Classic Chicken Meatballs

5 from 7 votes

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For me Classic Chicken Meatballs need to be moist, flavorful and not too dense. In these roasted chicken meatballs I keep the ingredients few, just enough to hold the chicken mixture together, and the herbs and spices of parsley, fennel, and celery salt light.

close up of classic chicken meatball on pasta


So here we are at the second in my new series for one of my favorite foods – Meatballs! I’ve shared with you my take on the Classic Beef Meatball and here is my Classic Chicken Meatball.

Let’s face it, chicken breast meat on it’s own is never enough to keep a chicken meatball moist. Add in milk soaked bread and often times you get lumps of bread in your meatball. In my opinion thigh meat is best for flavor and fat content. Essential needs for a little ball of roasted meat right? Who wants a hard, dense and flavorless meatball?

So whenever I pick up ground chicken I am sure to read the label. Did you know most markets carry ground chicken and half the product out there is ground chicken thigh meat! It’s the darker blend. You want this! If not ask your butcher if they would grind up a package of chicken thighs. You’d be surprised, most do it no problem.

overhead photo of bowl of ingredients for classic chicken meatballs

This recipe is almost the same one I use for my Classic Beef Meatballs in that the ingredients are almost similar with a few modifications other than the use of ground chicken.

overhead photo of pan of classic chicken meatballs

These are mixed, rolled and refrigerated for 15 minutes to firm up and then scooped or rolled.

In a oiled baking pan they go to roast until golden brown and firm.

close up of roasted classic chicken meatballs

These are so versatile and are great to use with a variety of sauces from Alfredo, pesto and your favorite pasta sauce or if you like it a little spicy, try my Arrabbiata Sauce.

For other meatball recipes, try my Cranberry Turkey Meatballs or these Stuffed Green Chili Meatballs. Enjoy!

overhead shot of classic chicken meatballs with pasta
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For me Classic Chicken Meatballs need to be moist, flavorful and not too dense. In these roasted chicken meatballs I keep the ingredients few, just enough to hold the chicken mixture together, and the herbs and spices of parsley, fennel, and celery salt light. keviniscooking.com

Classic Chicken Meatballs

5 from 7 votes
For me Classic Chicken Meatballs need to be moist, flavorful and not too dense. In these roasted chicken meatballs I keep the ingredients few, just enough to hold the chicken mixture together, and the herbs and spices of parsley, fennel, and celery salt light.
Servings: 6 servings
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 40 minutes

Ingredients 

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat bottom of a 13×9″ roasting pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, set aside.
  • In a large bowl add the ground chicken, eggs, ricotta, breadcrumbs, parsley and seasonings. Mix thoroughly by hand. Cover and refrigerate 15 minutes.
  • By hand or scoop, make 24 to 28 meatballs about the size of a golf ball. Stack them tightly in the baking dish so all sides are touching.
  • Roast for 25 minutes (internal temp should be 165°F). The chicken meatballs should be firm. Allow to cool 5 minutes before serving. I made these and served over a Pesto Alfredo Fettuccini (pictured).
  • Tomato Sauced Version: 
  • Roast for 20 minutes (internal temp should be 165°F).
  • While roasting, heat your favorite spaghetti sauce (or gravy). After the 20 minutes pour spaghetti sauce evenly over meatballs and roast another 10 minutes.
  • Serve immediately over your favorite pasta or in a sub sandwich.

Notes

  1. Let’s face it, chicken breast meat on it’s own is never enough to keep a chicken meatball moist. Add in milk soaked bread and often times you get lumps of bread in your meatball. In my opinion thigh meat is best for flavor and fat content. Essential needs for a little ball of roasted meat right? Who wants a hard, dense and flavorless meatball?
    So whenever I pick up ground chicken I am sure to read the label. Did you know most markets carry ground chicken and half the product out there is ground chicken thigh meat! It’s the darker blend. You want this! If not ask your butcher if they would grind up a package of chicken thighs. You’d be surprised, most do it no problem.

Nutrition

Calories: 302kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 195mg | Sodium: 1131mg | Potassium: 896mg | Fiber: 1g | Vitamin A: 380IU | Vitamin C: 3.9mg | Calcium: 102mg | Iron: 2.4mg

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Course: Appetizer, Dinner, Main
Cuisine: Italian
Have You Made This Recipe? Let Me Know on InstagramTag @keviniscooking or tag me #keviniscooking!

Kevin

Whether in the kitchen or on the grill, you’ll find me cooking American favorites with a love for BBQ, Mexican and Tex Mex. I’m passionate about making tasty food because life’s too short to be bland!

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34 Comments

      1. I only chose this recipe because it WASNT a tomato sauced version. Would love to see the pictures recipe.

      2. I am glad you came across it! I hope you give it a try! Did the pictures in the blog post not load for you?

  1. 5 stars
    Great recipe! We’ve made these with ground turkey before. I’ll be making them again that way tomorrow. We just got a meat grinder so chicken will happen in the future.

  2. 5 stars
    These are seriously some of my most favorite meatballs. I’ve made this recipe a few times now and this last time I made them through step 3 (scooping them into balls) then I froze them in a single layer on a baking sheet, tossed them in a ziplock bag and saved them for an easy weeknight meal. Thawed them and followed roasting directions. Still perfect. Thank you for sharing this recipe that I find myself coming back to again and again!