Who doesn’t love a spin on a favorite classic dinner? These Chicken Parmesan meatballs totally fit that bill. They carry all the flavor of your favorite chicken Parmesan, but there’s no breading or browning involved — just roll and bake the meatballs in marinara sauce for a fast dinner on busy weeknights.
Your Favorite Chicken Parmesan, in Meatball Form!
Classic chicken Parmesan may take just 30 minutes to prepare, but it’s 30 minutes of hands-on slicing, dredging, browning, and baking. On busy nights, I’ll pick a dinner with a few less steps, thank you very much.
Enter these chicken Parmesan meatballs—welcome to my easy dinner party! My recipe uses freshly grated Parm, airy panko breadcrumbs, and an egg to bind together the herby ground chicken mixture.
Instead of dredging the meatballs in more breadcrumbs for a crispy coating, I prefer to smother mine in a quality jarred marinara sauce and a blanket of provolone. This keeps the recipe a little lighter and saves me some time.
While the meatballs bake, prep some garlic bread, toss together a leafy green salad, and dinner is served! Doesn’t get much easier than that!
Enjoy!
Heidi’s Tips for Recipe Success
Skip the powdery grated Parm in a shaker can. Most store-bought grated Parmesan cheese has the taste and texture of sawdust. If possible, buy a block and grate it yourself for a creamier texture that will melt into the ground chicken mixture and help bind it together.
Panko breadcrumbs create a lighter meatball. While you could also use Italian seasoned breadcrumbs in the meatball mixture, Japanese panko are much lighter and airier and prevents the baked meatballs from tasting dense or dry.
Use a meat thermometer to test for doneness. Chicken meatballs are considered done when they reach an internal temperature of 165ºF. I’ve accidentally overcooked plenty of meatballs in my day, so now I always use a meat thermometer to check their temperature near the end of the suggested cook time.
What’s in This Recipe?
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
- Ground chicken — If you can get your hands on it, I prefer using ground chicken thighs in these meatballs. Dark meat is more flavorful and tender than white meat, but of course, use what you have or can find.
- Parmesan cheese — Freshly grated is ALWAYS the way to go.
- Egg — Helps bind the meatball mixture together and provides a little moisture, too.
- Panko breadcrumbs — Have a light, airy texture that helps bind the chicken meatballs together without making them dense or heavy.
- Aromatics — A blend of finely minced onion, garlic, fresh parsley, and dried oregano flavors the meatballs.
- Marinara sauce — I use jarred marinara on busy nights when I need to get dinner on the table ASAP, but you can make your own marinara if desired.
- Provolone — Just ½ cup gets sprinkled over the chicken Parmesan meatballs to make them extra cheesy.
Love chicken Parmesan? Make this baked version of classic chicken Parmesan next!
Ingredient Substitutions
- Swap the ground chicken for ground turkey
- Use low-moisture mozzarella instead of provolone
- Replace the fresh aromatics with 1 teaspoon of onion powder and ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Top with fresh basil after baking
How to Prepare Baked Chicken Parmesan Meatballs
- Combine the meatball mixture. Simply add all of the meatball fixings to a large bowl and work the mixture with your hands to combine.
Heidi’s Tip: The reason I use my hands rather than a spoon or spatula is to prevent accidental over mixing. Over working ground chicken can make it tough and dry, and when you use your hands you can feel when the breadcrumbs and egg are fully combined.
- Cover and chill for 15 minutes. This quick rest period gives the panko time to soften and creates sturdier meatballs that are less likely to fall apart on you.
- Scoop and roll. I used a 1-tablespoon scoop to measure out the meatball mixture, then dampened my hands before rolling into balls to prevent sticking.
- Bake for 20 minutes. The meatballs are first baked on a baking sheet to firm them up. While they’re baking, I like to heat the marinara sauce in a large oven-safe skillet.
- Transfer to the warm marinara, then finish baking. They need to bake for just 10 more minutes, or until done.
- Top with cheese. Once the chicken Parm meatballs have cooked through, sprinkle the provolone on top and return to the oven. The cheese needs just 2 to 3 minutes to melt and become golden.
Heidi’s Tip: Enjoy the meatballs as is, or stuff them into toasted hoagie rolls to make chicken Parmesan meatball subs 🤤.
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below, leave a comment to tell us what you think, and tag me on Instagram @foodiecrush.
Chicken Parmesan Meatballs Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1 egg, beaten
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ⅓ cup minced yellow onion
- 3 cloves garlic, pressed or grated
- 2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, minced
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 25 ounces jarred marinara sauce
- 2 ounces shredded provolone cheese, ½ cup
Instructions
- Make the meatball mix. Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a large bowl, add 1 pound ground chicken, 1 beaten egg, ½ cup panko bread crumbs, ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, ½ cup minced yellow onion, 3 pressed cloves garlic, 2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, minced 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Gently knead the mix with damp hands until incorporated. Cover and refrigerate the mixture for at least 15 minutes for the breadcrumbs to soften, up to overnight.
- Form the meatballs. Use a small scoop to form the meatballs into 1-inch balls (about 16) and place on a cutting board. Dampen your hands, then lightly shape and roll the meatballs between your palms to smooth.
- Bake the meatballs. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with cooking spray. Evenly space the meatballs on the baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.
- Warm the marinara. Meanwhile, in large, oven-proof skillet over medium heat, warm the 25-ounce jar of marinara sauce.
- Top with marinara and finish with cheese. Transfer the cooked meatballs to the warmed marinara, nestling them in the sauce. Bake for 10 more minutes or until the middle of a meatball registers 165°F. Top the meatballs with ½ cup shredded Provolone cheese, return to the oven, and bake until the cheese melts, 2-3 minutes. Garnish with more parsley and grated Parmesan. Serve with noodles, polenta, or baked spaghetti squash.
Nutrition
What to Serve With These Meatballs
Storage Tips
Leftover meatballs can be stored in the fridge for 5 days or in the freezer for 3 months. Reheat in the microwave in 30-second bursts.
More Easy Meatball Dinner Ideas
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