Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Baked Chicken Meatballs
A plate of warm chicken meatballs is an easy thing to feel pleased about. These have a savory herb-and-garlic flavor that makes them appealing on their own. They're a good place to start when you're ready for dinner but don't feel like anything elaborate.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Original yield
- Serves 4
- Ingredients
- 10 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Main course
- Primary protein
- Chicken
- Cuisine
- American
- Cooking method
- Baking · Baked & roasted
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 30 minutes or less
A few quick notes
1. Use a rimmed pan
The baking sheet gets greased before the meatballs go on, and a rimmed one keeps everything contained as they cook. Give the oven time to get properly hot so the outsides can brown.
2. Mix it evenly
Ground chicken is soft, so work everything together until the breadcrumbs, seasonings, egg, and oil are spread through the mixture. Hands are a good tool here if you're comfortable with it.
3. Leave room between meatballs
Set the meatballs at least 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. That spacing helps the hot air reach the sides instead of crowding them together.
Get to know the ingredients
Ground chicken
Ground chicken is the base here, but you can swap in ground turkey, beef or pork if that's what you have.
Panko breadcrumbs
Panko goes into the bowl with the egg and chicken, so don't skip adding it before you mix. It helps turn the loose chicken mixture into something you can scoop and roll.
Pepper options
The pepper can be cracked black pepper, or ground black pepper in the smaller amount listed with the ingredient. Use whichever one you have, then mix it in with the rest of the seasonings.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 4. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 6 steps completeMake room for Baked Chicken Meatballs
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
The last little job
Bake until the outside is browned, then let the meatballs cool slightly before serving. Enjoy them plain, or add them to sauces, pasta, curry, noodles, rice or couscous.
A little more help as you go
A little heat, if you want it
Crushed red pepper flakes add a little warmth to the meatball mixture.
Keep the shape simple
Scoop mounds into your hands and roll them between your palms. They don't need fancy shaping, just enough rounding so they sit neatly on the pan.
A few questions you might have
Can I use turkey instead of chicken?
Yes, you can swap the ground chicken for ground turkey, beef or pork. Keep the remaining mixing, shaping and baking steps the same.
Do I need to brown these in a skillet first?
No skillet step is included. Shape the meatballs, space them on the greased rimmed baking sheet, and bake them until the outside is browned.
Should the meatballs be touching on the pan?
No. Place them at least 2 inches apart. Crowding them goes against the spacing in the recipe and can get in the way of browning around the outside.
What should I serve them with?
Serve them plain or add them to another dish. Try marinara, alfredo, gravy, curry, pasta, Asian noodles, roasted red pepper sauce, rice or couscous.
Why let them cool slightly before serving?
They come out of a hot oven after baking until browned, so the recipe has you pause briefly before serving. Just a short rest makes them easier to handle and eat.
Any more cooking tips?
Protein substitutions: you can easily swap the ground chicken for ground turkey, beef, or pork! How to serve: these meatballs are amazing plain, straight from the oven! They go great with marinara, alfredo, or gravy. I also love to serve them in curry, pasta, (Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta is a great recipe to try) with Asian noodles, or with this Roasted Red Pepper Sauce over rice or couscous.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: lecremedelacrumb.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
