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Best Anytime Baked Chicken Meatballs

718 reviews / 4.9 average

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!

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 OR in this Creamy Baked Orzo with Meatballs OR OR OR for this Butter Chicken Meatballs magic. 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!

Can I use these for traditional spaghetti and meatballs?

Absolutely! I’d still bake them, and then afterwards let them simmer in some good spaghetti sauce.

If you’re on the spaghetti train, I’d also recommend these Ricotta Meatballs!


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Baked Chicken Meatballs on a sheet pan with sauce.

Best Anytime Baked Chicken Meatballs


  • Author: Lindsay
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 30 meatballs / 6 servings 1x

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 Scale
  • 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

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

This recipe is included in our ultimate freezer meal guide below.

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1196 Comments

  1. Pinch of Yum Logo

    Ouu I want to make itty bitty slider buns and eat a million of these (and maybe share them with the kids..maybe)!

      1. Pinch of Yum Logo

        I made these last night. They are so easy and delicious. I followed the receive exactly. They are so flavorful.reminds me of popcorn chicken.will make often.! 💪👏💜

      2. Pinch of Yum Logo

        I doubled the recipe, but with 3 hungry boys I don’t think there will be any left. These chicken meatballs are little bites of joy. Very easy recipe…

      3. Pinch of Yum Logo

        I made these with canned chicken (2 5oz cans drained. About 1 cup chicken.) I used keto nut breading. I got 25 out of the batch using a teaspoon. Good!

    1. Pinch of Yum Logo

      Made these today for my 2 kids (3yrs and 10months) they were delicious I ate 3 before my kids got any😆. I used 2 chicken thigh and a small breast and blitzed it till mince texture also added grated onion and carrot. Will definitely make these again. Thank you for the recipe

      1. Pinch of Yum Logo

        I was just curious if anyone has made these in an air fryer and what the temp/cooking time would be?

        1. Pinch of Yum Logo

          Yes, I make these in the air fryer. 180 degrees for 20 mins – perfect and delicious every time!

          1. Pinch of Yum Logo

            I make these in my air fryer. 375 F. 16 mins.
            I made 4 batches. 1 for dinner. 3 for the freezer. Used these gems in “Italian wedding soup” , sliders and a stir fry . delicious

    2. Pinch of Yum Logo

      These meatballs are in very regular rotation in our house! Husband likes his with buffalo sauce, I prefer tzatziki and we’ll both have some sort of veggie or a simple salad for a quick supper. Have also enjoyed these in pasta in place of a more “traditional” meatball.

    3. Pinch of Yum Logo

      These are great! Simple but still flavorful. I made these to go in the butter chicken recipe, and they worked well!

    4. Pinch of Yum Logo

      Made these last night and got a rave review! These would be great for a church carry-in. I’ll be adding this recipe to my card file.

  2. Pinch of Yum Logo

    Looks yum! Question – is the taste of parmesan strong? My husband’s not a huge parmesan fan (criminal, I know). If it is – would you have any recommended substitutes or quantity adjustments?

        1. Pinch of Yum Logo

          I made these for my 8 month old. So I added 1/4c of milk instead of olive oil (I wasn’t sure if olive oil would make them soft enough for her but may try it next time) and used mozzarella cheese instead of Parmesan just to help add softness for her and didn’t use any salt. She loved them. We ate them too they were definitely a softer/moister meatball but definitely still held together and a really yummy family meal which is a win.

        2. Pinch of Yum Logo

          These were so easy to make, & so tender & flavorful! The only tweak I made was that I used chili infused olive oil for 1 of the tbsp, to give it a little kick. I baked them a little shorter & then let them cook in marinara sauce til done. We ate them just as they were & also made meatball sammiches. Super yummy!!

    1. Pinch of Yum Logo

      These are my go to, for anything calling for meatballs. So delicious every time. Thank you!!

      1. Pinch of Yum Logo

        Delicious! I used Gluten-free Breadcrumbs, freshly minced onion and garlic, and they’re perfect!

  3. Pinch of Yum Logo

    These look great! If sensitive to gluten, do you think you could sub oats for the panko, or would you just leave the panko out altogether and not worry about a substitution?

    1. Pinch of Yum Logo

      Hi! It may not have the exact same taste/texture as regular panko, but I found Ian’s gluten free panko at several grocery stores. I have tried it in a meatloaf recipe (using ground beef) and thought it was really good with no funny taste. So maybe that would work here if you can find it. I’m definitely going to try it as soon as possible. This sounds so good!

      1. Pinch of Yum Logo

        Gluten free breadcrumbs worked just fine! Have made these 3 times already, everyone loved them including 2 picky kids. Straightforward, easy recipe. Added dried parsley flakes but otherwise as written, aside from gf panko.

        1. Pinch of Yum Logo

          I inadvertently left the cheese out the first time I made them so I can confirm they are still great!

    2. Pinch of Yum Logo

      I use Ian’s gluten free Panko breadcrumbs (they are made of rice flour). They work great!

    3. Pinch of Yum Logo

      I’m in Seattle, and some of the stores here sell gluten-free panko. As well as gluten-free breadcrumbs. Always in my pantry! Worth looking for!

    4. Pinch of Yum Logo

      I used ground 1/2 cup ground almonds and turned out great (even though I forgot the egg!)

  4. Pinch of Yum Logo

    Is it possible to just leave out the cheese? I’m lactose intolerant, unfortunately

      1. Pinch of Yum Logo

        These were great! I made them (mostly) as written with ground chicken except I added a little less than 1/2 a tap of Italian herb blend and I used 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan rather than 1/2. I used unseasoned Pablo. They came out delicious.

        1. Pinch of Yum Logo

          These are great! Thank you for an easy recipe that turned out so tasty and moist. I’m going to make these next week for a family event appetizer.

  5. Pinch of Yum Logo

    Do you do anything different to freeze them? Or just bake as normal and pop them in the freezer?

  6. Pinch of Yum Logo

    Hi! If I don’t want to mix milk and meat, what could I sub for the Parmesan?
    Thanks!

    1. Pinch of Yum Logo

      I know this is an old comment, but I had the same question (ctrl+f for the win!).

      I made a substitute non-dairy Parmesan with: 1 cup of cashews, 1/4 cup nutritional yeast, 1 tsp garlic powder (I like garlic), and 1/2 tsp granulated salt, in the food processor at high speed until powdered.

      This makes about the right amount for a 1-to-1 substitution in a double recipe (2 lbs of meat), plus a little left over to sprinkle on top.

      Delicious and so easy! Never doing meatballs on the stovetop again!

  7. Pinch of Yum Logo

    These look great! I know you said they’re freezer friendly, but would you recommend freezing before baking or after? Thanks!

      1. Pinch of Yum Logo

        cooking/reheating instructions for already cooked but frozen would be helpful, please!

        1. Pinch of Yum Logo

          I was going to ask the same question. What are the reheating instructions for full baked and then frozen? (Thaw first? And then reheat for how long at what temp?) thank you!!

  8. Pinch of Yum Logo

    I don’t like meatballs either but this recipe somehow has me convinced. First, the look absolutely delicious. Secondly, they would make such a great dish to meal prep and, thus, would make weekday dinners so much faster. Thank you for sharing!

    E || OH LA LATKES

  9. Pinch of Yum Logo

    OMG – how did you know I was looking for a chicken meatball recipe to make today?!?! Perfect timing as I was looking for inspiration to make healthy chicken meatballs for my 11.5mo old daughter! I loved how EASY your recipe was and it was super tastey! Since I was making these for my baby, I decided to omit the salt/pepper and added in a small organic zucchini (grated and moisture removed). Made 37 mini meatballs in total and froze them after cooling for easy meal prep. Thank you for sharing this recipe, love your blog and recipes! Xo

      1. Pinch of Yum Logo

        I have some already have some cooked chicken and would like to throw it in the vitamix to grind it up. Any idea on how long would I need to bake of using cooked chicken, please?

  10. Pinch of Yum Logo

    These are incredible! New staple in our house for sure. So quick, healthy, and easy. Thank you for another great recipe!

    1. Pinch of Yum Logo

      After they are baked, to freeze them, can I just put them all together touching? In other words, i don’t need to freeze them in a single layer

    1. Pinch of Yum Logo

      GLUTEN FREE YES
      I have been making these meatballs for several years now and use potato flakes for the bread crumbs. Works perfect !! I usually add 1 T of Parsley, 1 t Italian Seasoning and 1/4 t Red Pepper Flakes (my own favs)
      WE LOVE THEM !!

  11. Pinch of Yum Logo

    I made these last night for dinner and we devoured them. So easy, so yummy, and so perfect for lunch the next day. I’m going to have to make a double batch next time around. I think these would even be great for meal prep with a little salad and sauce for dipping!

  12. Pinch of Yum Logo

    I would like to make these as a freezer meal. Do you recommend freezing them raw, then baking or putting in crockpot? Or freezing them already cooked?

  13. Pinch of Yum Logo

    These look amazing will be making soon. I have 1 question are you using ground chicken breast or a mix? Thanks for all your lovely recipes.

        1. Pinch of Yum Logo

          Hi Suzanne! We’ve only made the meatballs using raw ground chicken or ground turkey. We don’t think it would work with chicken that has already been cooked.

  14. Pinch of Yum Logo

    Made these tonight and they burned on the bottom before they were done in the middle. I greased the cookie sheet. Any idea why mine aren’t as pretty as yours? 🙂

    1. Pinch of Yum Logo

      The parmesan gets really melty while baking and the meatballs get stuck to the foil (oiled) at the end. How do I prevent this in future? Thanks