Cooking and Serving: 32 minutes | 24 small meatballs
Ingredients
Nicole’s Recipe Notes | How to make baked chicken meatballs | Ingredient Substitutions
Description
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 22 minutes | Total Time: 32 minutes | Servings: 24 small meatballs
Ingredients
Nicole’s Recipe Notes
How to make baked chicken meatballs
Ingredient Substitutions
Expert Tips
Baked Chicken Meatballs Recipe
Instructions
Serving suggestions.
Notes
* How to make baked chicken meatballs
* Ingredient Substitutions
* Baked Chicken Meatballs Recipe
* Storage instructions
* Serving suggestions
* Super tender: Whether you make these meatballs with ground chicken breast or
leg meat, they’re really moist and tender. The secret’s in the moisture-rich
* Perfect taste: Like chicken breast, ground chicken doesn’t have a lot of
natural flavor. That’s why we add plenty of herbs and spices, plus shredded
cheese for depth of flavor.
* Make ahead convenience: You can make the raw mixture 12 hours or more ahead
of time, and store it in the refrigerator. Shape and bake the meatballs 20
minutes before dinnertime!
* No special ingredients: Ground chicken is easy to find in any grocery store,
and you can use almost any sort of hard or semi-hard cheese. The rest are
regular pantry ingredients you already have on hand.
* Freeze well: Freeze the raw, shaped meatball mixture, then defrost overnight
in the refrigerator and bake at the end of the day for the freshest, easiest
meal. You can also freeze them fully baked.
baked chicken meatballs ingredients in small bowls with words on top
chicken meatballs ingredients in small bowls with words on top
* Mayonnaise: Even if you don’t like to eat mayonnaise, you won’t make out the
flavor of it in these meatballs, and it makes them incredibly moist and
* Egg: Along with mayo, it binds this mixture together and helps keep the
meatballs from being dense.
* Vegetable bouillon: My mixture of nutritional yeast flakes, minced dried
onion, garlic powder, dried parsley, and dried thyme. You can also use 2
tablespoons or 2 cubes of packaged gluten free chicken or vegetable bouillon.
Herb Ox and Edward & Son’s Not Chick’N brands are gluten free.
* Panko-style breadcrumbs: I usually use my own homemade coarse gluten free
otherwise here are the gluten free brands I buy often: Aleia’s, Good & Gather
(Target brand), Ian’s, Jeff Nathan Creations, Nature’s Promise (Stop & Shop
brand). Create bulk and texture.
* Shredded Parmesan cheese: Adds so much flavor and texture. I like to buy
pre-shredded Parm to use in this recipe because it helps the meatballs hold
their shape better than freshly-grated cheese.
* Ground chicken: I prefer 92% lean ground chicken because the meatballs are a
bit more tender from the added fat, but 98% lean works really well, too.
HOW TO MAKE BAKED CHICKEN MEATBALLS
* In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, egg, and vegetable
bouillon until smooth.
* Break up the ground chicken and place it on top, then mix gently
* Add the breadcrumbs and shredded Parmesan cheese
large round metal mixing bowl with light yellow liquid
round metal mixing bowl with light yellow liquid
same mixing bowl with crumbled ground chicken on top of yellow liquid
mixing bowl with crumbled ground chicken on top of yellow liquid
round chicken mixed with yellow mixture in mixing bowl
chicken mixed with yellow mixture in mixing bowl
shredded parmesan cheese on top of chicken mixture in mixing bowl
parmesan cheese on top of chicken mixture in mixing bowl
* Mix the cheese and breadcrumbs into the ground chicken mixture gently with a
* Scoop small portions (a #40 ice cream scoop works great) about 1.5
tablespoons each onto a baking sheet
* With wet hands, roll each portion into a round meatball
* Brush the tops of the meatballs with olive oil or spray with cooking oil
* Bake at 375°F until brown all over, especially on the bottom, and cooked
raw chicken meatball mixture in mixing bowl
chicken meatball mixture in mixing bowl
18 raw mounds of chicken meatball mixture with one in hand-held metal ice cream
raw mounds of chicken meatball mixture with one in hand-held metal ice cream
hands shaping raw chicken meatball mixture into rounds with fingers
shaping raw chicken meatball mixture into rounds with fingers
hand holding pastry brush with black handle, brushing yellow olive oil on raw
holding pastry brush with black handle, brushing yellow olive oil on raw chicken
closeup image of 4 raw shaped baked chicken meatballs with olive oil on white
image of 4 raw shaped baked chicken meatballs with olive oil on white paper
INGREDIENT SUBSTITUTIONS
You can replace the Parmesan with Violife brand vegan Parmesan or Follow Your
Heart dairy free shredded Parmesan. If your dairy free Parmesan is grated, not
shredded, expect to add more breadcrumbs to help the mixture hold its shape in
To make these egg-free, try a vegan mayonnaise in place of the mayonnaise. In
place of the egg, try a flax egg or Just Egg brand refrigerated egg replacer.
If you just don’t like mayo, I promise you don’t taste it. If you still want to
replace it, whisk 1 additional egg vigorously with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
You can use ground turkey breast or ground turkey leg meat. I prefer the taste
of chicken to turkey, but turkey works equally well. You can also grind skinless
boneless chicken breast in the food processor to use here, but that’s a lot of
extra work and ground chicken is usually cheaper. For ground beef, I prefer my
classic gluten free meatballs
are better suited to beef in that recipe.
In place of breadcrumbs, you can use crushed gluten free crackers, crushed
gluten free cornflakes, or gluten free quick-cooking oats like we do in our
CHILL THE RAW MIXTURE
This is a really adaptable recipe, since it works well with exactly the
ingredients I’ve specified, including pre-shredded cheese and coarse
breadcrumbs. But if you make it with grated cheese that doesn’t add much
structure, and even finely ground breadcrumbs, your meatballs will still turn
out great. Just cover and chill the mixture in the refrigerator until it’s firm
enough to handle before shaping it into meatballs.
HANDLE THE GROUND CHICKEN GENTLY
Break up the ground chicken gently with your fingers before mixing it gently
into the mayonnaise and egg mixture. Just like with our gluten free meatballs
handling the meat too much can make it tough.
USE PRESHREDDED PARMESAN CHEESE
I buy a big bag of shredded Parmesan cheese from Trader Joe’s and use it to make
these meatballs every week in my house. Preshredded cheese has less moisture but
still has tons of flavor, so it adds structure as well as aroma and taste to the
MAKE THE BOUILLON POWDER AHEAD
I make a big batch of the bouillon powder from this recipe and keep it in a
sealed glass container in my pantry. I then use it to season anything
poultry-related. It adds so much flavor to our classic gluten free stuffing
is great sprinkled on gluten free ramen recipe
make any hot liquid taste like rich chicken stock.
12 baked chicken meatballs on white paper on tray with small bowl of red tomato
baked chicken meatballs on white paper on tray with small bowl of red tomato
Go Ad-Free
BAKED CHICKEN MEATBALLS RECIPE
Prep Time: 10 minutes mins
Cook Time: 22 minutes mins
Chilling time (optional): 30 minutes mins
Yield: 24 small meatballs
light tan baked chicken meatballs with dark brown spots in white bowl
tan baked chicken meatballs with dark brown spots in white bowl
These baked chicken meatballs are made in the oven until crisp outside and
tender inside. Made with regular pantry ingredients, easily made gluten free!
FOR THE VEGETABLE BOUILLON
* 1 teaspoon minced dried onion, (or 1/2 teaspoon onion powder)
* ¼ teaspoon dried parsley
* ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
* ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
* ⅛ teaspoon dried turmeric, (optional)
* 5 tablespoons (70 g) mayonnaise
* Vegetable bouillon powder, from above
* 1 pound ground chicken
* ½ cup panko-style breadcrumbs, gluten free if necessary
* 2 ounces Parmesan cheese, shredded
* Olive oil, for brushing (or cooking oil spray)
MAKE THE BOUILLON POWDER
* In a small bowl, place the nutritional yeast flakes, dried onion, dried
parsley, garlic powder, dried thyme, and optional dried turmeric, and mix to
* In a large mixing bowl, place the egg, mayonnaise and bouillon powder, and
* Add the ground chicken, breaking it up a bit with your hands as you put it in
the bowl. Mix gently to combine either with your fingers or with a spoon.
* Add the breadcrumbs and shredded Parmesan, and use a spoon to mix gently to
combine. The mixture will be soft.
* To make the mixture easier to handle, cover the bowl and place it in the
refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes. You can also let it sit in the
refrigerator, covered, for up to 12 hours, so you can make this mixture in
the morning, and bake your meatballs that night.
* When you’re ready to make the meatballs, preheat your oven to 375°F. Line a
large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
* Using a small ice cream scoop or two spoons, scoop the mixture out of the
bowl about 1 1/2 teaspoonfuls at a time. Place on the prepared baking sheet
about 1 inch apart from one another.
* Wet your hands and roll each piece of meatball mixture between your wet palms
into a ball, then return it to the baking sheet.
* Using a pastry brush, brush the tops and sides of the meatballs generously
with olive oil. Or spray generously with cooking oil spray.
* Place the baking sheet in the center of the preheated oven and bake for about
22 minutes, or until the meatballs are lightly golden brown on top and golden
* When the meatballs are done, they should read at least 165°F in the center on
an instant read thermometer, but usually when they’re nice and brown, it
reads about 180°F. Serve warm.
For the nutritional yeast.
If you don’t have nutritional yeast, you can try replacing it with a bit of
finely grated Parmesan cheese.
To replace the bouillon powder ingredients.
You can also replace the homemade vegetable bouillon with 2 tablespoons or 2
cubes of packaged gluten free chicken or vegetable bouillon. Herb Ox and Edward
& Son’s Not Chick’N brands are gluten free.
Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 84mg | Potassium: 117mg | Fiber:
0.3g | Sugar: 0.1g | Vitamin A: 31IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron:
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an
11 baked chicken meatballs in wide flat white bowl with gold fork with one
meatball broken in half
baked chicken meatballs in wide flat white bowl with gold fork with one meatball
Leftover meatballs will keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to
For longer storage, freeze any leftover baked meatballs in a freezer-safe
container or wrapped tightly in freezer-safe wrap. You can also freeze unbaked
but shaped meatballs raw in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Then, pile
them into a freezer-safe bag and squeeze out as much air as possible. Defrost
overnight in the refrigerator, and bake any raw meatballs as soon as they’re
Refresh refrigerated, cooked meatballs in the toaster oven or microwave.
Sprinkle them lightly with lukewarm water and reheat in a 300°F toaster oven
Can I cook these meatballs in a pan?
Yes! If you’d prefer, you can cook these meatballs on the stovetop in a pan.
Heat a bit less than 1/4-inch of frying oil in a pan over medium heat until
rippling. Place the meatballs in a single layer in the pan, without crowding it,
and cook on one side for 5 minutes, undisturbed. Turn over and cook on the other
side for 4 to 5 minutes more, or until the internal temperature reaches about
How do I know when my meatballs are done baking?
They’re done baking when they’re lightly golden brown all over, with some darker
brown spots, and an internal temperature taken with an instant-read thermometer
reads at least 175°F. They’re technically safe to eat at 165°F, but they taste
better if you cook them longer.
Can I use ground turkey instead?
Yes! You can use ground turkey breast meat or leg meat in this recipe. There’s
enough moisture from the mayonnaise that even very lean ground chicken breast or
very lean ground turkey breast makes really tender meatballs.
Are chicken meatballs healthier than beef?
Chicken is generally leaner than beef, and is generally lower calorie. But if
you use a lean cut of ground beef like I like to do when I make “regular”
meatballs, it’s comparable to less lean chicken leg meat. Beef has more folate
and iron than chicken, but chicken is higher in Vitamins A, E, and K. They each
have their benefits. (Source
These chicken meatballs are packed with savory poultry-style flavor plus umami
flavor from the cheese and bouillon powder. They go especially well with our
gluten free rice a roni
rice, which has the same seasonings. I also love them with cooked spaghetti or
other pasta with oil and garlic, gluten free mac and cheese
simple roasted potatoes. They’re delicious as an appetizer
with some dipping sauce.