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!!
Table of Contents
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
- 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
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.
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.
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.
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.
Step 5: Once all meatballs are browned, add the tomato sauce to the skillet and place the browned meatballs on top of the sauce.
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.
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!
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.
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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
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground chicken
- ½ cup grated parmesan
- ⅓ 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
Nutrition Information
Photo by Matt Armendariz / Food Styling by Adam Pearson / Recipe from What’s Gaby Cooking
Can I use ground turkey instead of chicken?
totally!!
Hi Gabby. Do you have a favorite jarred marinara sauce that you use?
Rao's! I get it from Costco!
These look so delish! Thinking of freezing some - any thoughts if they would be better frozen raw or cooked or if I should leave out the cheese?
What is a broccolini mozzarellas ball??
bocconcini balls - they are the little fresh mozzarella balls! Most stores carry them - I know whole foods, trader joes and ralphs have them out here on the west coast. Not sure where you are based but they should be by the feta / mozzarella / burrata section of your cheese section at the market
At my local store, the bocconcini balls were HUGE! Bigger than a golf ball! But luckily I had seen your video and knew the size I needed, so I grabbed the ones called "ciliegine." These are SOOO good (amazeballs, as my husband says!) And whaddya know, my kids like 'em too!!
SO HAPPY
I made these and.....ohhhh...my God!!!!! So freaking good. It's a keeper! Thanks so much for this!
This recipe is a keeper for sure! As others have commented, 2 eggs made the mixture a bit too wet and I had to add more panko. I'll try one egg next time. Otherwise, these meatballs turned out perfectly and my family is already asking me to make them again. Thanks!
Made this for my family tonight. It was a hit. The kids loved the “surprise” cheese inside. It will definitely go into our dinner rotation.
This sounds delicious! Is there a reason for panko over reg breadcrumbs? Can it be substituted or will it change the texture too much? Thanks!
you can substitute! I just like the consistency of panko better
Hi.. the recipe was good. . But wondered if it could have been outstanding if I had used that pan you cooked your chicken meatballs in? Can you source the pan in the picture for me please?
it's vintage - from my grandma from 60+ years ago
I'm about to make these! I just realized that the cheese is stuffed into the meatballs, which, no matter how gooey and delicious that sounds to me, will be a deal-breaker for my ridiculous little kids. Would it be easy enough to serve the cheese on the side and cook the meatballs the way you instructed above?
you can just melt it on the top if you prefer!
Hi Gaby, huge fan of your recipes! Was wondering if you had any suggestions on turning these into eggplant parm “meat”balls? Im vegetarian and LOVE your eggplant parm recipe, but my husband loves these chicken parm meatballs - would love to find a way to combine the two and not be cooking two separate dishes!
I haven't done any eggplant style meatballs! If I think of anything, I'll absolutely post it!
Dom DeLuise has a recipe for eggplant balls in his cookbook Eat This ...It'll Make You Feel Better! (Father Orsini's Eggplant Balls). We've been making them for years. They're pretty soft, so I don't think you could put mozzarella in the middle, but they have cheese in them. I swap out the parsley in them with spinach.
Made these tonight and they were AMAZING! Used one egg like other comments suggested. My husband was raving about them all night! Thank you for another easy and incredible meal!
OMG THESE WERE AMAZING! A major crowd pleaser and easy to execute! My boyfriend told me these were a definite make again!
I made this last night for the first time and it was DELICIOUS. All my guests loved it. Thanks Gaby for making such a simple recipe to follow and make. I will being making this again and again.
Hi Gaby,
These sound delicious!! I’d like to make them ahead for a family camping trip. Do you think I could bake them at home without sauce, freeze them and then heat in a skillet with marinara sauce on a stove when we’re camping?
Thanks so much for your advice!
Diana
yes!! that is exactly what I would do!