Baked Chicken Meatballs

By Lidey Heuck

Published January 28, 2025

  • Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
1 hour
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
40 minutes, plus 15 minutes’ chilling
Rating
5(693)
Comments
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These weeknight-friendly chicken meatballs come together in a snap, with minimal chopping and minimal mess. They’re made with a panade — a simple combination of bread crumbs and milk — which makes for light and tender meatballs. Baked meatballs aren’t quite as charred and caramelized as the pan-fried variety, but they do brown nicely underneath, thanks to contact with the hot sheet pan. A hit with adults and kids, chicken meatballs can be served as a snack with your favorite sauce for dipping, or tossed with a simple tomato sauce and served over pasta.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • ½ cup panko bread crumbs

  • ⅓ cup whole milk

  • 1 large egg 

  • 1 pound ground chicken (preferably not 100 percent breast meat)

  • ⅓ cup grated Parmesan

  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 

  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder

  • 1 teaspoon onion powder

  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)

  • ½ teaspoon black pepper

  • Lemon wedges (optional), for serving

  • Simple tomato sauce, Buffalo sauce or jarred marinara sauce (optional), for serving

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

10 grams carbs; 154 milligrams cholesterol; 312 calories; 8 grams monosaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 18 grams fat; 1 gram fiber; 482 milligrams sodium; 28 grams protein; 3 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven to 400 degrees, and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

  2. Step 2

    In a small bowl, combine the panko and milk and set aside until the panko has absorbed all the milk.

  3. Step 3

    Crack the egg into a large bowl and beat lightly with a fork. Add the chicken, Parmesan, parsley, oil, garlic and onion powders, oregano, salt and pepper. Mix gently but thoroughly, then fold in the panko mixture.

  4. Step 4

    Using a 2-tablespoon scoop or your hands, form meatballs that are about 1 ½ inches wide. (You should have about 16 meatballs.) If the meatballs aren’t holding their shape, chill the mixture in the fridge for 15 minutes to firm up before continuing.

  5. Step 5

    Arrange the meatballs on the prepared pan and bake for 20 to 22 minutes, until just cooked through and browned underneath. Serve hot or at room temperature, with lemon wedges and sauce for dipping, if desired.

Tip

  • To freeze, bake meatballs as directed and cool completely. Arrange the meatballs on a tray or large plate that fits in your freezer and freeze until solid, about 2 hours. Place the meatballs in a freezer-safe plastic bag (squeezing out as much air as possible) or other container, and freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, heat the oven to 325 degrees. Place the frozen meatballs in a baking dish, cover with foil and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until heated through.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
693 user ratings
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Comments

DC

@Leslie I think maybe fresh garlic isn’t used because of the meatballs short cook time of 20 minutes. Twenty minutes doesn’t allow the garlic to cook long enough to mellow, and diners might find the bite of garlic with so little cook time to be too assertive and hard to digest.

Ellen

I find adding a small shredded zucchini (eggplant works too) produces a more tender, “fluffier” chicken meatball. Otherwise it’s too dense.

Leslie

Why do recent recipes call for garlic and onion powder? Use real garlic, or scallions. These substitutes are not true to flavor and can go stale.

Summer

Used plain ground pork, the only recipe modification (no ground chicken in the freezer). Checked internal temperature to be sure the pork was done, and browned lightly under the broiler. Have made this before with chicken. Both ways are delicious and such

Courtney R

Good flavor but dry and dense.

essdeejay

I made these and ate them with some ginger pickled peaches I canned, very tasty!

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