Ground chicken gets a bad rap for being dry, boring, and a little… sad. Treat it right and it turns into some of the most tender, flavorful meatballs you’ll ever make. These cheesy baked ground chicken meatballs are juicy, easy to throw together, and cook up perfectly in the oven without the mess of pan-frying.
I started making these on busy weeknights when I wanted something a little more exciting than another skillet of taco meat. Ground chicken is mild enough to work with all kinds of flavors, and baking the meatballs means you can cook a whole batch at once while you deal with the rest of dinner.
After years of tweaking meatball recipes, I’ve found a few simple tricks that keep chicken meatballs from drying out — the right binder, a little added moisture, and baking them just long enough to stay juicy. They’re great with pasta, tucked into rice bowls, or dunked in your favorite sauce for an easy appetizer.
You Will Love These Ground Chicken Meatballs!
I love these meatballs because:
- Quick to prep
- Meal prep friendly!
- Good source of protein
- Easily adaptable
- They're gluten free and egg free
- Pairs with LOADS of things
- My kids inhale them
Chicken Meatball Recipe Ingredients
- Ground chicken (or turkey): I highly recommend using ground chicken here instead of turkey because the flavor is so much better and it has a slightly higher fat content which also adds more flavor.
- Shredded cheese: This is your binder. Sneaky, right? You don't even need the egg + breadcrumb situation. Plus the cheese kinda leaks out a little and gets crispy on the pan which is my favorite part.
- Parmesan cheese: To add more flavor!
- Granulated Garlic: You can also use a fresh microplane garlic clove or some garlic powder.
- Salt & Pepper: black pepper and sea salt
How to Make Baked Chicken Meatballs
- Combine the ground chicken with the cheeses and seasonings. Mix them gently.
- I use a cookie scoop to shape them since ground chicken is a little goopy and hard to roll into balls.
- Bake them on a parchment lined baking sheet at 400F for 15 minutes.
- Serve!
Chicken Meatballs Recipe Variations
Make them spicy: The original recipe had minced fresh jalapeño in there and I LOVED them. I decided to take them out and suggest them as an optional add-in. You can add sriracha or pickled jalapenos for heat as well.
Swap out the meat: If you want to keep them light, but a little heartier, swap out half the chicken for ground pork. You could use ground beef for these, but the texture will be tougher and you may be better off finding a traditional beef meatball recipe.
Make them green: stir in some basil pesto or mix in some thawed & chopped frozen spinach (squeezed out really well!) or even a handful of chopped green onions.
Smoking Chicken Meatballs
You can cook these on a pellet grill/smoker, too! Just pop them in for 30-40 min at 225F until the internal temp reaches 160. It'll add a smoky bit of flavor to make these even better. You could even toss some BBQ sauce on them like my BBQ Smoked Meatballs.
How to Serve Ground Chicken Meatballs
OH, lots of ways to serve these meatballs. My favorite way is adding them to a seasoned rice bowl with some roasted veg.
You could also chop them up a bit and throw them on a salad. Or in a wrap with some cool, crunchy greens and a drizzle of sauce.
Storing Leftover Baked Chicken Meatballs
If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
You could make a LOT of meatballs and do a meal prep situation and have your meals portioned out for the week!
Also, they freeze well. Just pop them in the oven to reheat when you're ready to prep dinner.
More Meatball Recipes on Perry's Plate
Like these? Try another one of my popular meatball recipes!
Thai Peanut Curry with Ginger Chicken Meatballs
Easy Italian Sausage Meatballs
If you make one of my recipes, I'd love to see! Post it on social media and tag me at @perrysplate or #perrysplate so I can send you some love!
Baked Chicken Meatball Recipe
These baked ground chicken meatballs are juicy, flavorful, and incredibly easy to make — no pan-frying needed. Made with simple ingredients and a few key techniques to keep them tender, they’re perfect for pasta, rice bowls, or meal prep throughout the week.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground chicken
- 3 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
- ⅓ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400F.
- Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl and mix thoroughly (but gently) with your hands.
- Use a cookie scoop to portion them out onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving an inch or two of space between them.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes until they reach an internal temperature of 160F. Let them rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- You can easily half this recipe if you don't need as many meatballs. My kids inhale these so I always make this much.
- You can use ground turkey here, but ground chicken will give it better flavor. You could also use a combo of 50/50 ground chicken/turkey and ground pork.
- I threw in a couple minced jalapenos once and I wasn't sad about it.
Nutrition Information
Yield 8 Serving Size 4 meatballsAmount Per Serving Calories 303Total Fat 19gSaturated Fat 7gUnsaturated Fat 12gCholesterol 143mgSodium 624mgCarbohydrates 2gFiber 0gSugar 0gProtein 32g
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
