Name: Baked Chicken Meatballs
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 pound ground chicken; ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese; ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese; ½ cup breadcrumbs (use gluten-free if needed (*see note)); 1 large egg; 2 garlic cloves (minced); 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning; Salt and black pepper to taste; Olive oil spray or 1 tablespoon olive oil

Juicy, cheesy and packed with flavor, these baked chicken meatballs are the best anytime dinner. Pair them with pasta, throw them in soup or enjoy them on their own. They’re also perfect for meal prep when you need an easy protein that goes with almost anything.

Growing up, meatballs were a whole thing. We only ate them on Sundays and they took all day to make between the prepping, pan-searing and then simmering in the sauce.

These chicken meatballs are the exact opposite of that. They take 10 minutes to prepare, cook in 20 and somehow pack great flavor, juicy moisture and cheesy goodness into every bite. I’ve been buying two packs of ground chicken every week just to make a double batch so I have them on hand for easy lunches. If you’re someone who loves those Amylu chicken meatballs (I’m guilty of buying them in bulk previously), I promise you’ll like these even more. They’ve got less fat, better ingredients and delicious flavor.

A bowl filled with round, golden-brown cheesy chicken meatballs, garnished with grated cheese and chopped parsley, sits on a plate over a striped cloth napkin.

Everyday Baked Chicken Meatballs

These are the ultimate SOS meal. Here’s why:

Leaner than traditional pork and beef meatballs.
Traditional, simple ingredients.
No cooking outside of the oven (aka no saucy splatters on the stove-top).
Easy prep – my trick is a medium-sized cookie scoop!
Outside of mincing garlic (although a garlic press would solve that) there’s no chopping or cutting in this recipe!
They pair with almost everything: rice, pasta, vegetable noodles, salad, soup, meatball subs…
Awesome freezer recipe.
Make them gluten-free easily, there’s specific details in the recipe card below.

I have a few meatballs recipes on this site, everything from venison meatballsto black bean meatballs and even turkey meatballs stuffed with cheese, but for simple, everyday eating, you can’t beat these baked chicken meatballs.

Everything You’ll Need

A bowl of ground chicken is surrounded by shredded cheese, an egg, salt, pepper, grated cheese, garlic, dried herbs, and breadcrumbs on a white surface.

Ready for this quick and simple ingredient list?

Ground chicken: Chicken makes these meatballs leaner than your average recipe. Ground turkey can be swapped in too with no substitutions.

Cheese: We’re using both mozzarella and Parmesan. If I’m being honest, I keep Pecorino Romano on hand at all times instead of Parmesan so I often use that instead. With cheese, I sound like a broken record saying this every time I cook with cheese, but please grate/shred your own! Pre-shredded cheese doesn’t melt the same and contains anti-caking agents to keep the shreds from sticking to each other. Yuck.

Breadcrumbs: These give some structure to the ground chicken and help form the meatballs. Use GF if needed and see the recipe notes below for other ideas if you don’t keep GF breadcrumbs on hand.

Egg: Just one to bind everything together.

Seasoning: Flavor comes in the form of fresh garlic, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. Herbs de Provence can be subbed for Italian seasoning if you keep that instead.

Olive oil: I use just a touch of extra virgin olive oil or olive oil spray to keep the meatballs from sticking to the pan when baking.

A tray filled with golden-brown baked chicken meatballs, sprinkled with grated parmesan and chopped parsley.

Here’s How to Make Them

The full recipe can be found at the bottom of the post in the recipe card where you’ll find exact quantities and detailed instructions.

Golden brown baked chicken meatballs in a baking dish sprinkled with grated parmesan cheese and chopped parsley for garnish. One meatball is sliced in half in the center.

Freezing Specifics

The meatballs freeze really well and you can do it two ways: either as cooked meatballs or raw.

If you freeze the meatballs raw (before being baked), shape them and place them on a parchment lined baking sheet. Flash freeze them for 2 hours then transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container. This prevents them from sticking to each other. Thaw these in the refrigerator and bake as directed.

To freeze cooked meatballs, make sure they cool completely to room temperature before freezing. The meatballs can be stored in the freezer for 2-3 months. Reheat them in the oven at 350° until warmed through.