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Baked chicken meatballs on a black plate

Baked Chicken Meatballs

4.99 from 100 votes
The BEST healthy baked chicken meatballs with spinach. Made in the oven, serve these easy chicken meatballs with pasta, zoodles, or sandwich rolls.
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 18 mins
Total: 35 mins
Servings: 12 meatballs
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Ingredients
  

  • 1 large egg
  • 1 pound ground chicken (I like 93% lean)
  • 1/2 cup whole wheat panko breadcrumbs
  • 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese finely grated
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil divided
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste divided
  • 3 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley finely chopped
  • 2 1/2 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 9x13-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.
    a bowl of ground chicken with breadcrumbs and herbs to make meatballs
  • With a fork or your hands, mix until well combined, being careful not to compact the meat.
    a glass bowl of ground chicken and hearbs for easy baked chicken meatballs
  • Shape the mixture into 12 meatballs and arrange them in the prepared baking dish, 1-inch apart, so they do not touch.
    a sheet pan of the BEST chicken meatballs ready to bake in the oven
  • 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.
    brushing Italian chicken meatballs with tomato paste and olive oil before baking
  • 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!
    healthy chicken meatballs on a sheet pan lined with foil

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

Serving: 1meatball (without pasta or additional sauce)Calories: 107kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 9gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 50mgPotassium: 283mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 770IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 54mgIron: 1mg

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