I absolutely adore good Chicken Parmesan Meatballs. I have such fond memories of enjoying them throughout my childhood when out to special dinners with my family; my mom would often make it at home; I’ve even come up with my own twist on it!
But sometimes, there are those days after work…those days where you’d rather slide onto the couch in your most comfortable pair of yoga pants than stand in the kitchen, dredging chicken breasts, frying them, then finishing them off in the oven. THEN preparing the pasta. THEN melting the (oh so glorious) mozzarella under the broiler. All that…before dinner is ready. It’s ok! We all have those days. These Chicken Parmesan Meatballs are going to make you feel better.
With these beauties, you get all of that wonderful flavor of the Chicken Parmesan, but made easy because we’re doing them meatball style! They pack a flavor punch bigger than their size lets on, that’s for sure. They’re loaded up with herbs, tomato paste, bread crumbs….everything that makes the classic dish, but it’s all done in one bowl! Tell me it doesn’t get any better than that, I dare ya. BUT WAIT.
…did I neglect to mention that these are significantly more healthy than the original dish? I’m all about a big ol’ plate of pasta and chicken smothered in cheese and sauce, but it doesn’t always feel so great after the fact. We’re baking these Chicken Parmesan Meatballs in the oven, which provides that wonderful crunch on the outside without the use of frying. They can be sprinkled with cheese at the end. Fear not!
Not only are these easy to whip up on a moment’s notice, but they are great to make ahead and freeze for future use! Simply prepare them, roll them out, and transfer them to the freezer on a baking sheet. Once frozen, these Chicken Parmesan Meatballs can be stored in a zip-top bag and finished off in no time. You’ll be so thankful you did.
The Best Chicken Parmesan Meatballs
Ingredients
1 pound ground chicken (minced chicken)
½ cup dried breadcrumbs
2 cloves garlic - minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 pinch salt - to taste
1 pinch ground black pepper - to taste
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 375°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil, and top it with a cooling rack. Spray with cooking spray and set aside.
- Mix all of the above ingredients (less Marinara Sauce) in a large bowl until well combined. The mixture will be fairly moist but should hold together when formed into a ball.
- Scoop the mixture out and roll into balls (I opted to make 9 large ones) and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Bake in the oven until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. For my large meatballs, this took about 30ish minutes.
- Serve with your favorite pasta and sauce, and top it all off with cheese. Enjoy!
