If you're looking for a basic yet awesome weeknight chicken meatball recipe, these are it! Packed with fresh herbs for flavor, these baked chicken meatballs are perfect to prep ahead for ready-to-eat proteins throughout the week. The best part-they're done in 30 minutes!
These baked chicken meatballs = our weeknight saviors right now! Not only because they're so flavorful with all the fresh herbs, but also because we're able to use them differently every week.
Sometimes it's more of a classic pasta situation-saucy marinara and extra parm, of course. But often we make bowl recipes with grains or roasted sweet potatoes and greens as a base, then we add in these herby meatballs with a yummy sauce (lately it's this easy herbed yogurt sauce), seasonal veggies, herbs, and toppings. Having just one sheet pan of these meatballs ready for us during the week has made dinnertime so easy-especially since they're kid-friendly!
Not to mention, it's a great way to use up fresh herbs before they go bad. So if you need a dinnertime win, let's make these meatballs!
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Key Ingredients + Notes
- The best ground chicken to use - The best ground chicken to buy is one that's not too lean, as the meatballs can dry out very easily. I use one that's 90-93% lean across the board for my recipes-whether it's for meatballs, burgers, or my quick ground chicken taco meat.
- A quick note on herbs - While hardier herbs would be delicious, this recipe is focused more on tender herbs like cilantro, mint, chives, parsley, basil, and/or tarragon.
Substitutions: You could easily sub ground turkey or another ground meat for ground chicken, if that's what you have on hand. Additionally, you can sub almond flour or almond meal in for breadcrumbs for a gluten free option! I usually reduce the amount to ¼ cup and keep all else equal. My recipe for turkey meatballs without breadcrumbs is a great example of this swap in practice!
Full quantities for ingredients are listed in the recipe card below!
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, and line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Combine all meatball ingredients in a bowl and mix with hands or a fork until uniformly combined.
- Step 2: Roll chicken meatball mixture into golf ball-sized meatballs and line then up on the prepared sheet pan. I find it helps to have a bowl of water nearby to dip my hands, which helps prevent the meat sticking to them.
- Step 3: Bake the meatballs at 350 degrees for 18-21 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Meatballs are done when golden brown on the outside, and are bouncy when you poke them (rather than squishy when they're still pink inside).
- Step 4: Serve meatballs as desired, whether that's with pasta, in a bowl recipe, or in a wrap or sandwich. If you're meal prepping, let them cool completely and transfer to an airtight container to store in the fridge until ready to eat.
Tera's Sustainability Tip
- DIY breadcrumbs! Got some day-old bread lying around? Perfect-make your own breadcrumbs instead of tossing it! Just cube or tear the bread, spread it on a baking sheet, and pop it in a 250°F oven for about 20 minutes, until it's dry but not toasted. Let it cool, then pulse it in a food processor or blender until you get nice, crumbly bits-not dust. A little texture is a good thing!
FAQ
Yes! Let them cool completely, then flash freeze on a sheet pan in the freezer for 1-2 hours. Transfer to a zip-top bag (I love the reusable ones from Stasher) or airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Pairing Ideas
Looking for some ideas about what to make with these chicken meatballs? There are SO many things that could work, but here are a few ideas we love at home.
📖 Recipe
Everyday Herby Baked Chicken Meatballs (30 minutes!)
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 12-15 meatballs 1x
Description
These herby baked chicken meatballs come together in only 30 minutes! This makes them perfect to make on a weeknight, or totally quick to meal prep in a Sunday for meals during the week. Enjoy them in bowls, sandwiches, or a classic saucy pasta!
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground chicken
- ⅓ cup finely chopped tender herbs (I love cilantro, basil, + mint; see notes)
- ½ cup breadcrumbs (see notes)
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Preheat + prep. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Make meatball mixture. In a medium-large bowl, combine all ingredients listed. Using a fork or clean hands (typically what I find easiest!), mix the ingredients together until uniformly combined.
- Form meatballs. Roll the meat mixture into golfball-sized balls, then place them on the prepared sheet pan with space between each. If you find that meat is sticking to your hands, making it harder to roll the meatballs, it helps to have a bowl of water nearby to dip hands every few.
- Bake meatballs. Bake the meatballs at 350 degrees for 18-21 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Store for later or use as intended (in sauce, bowls, or sandwiches!).
Notes
- Storage + freezing instructions. Store leftover meatballs in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge. To freeze, allow meatballs to cool and flash freeze on a sheet pan in the freezer for 1-2 hours. Transfer to a zip-top bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Tender herbs. Tender herbs are those with more tender leaves, like cilantro, parsley, basil, mint, tarragon, and chives. Rosemary and thyme would also taste good, but will slight change the flavor profile of this recipe.
- Breadcrumbs. Feel free to use Panko, but we almost always make our own! Once we have some day-old sourdough bread, I dry it in the oven at 250 degrees for 18-22 minutes, or until completely dried out but not browned. Let it cool, then blitz in the food processor until fine breadcrumbs form. A great way to reduce waste!
- Oven time. Cook time may vary slightly with different ovens, so I recommend checking meatball doneness at 18 minutes. They're done when firm, bouncy, golden brown on the outside, and no longer pink inside. A meat thermometer reading 165 degrees means they're done, and remember they continue to cook a bit as they cool.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Mediterranean-inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3 meatballs
- Calories: 262
- Sugar: 0.9 g
- Sodium: 474.5 mg
- Fat: 14.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 9.9 g
- Fiber: 0.6 g
- Protein: 22.9 g
- Cholesterol: 142.8 mg
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