Ground chicken is a little more delicate than beef or pork, so you need to be careful when cooking the meatballs themselves so they stay together. The goal is to just brown them but don’t worry about cooking them all the way through, you are going to bake them and they’ll finish cooking in the oven.
Once you have browned the meatballs, I made just a simple tomato sauce. You can simplify it even more and used jarred sauce. The meatballs are then nestled on top of the sauce and sprinkled with cheese before baking in the oven.
Chicken Parmesan Meatballs
Baked chicken meatballs with parmesan in a flavorful tomato base and topped with mozzarella are great for a healthy weeknight dinner.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 1x
- Category: Entree
Ingredients
- MEATBALLS
- 1 ½ cups panko breadcrumbs
- 2 cups parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 ½ lbs ground chicken
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- SAUCE
- 28 ounces canned whole tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 anchovies
- 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 400º.
2. In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup of panko with 3/4 cup of parmesan.
3. In a large bowl, combine chicken, egg, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 cup of panko, 11/4 cup parmesan, and seasonings. Using your hands, gently combine until incorporated. Using an ice cream scoop, form into 28 golf size balls. Roll each into panko parmesan mixture.
4. In a large oven proof skillet, Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat and brown the meatballs on both sides, about 30 seconds, working in batches. You just want them golden brown, not cooked through. Remove to a plate.
5. In the same pan, add some additional oil if needed and add the canned tomatoes and salt. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes until they are soft. Use a wooden spoon or potato masher to break apart. Reduce heat and add anchovies and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
6. Add meatballs back to the sauce and sprinkle with cheese. Place in oven and bake for about 10 minutes until chicken has cooked through.
Delicious! The key are the anchovies in the sauce. Don’t leave them out! They add a savory flavor that is wonderful!
Isn’t it amazing how much flavor the anchovies add.