Green Goddess Chicken Meatballs
Updated March 26, 2026
Christopher Simpson for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
- Ready In
- 25 min
- Rating
- Comments
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Ingredients
¾ cup homemade or store-bought green goddess dressing, plus more for serving
¾ cup panko bread crumbs
1 large egg
4 scallions, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, grated
Grated zest of 1 lemon
Salt and black pepper
1 pound ground chicken
Olive oil, for forming the meatballs
Nutritional analysis per serving (18 servings)
3 grams carbs; 32 milligrams cholesterol; 57 calories; 1 gram monosaturated fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 3 grams fat; 91 milligrams sodium; 5 grams protein
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.
- Step 2
Add dressing, panko, egg, scallions, garlic, lemon zest and 1 teaspoon each salt and black pepper to a bowl and mix to combine, ensuring the panko is fully moistened. Add chicken and mix until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
- Step 3
Using a bit of oil on your hands, form the meat mixture into 18 small balls (about 2 tablespoons each) and place onto a baking sheet. Bake meatballs for 10 minutes, until the bottoms of the meatballs are browned and cooked through, and release easily from the pan. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes.
- Step 4
Serve with extra dressing on the side. Cooked meatballs can be refrigerated for up to 5 days and frozen for up to 3 months.
Private Notes
Comments
@ta thank you I am glad you enjoy the pesto meatballs! And that you are adjusting the salt levels to your taste! Be sure to note the differences in this recipe from the pesto meatballs - the absence of grated parm, the addition of scallions and lemon zest, as I found they all enhanced the flavors of the green goddess meatballs! Happy meatballing!
These are pretty good. Closer to 20 minutes in the oven to get to that slightly crispy situation. Put them in a flatbread with some store-bought arugula salad.
This is Dan’s Chicken Pesto Meatballs substituting Green Goddess dressing for the Pesto. I’ve made the Pesto version and like it a lot. I’ll suggest that, if using store-bought GG dressing or pesto, that the mixture is put together without the additional 1 tsp each salt and pepper. Make a small meatball, fry it and taste. Store bought dressing or pesto are plenty salty. I’ve found I don’t need to add a full tsp of salt or of pepper depending on which store bought item I buy.
These were FANTASTIC. My whole family enjoyed them and I will absolutely be making them again! I used the suggested Green Goddess recipe which was also a 5 star recipe!
I’m no fan of green goddess dressing but I do love the cilantro dressing sold at Trader Joe’s, so I substituted that and was glad I did. The meatballs turned out so vibrant and herby, and they were juicy yet held together nicely; I was a little worried since the meatball mixture was pretty shaggy and not easy to work with. My wife usually has a jar of pesto in the fridge after the summer basil bounty, so I will try that next with this. A keeper!
I am concerned that Step 4 suggests that cooked chicken can be refrigerated for five days. The rule in my home is that any uneaten meat leftover gets thrown out after three days. There is a risk of bacteria growing on the meat after three to four days.