These healthy Chicken Meatballs are basic, done better. Moist Italian-style meatballs tasty enough to enjoy all on their own (or with your favorite tomato or marinara sauce), and stuffed with a sneaky serving of spinach. Delish!
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The perfect chicken meatballs for your pasta.
Made with lean ground chicken, whole wheat breadcrumbs, and fresh green spinach, this baked chicken meatball recipe offers old-school Italian flavor, done new-school fast.
These tender, juicy meatballs require less than 15 minutes to prep and they’re cooked entirely in the oven—which means no greasy mess on the stovetop.
Like these Baked Turkey Meatballs, and Asian Chicken Meatballs, my healthy baked chicken meatballs will please grownups and kids alike (including your pickiest toddlers). They taste GREAT, especially atop a big bowl of spaghetti.
But don’t be mistaken—they’re not just for pasta! Make a batch for a perfect, crowd-pleasing appetizer (perhaps alongside some Mozzarella Sticks) or a double batch to freeze for a lightning-fast dinner tonight or any night of the week.
5 Star Review
“These are AMAZING! Super easy to make and I had all of the ingredients in the house already! This one deserves more than 5 stars!”
— Christine —
My Tips For Magnificent Meatballs
- Grate Your Own Cheese. PLEASE buy a block of Parm and grate it yourself. The green can will not do this simple chicken meatball recipe justice (or this Pesto Pasta).
- And Don’t Skip the Cheese Either. Cheese is important for this recipe because it flavors the chicken meatballs and helps them hold their shape. If you’re looking for meatballs without cheese, try these Cranberry Turkey Meatballs or Whole30 Meatballs.
- Know When They’re Done. Chicken meatballs are fully cooked when evenly brown, firm to the touch, and register an internal temperature of 160 degrees F.
- Air Fryer Option. Check out my Air Fryer Meatballs recipe as a good starting point if you want to try making chicken meatballs in the air fryer.
What to Serve with Chicken Meatballs
- Pasta. Cooked spaghetti noodles are classic. For a low carb twist, try Zucchini Pasta.
- Pesto. For a change of pace, instead of marinara, try Basil Pesto or Avocado Pesto.
- Sautéed Vegetables. While the meatballs bake in the oven, cook up Sautéed Zucchini or Sautéed Spinach on your stovetop.
- Spaghetti Squash. With its pasta-like strands, Baked Spaghetti Squash is perfect with meatballs. Or for a more decadent spin, try Spaghetti Squash Carbonara.
Italian-Style Chicken Meatballs
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Ingredients
- 1 large egg
- 1 pound ground chicken (I like 93% lean)
- ½ cup whole wheat panko breadcrumbs
- ⅓ cup Parmesan cheese finely grated
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil divided
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste divided
- 3 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley finely chopped
- 2 ½ cups fresh spinach lightly packed
For Serving:
- Tomato sauce
- Cooked whole wheat pasta, zucchini, or other vegetable noodles
- Buns for sandwiches
- Toothpicks to serve as an appetizer
Instructions
- Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Lightly coat a 9×13-inch baking dish or rimmed baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
- Beat the egg in the bottom of a large bowl. Add the chicken, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, 1 tablespoon olive oil, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, red pepper flakes, fresh parsley, and 1 tablespoon tomato paste. Finely chop the spinach so that it is in small bits, then add it to the bowl.
- With a fork or your hands, mix until well combined, being careful not to compact the meat.
- Shape the mixture into 12 meatballs and arrange them in the prepared baking dish, 1-inch apart, so they do not touch.
- Whisk together the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of tomato paste in a small bowl. It won’t be perfectly smooth but will bake up just fine. Brush over the top of the meatballs.
- Bake the meatballs in the upper third of the oven for 18 to 22 minutes until cooked through. Serve hot with pasta, zucchini noodles, inside a hoagie bun, or any way you choose!
Video
Notes
- TO STORE: Store cooked and cooled leftovers in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- TO REHEAT: Warm leftover refrigerated meatballs in a 350-degree F oven until heated through and steaming. IF reheating frozen meatballs, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (if the meatballs are fully cooked) or 400 degrees (if they are not fully cooked). Arrange the meatballs in a baking dish coated with nonstick spray. Then, bake directly from frozen until hot, 20 to 30 minutes for cooked meatballs or 25 to 30 minutes for uncooked meatballs (uncooked meatballs should reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees F).
- TO FREEZE: After the meatballs have fully baked, let them cool completely. Then arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until the meatballs are firm; about 1 to 2 hours. Transfer the frozen chicken meatballs to a ziptop bag. Squish out as much air as possible and seal. You can also freeze the meatballs uncooked, following the same steps above. Frozen cooked or uncooked meatballs may be stored for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
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Love this recipe! It is in our menu rotation! So easy to make and my son loves to help! They are delicious! I add a little side of pasta, but the meatballs are the main dish!
They look fabulous, Trista! So glad you enjoyed them and thank you for sharing!
These turned out SO GOOD! I didn’t have whole wheat Panko, but of course they were just as good with the regular kind. I served them over spaghetti squash that I grew in my garden. Absolutely delicious!
Great to hear, thank you Lani!
If you are looking for the best meatball recipe, look here, seriously DELICIOUS. Been looking for so long for a good meatball recipe and finally found it! This will be my forever recipe, thanks for sharing this!!
So glad to hear you enjoyed it, Kelly! Thank you!
This was so good, I almost ate them all instead of freezing some for lunches.
So great to hear! Thank you rogue1!
I would make this recipe again.So quick and easy to make. Everyone asked for seconds.
Thank you Kristin!
These meatballs were delicious and loved by my whole family! Super easy to make. Will definitely make them again!
Great to hear, thank you Dawn!
SO easy and SO tasty! Loved these!
Thank you Sandy!
I make these chicken meatballs but wondered if I could make it as a meatloaf? How long would you cook?
Hi Catherine, I haven’t tested this recipe for a meatloaf so it would be hard for me to say. Cooking time would be similar to this recipe: https://www.wellplated.com/turkey-meatloaf/ Let us know how it goes if you decide to experiment.
We absolutely loved it! Easy to make, delicious ingredients, and everyone at the dinner party LOVED it! I used regular panko, pre-grated parmesan, dried parsley, and those substitutions worked fine. I made the mixture the night before, then made them into smaller sized balls the next day and got about 24 out of 1 pound. It’s a new favorite!
So glad to hear you enjoyed it, Jennifer! Thank you!
These were so easy and so delicious! My husband loved them. Great alternative to regular meatballs. Served w Zoodles.
So glad to hear! Thank you Glynis!
These are the best chicken meatballs and I have made the recipe at least 7-8 times. I freeze in packs of two and thaw and reheat when my husband is busy with meetings in the evening. So delicious, moist and tender. Very easy to put together and freeze for quick meals. I keep telling my daughters to make these for the grandchildren!
So happy to hear! Thank you Carrie!
This recipe is soooooo good. I usually change up recipes but made this one exactly as written. Wouldn’t change a thing!
So glad to hear, thank you Susan!