Chicken Meatballs
An absolutely delicious and easy baked chicken meatball recipe that the entire family will love
Servings: 24 meatballs
Calories: 57kcal
Ingredients
- 500 grams ground chicken (1 pound, chicken mince)
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup parmesan
- ½ cup finely grated broccoli stalk (a great way to use the often-discarded part!)
- 1 egg
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).Prepare a baking sheet by lightly oiling it or lining it with parchment paper.
- Grate the broccoli stalk (after peeling off any tough outer layer) to yield about ½ cup.
- In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, grated broccoli, egg, olive oil, and garlic powder.
- Mix thoroughly until all ingredients are well incorporated.
- With damp hands, scoop tablespoon-sized portions of the mixture and roll into balls. Placing them on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for approximately 20 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through and golden brown
- Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Wet your hands! Chicken mince is sticky—keep your hands damp when mixing and rolling to make shaping the meatballs much easier (and less messy). And take off any rings first!
- Use a measuring spoon. Scooping the mixture with a tablespoon (I use a 15 ml one) ensures even sizing so the meatballs cook evenly and look great too.
- Don’t skip the oil. Chicken mince is quite lean, so adding a little olive oil helps keep the meatballs juicy and tender.
- Go low on salt for babies. Parmesan adds natural salty flavour, so I skip extra salt when making these for my little ones. But feel free to season to taste for older kids and adults.
- Grate your veggies fine. Grated broccoli stalk blends right in and adds a veggie boost without being obvious—perfect for picky eaters.
- Double the batch. These meatballs freeze beautifully, so make extra for quick dinners, lunchboxes, or easy baby meals later in the week.
- Reheat them in the microwave and heat until piping hot when you want a little protein snack or quick kids meal, they also reheat beautifully in the air-fryer.
- Serve them your way. These little bites are so versatile—serve with salad, pasta, wraps, dipping sauces, or as a protein-packed lunchbox filler.
- Chicken mince: You can also use ground turkey or pork if that’s what you have on hand. Just keep in mind pork tends to be a bit fattier and will make the meatballs extra juicy.
- Broccoli: I usually use grated broccoli stalk—it's a great way to reduce food waste and sneak in some veggies. You can also swap it for grated zucchini (just squeeze out the moisture first) or grated carrot.
- Breadcrumbs: Use gluten-free breadcrumbs if needed, or swap them for quick cook oats for a wheat free alternative.
- For a wheat-free option I have made these chicken rissoles with rolled oats instead of breadcrumbs
- For an egg-free option, I have made this recipe with a chia egg (ie soak 1 Tablespoon of chia seeds in 2 Tablespoons of water, wait for them to gel then add to the mince mix.
- Parmesan: Adds flavour and helps bind the mixture, but if you need a dairy-free option, try a dairy-free grated cheese, nutritional yeast or simply leave it out and add a pinch of your favourite herbs for flavour.
Nutrition
Serving: 1meatball | Calories: 57kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 49mg | Potassium: 123mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 0.2g | Vitamin A: 29IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 0.3mg