Everything you love about Chicken Parmesan in a mozzarella-stuffed meatball! Served with marinara sauce, this is a dish that will make everybody smile!
A fun little activity I've been enjoying recently, is seeing how many meals I can meatball. What? Yes, I’ve once again taken a meal that isn’t a meatball, and meatballed it. First there was were my Classic Best Italian Meatballs Ever! Next, I gave you the recipe for my Chicken Piccata Meatballs (my most popular balls to date!) and my Thai Chicken Meatballs with Red Curry Peanut Sauce.
Today I’m bringing you the recipe for my Chicken Parmesan Meatballs! Why? Because, after the Series of Unfortunate Events that was 2020, I decided that limits are so last year, and if the whole world can start making sourdough and banana bread, then I can meatball an entire meal.
How do you make them?
There's something about a chicken meatball that I just can't get enough of these days and, just like my other meatballs recipes, these Chicken Parmesan Meatballs come together very quickly. As a bonus, if you use a good store bought sauce, you can have this dinner on your table in less than an hour!
Perfectly seasoned chicken meatballs are stuffed with tiny mozzarella balls, coated in panko breadcrumbs, browned in a pan, and then baked in marinara sauce. My Pantry Shelf Marinara is your best bet, but, as Ina Garten would say, store bought is fine.
Finally, the whole thing is covered in shredded mozzarella and baked until gooey and bubbly! My Chicken Parmesan Meatballs have all the flavor and fun of chicken parmesan, rolled up in a tender, juicy, cheese-oozing meatball!
Tips for Success:
- If you have a meat grinder, I think the texture of fresh ground meat is unbeatable. If you don't have a grinder that's okay, just make sure not to over-handle the meat, especially when mixing. I like to use my hands (wear a glove if you're squeamish) to just bring all the ingredients together.
- If you don't have a scoop for forming the meatballs (you should really invest in one. They're very affordable.) you can just use a couple of spoons to form the meat into balls. I use a small scoop to get uniform meatballs. You can also use your hands, just dampen them a bit to keep the meat from sticking to you! Yuck!
Some of my other Italian meals you'll love
Makes 24-28 meatballs. Serves 6... unless one of them is an Italian-American from New Jersey, then all bets are off.
Chicken Parmesan Meatballs
Equipment
Ingredients
The Balls
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cloves minced or grated garlic
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon kosher or sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 8 oz container small mozzarella balls (Ciliegine or cherry sized)
Meatball Coating
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 3 tablespoon grated parmesan
- Pinch of salt
Finishing Touches
- 26 oz jar of your favorite marinara sauce or half a batch of my Pantry Shelf Marinara
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
- Extra grated parmesan and basil leaves for garnish
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, eggs, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, Italian seasoning salt, and pepper. Mix gently until combined. Don’t over mix or squish around the meat too much or you’ll end up with tough, dense meatballs.
- Shape the meatball mixture into small balls, about 2 tbsp, and then press a hole in the center with your thumb. Place a piece of mozzarella into each. Reseal the meatball mixture around the mozzarella, making sure to cover it completely. You don’t want to see any of the cheese or it will ooze out when cooking.
- Once all of the meatballs have been stuffed, roll them one at a time in the panko/cheese mix to coat. Press the crumbs into the meatballs a bit, while still maintaining their meatball shape. Place meatballs on a small sheet pan or plate and chill in the fridge for about 15-30 minutes before frying.
- Preheat oven to 350° Place an oven-safe skillet (I prefer my 12 inch cast iron) over medium heat with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Brown Meatballs 5-6 minutes, rolling over a few times to brown as much of the outside as you can. You want the exterior to be a nice golden brown. The meatballs won't be done at this point, but will continue cooking in the oven. You’ll probably need to do this in two batches, wiping out the pan between batches and adding new oil. Remove finished meatballs to a plate and continue with second batch. When done, wipe out the pan again.
- Pour the marinara into the skillet and then nestle the meatballs into the sauce. Place into the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese around the meatballs and place back into the oven to bake for an additional 5-6 minutes, or until the cheese has melted. If desired, broil for a few minutes to brown the cheese a bit.
- Garnish with grated parm and fresh basil. Serve with garlic bread, your favorite pasta, or use slider buns to make mini chicken parm sandwiches.
Notes
- If you have a meat grinder, I think the texture of fresh ground meat is unbeatable. If you don't have a grinder that's okay, just make sure not to over-handle the meat, especially when mixing. I like to use my hands (wear a glove if you're squeamish) to just bring all the ingredients together.
- If you don't have a scoop for forming the meatballs (you should really invest in one. They're very affordable.) you can just use a couple of spoons to form the meat into balls. I use a small scoop to get uniform meatballs. You can also use your hands, just dampen them a bit to keep the meat from sticking to you! Yuck!
Nutrition
The nutritional and caloric information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It does not assert or suggest that readers should or should not count calories, and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s or doctor’s counseling.
Nick says
Absolutely incredible!
Cynthia says
Thanks! I’m glad you liked it!
Cristal says
These were fantastic. They’re definitely going on my list of meals to whip up when I’m trying to impress company 😊
Cynthia says
Yay! They’re my in-laws favorite for family dinners!