Chicken Parmesan Meatballs

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My Chicken Parmesan obsession runs deep. We kicked off the week with a classic chicken parmesan recipe and today we're getting fancy with Chicken Parmesan Meatballs!!

A skillet with chicken parm meatballs garnished with basil leaves with a serving spoon and a small empty plate on the side.


 

Why I Love This Recipe

My cooking skills were somewhat limited in college. If you came over for dinner it was either chicken parm or a roasted chicken with salad. That's it. The only options you got! You could say I’ve expanded my repertoire a bit since then (with over 1000 recipes on this site I think culinary school has officially paid off), but I always come back to chicken parm. My classic chicken parm recipe is a winner, but I wanted to jazz things up a bit today.

So I took each and every ingredient from the chicken parm recipe, and turned it into meatballs. So all those herbs - into the meatballs! The parmesan and breadcrumbs - into the meatballs. The mozzarella, well, you get the point! There’s even a bit of flour on the outside of every meatball to give it a bit of a crust.

I kinda of hate myself for not making these earlier, because to say I’m obsessed would be an understatement. I practically licked the skillet clean when I made these. You absolutely, positively, must try these!

Ingredients & Substitutions

A mise-en-place of all the ingredients to make chicken parm meatballs.
  • Ground Chicken
  • Parmesan grated
  • Panko Breadcrumbs
  • Egg
  • Salt
  • Black Pepper freshly cracked
  • Dried Oregano
  • Dried Parsley
  • Red Pepper Flakes
  • Flour
  • Bocconcini Mozzarella Balls
  • Olive Oil
  • Basil Leaves

*For a full list of ingredients and instructions please see recipe card below.

How to Make Chicken Parm Meatballs

A small glass mixing bowl with ground chicken amd all the ingredients to make chicken meatballs.

Step 1: In a large mixing bowl, combine the chicken, parmesan, breadcrumbs, egg, salt, pepper, oregano, parsley and red pepper flakes. Carefully combine everything with your hands until the ingredients are evenly mixed.

A parchment-lined baking sheet of chicken mixture shaped into meatballs.

Step 2: Form the ground chicken mixture into small meatballs, each the size of a golf ball. Insert a small bocconcini ball in the center of each meatball, taking care to reform the meatball around the cheese once it’s been inserted. The mozzarella should be completely hidden from sight.

A parchment-lined baking sheet of chicken parm meatballs dredged in flour.

Step 3: Dredge each meatball in the flour to lightly coat it and gently tap off any excess flour. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

A white dutch oven with a little oil and chicken parm meatballs being sautéed in it.

Step 4: Heat the olive oil in a large heavy bottom skillet over medium high heat. Once the oil is hot, add half of the meatballs and sauté for a 3-4 minutes, turning every so often to brown the outside.

A white dutch oven with chicken parm meatballs being cooked in tomato sauce.

Step 5: Once all meatballs are browned, add the tomato sauce to the skillet and place the browned meatballs on top of the sauce.

A white dutch oven with chicken parm meatballs being cooked in tomato sauce garnished with pieces of bocconcini and basil leaves.

Step 6: Transfer the skillet, meatballs and all, into the oven and let the meatballs continue to bake for 15-20 minutes until cooked through. Remove the skillet from the oven and dusting with salt, pepper, freshly chopped basil and extra bocconcini if desired. Serve immediately.

A skillet with chicken parm meatballs garnished with basil leaves and a serving spoon in the skillet, with a small plate with the meatballs in it on the side.

How to Store Chicken Parm Meatballs

You can store these meatballs in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. To reheat on the stovetop, microwave or oven until warmed through.

How to Freeze Chicken Parm Meatballs

You can sure freeze these meatballs! You can decide at what point you want to freeze them. You can freeze uncooked meatballs, or after they are sautéed. Line the meatballs in a single layer in a baking sheet in the freezer, and once they are firm, transfer them to a freezer bag. Store up to three months.

Tips & Tricks

If you haven't heard of this technique, I highly recommend dredging the raw meatballs in flour. This helps them form a delightful crust when you brown them in the pan!

A skillet with chicken parm meatballs garnished with basil leaves and a serving spoon on the side.

FAQs

Making a big meal for hosting or Thanksgiving, can I prep these ahead?

If you're trying to prep these Chicken Parm Meatballs ahead of time - you could make the mixture and scoop it into balls 2 days before serving. Just make sure to cover with plastic wrap to keep all the moisture. Then you'll add the cheese and sauté day of to keep them fresh and get that golden crust.

Can I make these with spaghetti or a different sauce?

Yes!! You can pair these meatballs with any grain, or another sauce that you like!

Stuck in a dinner rut? Looking for new delicious dinner ideas?  Check out my roundup of 50+ easy dinner ideas here.

Similar Recipes

If you tried this recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting today

Chicken Parmesan Meatballs

Author: Gaby Dalkin
4.9 from 178 votes
Your fav Chicken Parmesan recipe meets meatballs! These will be your new favorite weeknight meal no matter what your age!
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian, American
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound ground chicken
  • ½ cup grated parmesan
  • cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 egg
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon dried parsley
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • ½ cups flour
  • bocconcini mozzarella balls
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • 1 jar marinara sauce
  • handful of basil leaves torn

Instructions
 

  • In a large mixing bowl, combine the chicken, parmesan, breadcrumbs, egg, salt, pepper, oregano, parsley and red pepper flakes. Carefully combine everything with your hands until the ingredients are evenly mixed.
  • Form the ground chicken mixture into small meatballs, each the size of a golf ball.
  • Insert a small bocconcini ball in the center of each meatball, taking care to reform the meatball around the cheese once it’s been inserted. The mozzarella should be completely hidden from sight.
  • Dredge each meatball in the flour to lightly coat it and gently tap off any excess flour.
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Heat the olive oil in a large heavy bottom skillet over medium high heat. Once the oil is hot, add half of the meatballs and sauté for a 3-4 minutes, turning every so often to brown the outside.
  • Once the meatballs are browned, remove them from the oil and repeat the process with the remaining meatballs.
  • Once all meatballs are browned, add the tomato sauce to the skillet and place the browned meatballs on top of the sauce.
  • Transfer the skillet, meatballs and all, into the oven and let the meatballs continue to bake for 15-20 minutes until cooked through.
  • Remove the skillet from the oven and dusting with salt, pepper, freshly chopped basil and extra bocconcini if desired. Serve immediately.

Notes

If you haven't heard of this technique, I highly recommend dredging the raw meatballs in flour. This helps them form a delightful crust when you brown them in the pan!

Nutrition Information

Calories: 589kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 25g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 149mg | Sodium: 1586mg | Potassium: 1175mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 984IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 166mg | Iron: 4mg
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @WhatsGabyCookin or tag #whatsgabycooking!

Photo by Matt Armendariz / Food Styling by Adam Pearson / Recipe from What’s Gaby Cooking

369 Comments

  1. Ooo I'm going to make this! But I don't have an oven safe skillet how would I go about putting them in the oven to finish?

  2. EXCELLENT recipe!!!
    Tasty.. moist and so flavorful!
    This will be my go too chicken meatball recipe from here on in!!
    Thank you!!
    ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

  3. 5 stars
    This is the best recipe I've tried in a very long time. I immediately said: This is company-worthy. Finally a new dish I can use when inviting friends and family to dinner!

  4. 5 stars
    Another 5 star recioe. My husband swore he wouldn’t like chicken meatballs and he loved them. Recipe was easy and great directions. Makes a lot of meatballs. 4 of us and we have half left for later this week. Think I will make meatball sandwiches with the leftovers. Looking forward to cooking another Gaby recipe tomorrow.

  5. 5 stars
    Another 5 star recipe! My daughter said this is the best meal she has ever had. My husband swore he wouldn’t like chicken meatballs and he loved them. Recipe was easy and great directions. Makes a lot of meatballs. 4 of us and we have half left for later this week. Think I will make meatball sandwiches with the leftovers. Looking forward to cooking another Gaby recipe tomorrow.

  6. This was delicious! One question though, do you add the sauce to the same pan as the meatballs are browned in? Do you discard the remaining oil? I gues that’s two questions! Will definitely be making this one again!

    1. Yes I discard the oil if there's a lot left and then warm the sauce in the same pan!

  7. I'm gonna try making smaller balls and smaller cheese too, for subs! And if I'm going to freeze some raw, would I still dredge in flour before freezing. Or wait to thaw then dredge before cooking?

4.93 from 178 votes (67 ratings without comment)

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