Baked Chicken Meatballs
Published Jan. 29, 2025
- Total Time
- 1 hour
- Prep Time
- 5 minutes
- Cook Time
- 40 minutes, plus 15 minutes’ chilling
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- ½cup panko bread crumbs
- ⅓cup whole milk
- 1large egg
- 1pound ground chicken (preferably not 100 percent breast meat)
- ⅓cup grated Parmesan
- 2tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1teaspoon garlic powder
- 1teaspoon onion powder
- ½teaspoon dried oregano
- 1teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
- ½teaspoon black pepper
- Lemon wedges (optional), for serving
- Simple tomato sauce, Buffalo sauce or jarred marinara sauce (optional), for serving
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
304 calories; 18 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 8 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 27 grams protein; 407 milligrams sodium
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
- Step 1
Heat the oven to 400 degrees, and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Step 2
In a small bowl, combine the panko and milk and set aside until the panko has absorbed all the milk.
- 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.
- Step 4
Using a 2-tablespoon scoop or your hands, form meatballs that are about 1½ 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Private Notes
Comments
@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.
I find adding a small shredded zucchini (eggplant works too) produces a more tender, “fluffier” chicken meatball. Otherwise it’s too dense.
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.
Came out sort of a mess. The milk and panko mixture turned cement-like while I was preparig the ground chicken. When I tried to mix the 2 bowls together the pannko mix stayed in clumps. I used my hands to mix together and the whole mixture was loose and gloppy. The had no shape at all- so I rolled them in crumbs- which seemed like a good idea. It did add some structure and texture. After baking I turne them overto get some color on tops- and broiled. But the whole thing was mediocre at best.
Is milk a necessary ingredient? Would water work as well?
These are a staple in our household. So much better than numerous other chicken meatball recipes we’ve tried. We’ll typically roll out the balls then brown in a cast iron skillet with a few tbsp of olive oil over medium high, then transfer the skillet into the oven to finish cooking. To make a “Greek” version, we add 1/2 tsp ground coriander, 1/2 tsp ground cumin, and 1 tbsp fresh chopped dill. So delicious!