Baked Chicken Meatballs

Published Jan. 29, 2025

Baked Chicken Meatballs
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
1 hour
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
40 minutes, plus 15 minutes’ chilling
Rating
5(141)
Comments
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These weeknight-friendly chicken meatballs come together in a snap, with minimal chopping and minimal mess. They’re made with a panade — a simple combination of bread crumbs and milk — which makes for light and tender meatballs. Baked meatballs aren’t quite as charred and caramelized as the pan-fried variety, but they do brown nicely underneath, thanks to contact with the hot sheet pan. A hit with adults and kids, chicken meatballs can be served as a snack with your favorite sauce for dipping, or tossed with a simple tomato sauce and served over pasta.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • ½cup panko bread crumbs
  • cup whole milk
  • 1large egg 
  • 1pound ground chicken (preferably not 100 percent breast meat)
  • cup grated Parmesan
  • 2tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • 1tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 
  • 1teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1teaspoon onion powder
  • ½teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
  • ½teaspoon black pepper
  • Lemon wedges (optional), for serving
  • Simple tomato sauce, Buffalo sauce or jarred marinara sauce (optional), for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

304 calories; 18 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 8 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 27 grams protein; 407 milligrams sodium

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

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven to 400 degrees, and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

  2. Step 2

    In a small bowl, combine the panko and milk and set aside until the panko has absorbed all the milk.

  3. Step 3

    Crack the egg into a large bowl and beat lightly with a fork. Add the chicken, Parmesan, parsley, oil, garlic and onion powders, oregano, salt and pepper. Mix gently but thoroughly, then fold in the panko mixture.

  4. Step 4

    Using a 2-tablespoon scoop or your hands, form meatballs that are about 1½ inches wide. (You should have about 16 meatballs.) If the meatballs aren’t holding their shape, chill the mixture in the fridge for 15 minutes to firm up before continuing.

  5. Step 5

    Arrange the meatballs on the prepared pan and bake for 20 to 22 minutes, until just cooked through and browned underneath. Serve hot or at room temperature, with lemon wedges and sauce for dipping, if desired.

Tip
  • To freeze, bake meatballs as directed and cool completely. Arrange the meatballs on a tray or large plate that fits in your freezer and freeze until solid, about 2 hours. Place the meatballs in a freezer-safe plastic bag (squeezing out as much air as possible) or other container, and freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, heat the oven to 325 degrees. Place the frozen meatballs in a baking dish, cover with foil and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until heated through.

Ratings

5 out of 5
141 user ratings
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Comments

Why do recent recipes call for garlic and onion powder? Use real garlic, or scallions. These substitutes are not true to flavor and can go stale.

I find adding a small shredded zucchini (eggplant works too) produces a more tender, “fluffier” chicken meatball. Otherwise it’s too dense.

@Leslie I think maybe fresh garlic isn’t used because of the meatballs short cook time of 20 minutes. Twenty minutes doesn’t allow the garlic to cook long enough to mellow, and diners might find the bite of garlic with so little cook time to be too assertive and hard to digest.

Too salty for my taste with both Parmesan and salt. Omit salt next time. Cooked in air fryer for 15 minutes at 400 which was too long.

As always be diligent with the meat thermometer, it only took me 14 minutes to get into the 170’s. We paired it with sweet Thai chili sauce and took out the oregano. A+

These were simple and delicious! I added grated garlic because I had an unpeeled clove and it wasn't overwhelming (though no shade to garlic powder, it's integral to ranch dressing and I love it). They were moist and tender, and I cooked them directly on the sheet tray so they got a nice, deeply caramelized bottom. I served them with a slash of ricotta and some sundried tomato pesto, and they were divine.

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