Best Anytime Baked Chicken Meatballs

Baked Chicken Meatballs on a sheet pan with romesco sauce.

So when I say anytime, I really do mean anytime.

That’s what I love about these baked chicken meatballs. They are SO EASY to make and they can sort of turn into anything.

Here Are Some Of Their Best Features…

  • They are BAKED.
  • They are CHICKEN. (Turkey’s good, too.)
  • They use one bowl.
  • There are no cutting boards involved.
  • There is no splattery sautéing.
  • They are meal-prep friendly.
  • Also freezer friendly.
  • THEY GO WITH ANYTHING, anytime.

I’m not a meatball lover, but I LOVE THESE MEATBALLS.

These baked chicken meatball bites can go with spaghetti and meatballs, baked rigatoni, or any pasta for that matter. They can be served with mashed cauliflower and green beans (my current favorite), or saved for quick and healthy lunch meal prep with roasted veggies. Half of the batch can be tossed with buffalo sauce and half can be frozen for next week’s Swedish meatball dinner.

I don’t memorize many recipes – I have the magic green sauce, soft chocolate chip cookies, and wild rice soup burned into my brain, but that’s about it. THAT BEING SAID, this baked chicken meatball recipe is absolutely a memorize-the-general-concept-and-make-it-anytime type of situation.

See? Anytime. I told you I was serious about that part.

Baked Chicken Meatballs on a sheet pan with sauce.

How To Make These Chicken Meatballs

K, the recipe is such a breeze. Are you ready?

First, your ingredients. Just pile ’em in a bowl. All you really need to remember is panko, parm, egg, and chicken. The spices are pretty flexible.

Ingredients for Baked Chicken Meatballs in a bowl.

Now OBVIOUSLY WASH YOUR HANDS and take off your rings and all that. And then dive in.

Baked Chicken Meatballs mixed in a bowl.

Mix, roll, roll, roll. And bake.

Unbaked Chicken Meatballs on a sheet pan.

Put your feet up, relax for a minute, smell the deliciousness coming from the oven.

And then you’re done!

Baked Chicken Meatball on a fork.

One of my favorite things about these is that even with being baked, they get a really nice browned exterior. You can always throw them in a saute pan if you feel like they need a little extra browning, but I will legit eat these straight off the baking sheet. Browned to perfection, if you ask me.

Baked Chicken Meatball with bite taken out.

Okay, so what are you going to make with these? Because these are the little baked chicken meatballs that could! Me? I’ll eat them straight off the pan or maybe in this Chicken Meatballs with Peppers and Orzo orrrrrrrr in this Garlic Herb Spaghetti. YUM.

They can be anything they set their minds to. An-y-thing!

Baked Chicken Meatballs: FAQs

Can I use ground turkey for these meatballs?

Yes! I really love making this with ground chicken OR ground turkey. If I use ground turkey, I like the dark meat ground turkey that they sell at Whole Foods.

Why do you use garlic and onion powder? Can’t I use fresh garlic and onions?

I prefer chunk-less meatballs when it comes to onion and garlic which is why I prefer to use powder. But if you like to have the chunks, I think you could use finely minced fresh garlic and onion with good results!

What’s that delicious sauce that’s pictured with the meatballs? I want it!

The sauce pictured here is a store-bought vodka sauce from DeLallo! It’s delicious. This romesco sauce would also be AMAZING!


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Baked Chicken Meatballs on a sheet pan with sauce.

Best Anytime Baked Chicken Meatballs

4.9 from 224 reviews
  • Author: Lindsay
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 30 meatballs / 6 servings
Print Recipe

Description

These Baked Chicken Meatballs are the BEST! The perfect addition to any meal or to eat right on their own. Bonus: they’re meal-prep friendly to stock up throughout the week!

Ingredients

Units
  • 1 pound ground chicken or turkey
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil (optional – makes meatballs more moist and yummy)
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • black pepper to taste
  • additional seasonings optional!

Instructions

  1. Prep: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and a little cooking spray.
  2. Mix: Mix all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl.
  3. Roll: Roll the mixture into about 30 small balls. Place on baking sheet.
  4. Bake: Bake for 25-30 minutes.
  5. ENJOY!

Equipment

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Notes

For mixing, I usually wash my hands, take my rings off, and mix it all up with my hands.

Freezer Meal Version

  1. Mix, roll, and freeze:
    1 pound ground chicken or turkey
    1 egg
    1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
    1/2 cup grated Parmesan
    2 tablespoons olive oil
    1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
    1/2 teaspoon onion powder
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    black pepper to taste
    *Note: you can also bake them first at 400 degrees for 20 minutes and then freeze them fully cooked
  2. Bake from raw/frozen: 400 degrees for 30 minutes
  3. Final Step: Serve with literally anything – personal fave includes some kind of pasta, red sauce, and a salad.
  4. Check out our full freezer meal posts with all recipes and instructions here!
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: American

Keywords: baked chicken meatballs, chicken meatballs, meal prep meatballs

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