Master Chicken Meatballs Recipe

This is the only chicken meatball recipe you’ll ever need again, hands down!

This is the recipe you can turn to to make moist, succulent meatballs that can be prepped ahead and frozen, and then pulled out whenever the mood strikes.

Why These Meatballs are so Versatile

Making these meatballs means that just about any meal you can imagine is only moments away. I’m going to let you in on a little secret: just about any sauce that you create for grilled or baked chicken, beef or pork, can be used with these meatballs.  Whether it is a marinara sauce for Chicken Parmigiana, a light and bright Piccata sauce, an Indian Butter Sauce, a Thai curry sauce (red or green or yellow!) or how about something fresh, like a French inspired wine and mustard sauce, or a Hungarian Paprikash sauce!  And of course, sautéed on their own and added to a salad, or used in your favourite Bolognese sauce is great as well.

Take a morning to prep a freezer bag or two of these meatballs, it is a morning well spent.  Turn on the tunes and have some fun!

Ingredients for These Meatballs

All you will need to make up a great batch of meatballs are the following ingredients:

Ground chicken (try not to use the most lean that is available, or else adjust the olive oil or milk up a smidge)

Breadcrumbs I suggest using fresh bread as opposed to using dry breadcrumbs for all my meatballs, it makes the final texture much more tender and juicy. If you haven’t made breadcrumbs already from fresh-ish bread (I always have a bag ready in the freezer) then just tear up some bread slices into small pieces or whiz them up in a food processor. Doing it this way means that I can use gluten free bread. If you need to, panko will work, but you will need to increase the moisture content.

Parmesan cheese The same as for the breadcrumbs goes for the parmesan cheese in this recipe.  Freshly grated not only tastes so much better, it actually adds to the tender texture of the meatballs.  Dry, pre-shredded (especially from a can!!) will make these meatballs more tough (feel free to replace some with feta cheese if making a mediterranean inspired meatball) plus, does the canned version really have any flavour?

Flavour makers: parsley, garlic, Italian seasoning, paprika, chilli flakes, salt and pepper.

The binders: eggs, milk

See, the recipe list is pretty basic.  You can adjust the seasonings to suit your taste, or the taste of your family. 

Meatball Prep

You will start by combining the meat, breadcrumbs, cheese, herbs, seasonings and garlic together in a large bowl.  When mixing, try to use just your finger tips. This will ensure that the mixture stays light and tender, and doesn’t get overworked, which will only result in a tough meatball.

Then you will combine the liquids, the eggs and milk with a whisk.  Pour this over the mixture, and combine again, as described above.  Let the entire mixture rest so that the bread can absorb the liquid.  Then you can see if any more liquid is needed.  You want the mixture to be wet enough to be sticky, but can still hold together.

Never Make Meatballs Without This Step!

I really don’t understand why more recipes don’t include this step.  I think it’s non-negotiable. Once the mixture is ready (or you think it is) take a small portion and create a little patty about the size of a quarter.  Sauté this in a little oil in a small pan till cooked through.  Let it cool down till it is fine to pop in your mouth.  Taste this and decide if you are happy with the flavours.  If not, this is the best time to adjust any seasonings to the mixture in the bowl.  Now you know exactly what they will taste like. There is nothing worse that serving a meal only to find that it is much blander than you wanted.  And there is really no way to fix it at this point.  So be proactive! Use this step for your meatloaf as well.

Roll the mixture into golf ball sized balls (I pat down the mixture level, and then divide it into quadrants.  I usually get about 6-7 meatballs per quadrant (depending on how large you want them to be). Have a bowl of water nearby to keep your hands and palms wet, this will help the meatballs from sticking to you. Lay them out on a wax paper or parchment lined baking sheet.  At this point you can transfer the baking sheet to the freezer.  Once the meatballs are frozen, they can be transferred to a freezer bag and stored till needed.  Count on 3-4 meatballs per person per meal, and this will tell you how many to pull out and thaw in the fridge to use for a recipe. 

*Of course, if you want to use them for soup, roll them smaller before freezing, even getting 14-18 meatballs per quadrant.

Once thawed, place them on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake in a 400F oven till 165 degrees has been reached, about 18-20 minutes.  If you want a bit more colour, just turn on the broiler and let it add some browning.  This should only take about 2 minutes or so, but keep an eye on them, you don’t want to overbake them or they will end up being dry. From this point you can toss them with small amount of Greek Salad dressing, to serve with a Greek salad and potatoes on the side. 

For meatballs that you want to finish in a sauce, bake till golden, about 15 minutes. Broil for a quick burst of colour.  Then transfer them to the sauce you are making and let them finish cooking in the sauce.  This works great for Butter Chicken Sauce, curry sauces, paprikash etc.

I’m showing these finished meatballs here in a Thai Green Curry, since this is what we had for dinner last night! Such a great way to serve up chicken and rice.  The sauce is bright, full of lime zest and green chili for a mild heat.

Meatball Flavour Variations

Want these to be leaning Mexican, replace the Italian seasoning with with Tex-Mex seasoning and cumin.

Go Greek by replacing some of the parmesan cheese with feta.  Add some dried oregano.

Levantine flavours could include some chopped fresh mint, and cinnamon to the Greek version you started above.

Final Thoughts

Once you have a batch of these in the freezer, you will be so happy. Half your meal is done!  Here are links to some of the sauces that work great with these meatballs, but if you can think of more, that’s great:

Thai Green Curry,

Light Chicken Paprikash,

Chicken Parmigiana,

Chicken Meatball Piccata,

Butter Chicken Cauliflower Sauce,

Peanut Satay,

Mustard Sauce

Print

Master Recipe Chicken Meatballs

The only chicken meatball recipe you will ever need. Once you have a batch made up and stored in the freezer, meals are half way done! Use these with your favourite sauce, or in soups and stews.

Course Main Course

Cuisine North American

Keyword ground chicken, meal prep, panko breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Servings 28 meatballs

Ingredients

• 2 lb ground chicken, not ultra lean
• 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs, or bread pulsed in a food processor a few times, can be gluten free
• 1 cup parmesan cheese
• 2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 2 tsp onion flakes
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp dry chilli flakes
• 1 tsp kosher salt, or more to taste
• 3/4 tsp ground black pepper, or more to taste
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tbsp milk, or more if needed

Instructions

1. Combine the chicken, breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, parsley, garlic, Italian seasoning, onion flakes, paprika, chilli flakes, and salt and pepper in a large bowl. Use your finger tips to mix until JUST combined, no further, don't overwork the meat.

2. In a separate small bowl combine the eggs and milk. Pour this over the meat mixture. Combine gently and let it sit for 10 minutes. This will allow the bread to soak up the liquid and will help you determine if more liquid is needed. The mixture shouldn't be dry or too stiff. If needed, add a little more milk.

3. Form a small portion into a disk about the size of a quarter and sauté in a small pan with oil over medium high heat till golden on both sides. Let it cool slightly and then taste it. If you like the flavour, then move on to the next step. If not, adjust any seasonings now.
4. Pat the mixture down level, and then use the back of your hand to divide the top into four equal portions. Each portion should give you about 7 average sized meatballs. If you want to turn one quadrant into soup meatballs, then you should be able to get about 14-18 meatballs from it.
5. Have one or two baking sheets covered with wax paper ready to go.
6. Wetting your hands periodically, roll the meat mixture into golf sized balls and place onto the wax paper. Once you have used up all the mixture, you can now freeze the meatballs. Once frozen, transfer the meatballs to freezer bags.

To cook:

1. If Frozen, thaw in fridge overnight.

2. Preheat the oven to 400F. Set a wire cooling rack over a baking sheet. Spray with a little non-stick spray. If you don't have a wire cooling rack, then just spread a thin layer of oil directly onto the baking sheet.

3. Lay out the meatballs. Spray or brush the meatballs with olive oil. Bake for 18-20 minutes, depending on your oven and the size of your meatballs. Remove as they are turning brown, and have achieved an internal temperature of 165F. Don't overbake these, you want them juicy on the inside.

   These can be baked off ahead of time and stored in the fridge till ready to bake with your favourite sauce.

4. If you want them to finish cooking in the simmering sauce, feel free to reduce the time in the oven by 5-7 minutes.

5. See blog post for additional details and serving suggestions.

Recipe Notes

If you have a large family, or a large freezer, feel free to double the recipe!

Feel free to roll them as large or small as you like.  Just adjust the baking time.