recipes
- Spaghetti and Meatballs
- Cheese Stuffed Meatballs
- Air Fryer Meatballs
- Greek Meatballs
- Beef Kafta
- Lamb Meatballs
- Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs
This chicken meatball recipe was originally published on December 23, 2019. The recipe has been updated to focus just on forming and baking the meatballs, not cooking them on the stove with marinara. If you liked the original recipe, you can find it at the bottom of the recipe card! This post has also been updated with new photography and step-by-step collages to better help you make the recipe.
Comments
Has anyone baked them?
Going to make tomorrow and thinking 20min @ 350?
Hi Barbie! You can bake at 400ยบF for 15 minutes, flipping halfway through. The full instructions with bake time and oven temperature are in the recipe card at the bottom of the post (above the comments). You can also click ‘jump to recipe’ at the top of the page to get to the recipe card quickly. Hope you enjoy!
Iโm wondering if the breadcrumbs in this recipe are panko crumbs/dry breadcrumbs or fresh breadcrumbs made from white bread in a food processor?
I use dry breadcrumbs or panko breadcrumbs.
So yummy! Made them for the first time today with Spanish rice on the side and they are perfection. Thank you for your easy recipes as I’m in pain often and on those days there’s no way I’m standing up to cook. This morning I was in pain but once it calmed down, I quickly prepped these as it was a one-bowl recipe so no mess and barely any cleanup.
Aww, you have no idea how much it means to hear that! I’m so glad my recipes are simple, quick, and easy for you. Thanks so much, Leia. Glad you enjoyed!!
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