My whole family loves spaghetti and meatball night. These meatballs are delicious and the marinara is so bright and fresh. I could eat these out of the pan with fresh bread and call it dinner.
Not your typical Meatballs
Chicken When I first started making these for my boys, they weren’t used to seeing chicken meatballs. I told them these meatballs are “like if chicken nuggets and meatballs crashed together and became one awesome meatball.” They devoured them.
Quick and Easy From Scratch Marinara This is such a fresh and bright flavored marinara. No need for stewing the marinara for hours. Simply blend all of the marinara ingredients together and then let it cook with the meatballs. Kids love it too because it doesn’t have chunks of tomatoes or large pieces of herbs. It’s simple and delicious. As a short cut, you can always use your favorite jarred marinara.
Bread Crumbs Progresso Italian Style Bread Crumbs are my favorite at our house, but you can use panko or any other as well.
Dried Herbs I use dried parsley, basil and oregano in this recipe. If you dont have one of them, no worries, just substitute an equal amount of one for the other.
Make Ahead If you want to make this ahead, cook the dish completely, but do not top with parmesan. Let cool, and cover and place in the fridge. When you are ready to reheat, preheat oven to 400F. Bake for 30 minutes or until hot. Top with parmesan and fresh herbs.
On a diet? No worries!
Paleo and Whole 30 To make this dish Paleo or Whole30, exclude the parmesan and bread crumbs and use 1/2 cup almond flour. Serve this with zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash.
Low Carb or Keto If you are Low Carb or Keto, swap out the breadcrumbs for equal amounts of almond flour. Also, top these with mozzarella and broil it for a few minutes and you will be in heaven. Serve with zucchini noodles or roasted broccolini.
Gluten Free To make this dish gluten free, substitute the bread crumbs with your favorite gluten free breadcrumbs. Serve the meatballs with your favorite gluten free pasta, zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash.
What to Serve with Parmesan Chicken Meatballs
Sides Ultimate Caesar Salad or foccacia bread goes perfectly with these meatballs.
Pairings If you are in the mood for white wine, open up a bottle of Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio. Chianti or Barbera are great red wine options for this delicious dinner. If you want an italian cocktail, try our refreshing Aperol Spritz!
Recipe
Parmesan Chicken Meatballs
These meatballs are a family favorite. They are so delicious and a lighter and brighter version of your normal spaghetti and meatballs.
Ingredients
- **For Meatballs**
- 2 lbs. Ground Chicken
- 2 tsp. Kosher Salt
- 2 tsp. Garlic Powder
- 2 tsp. Onion Powder
- 1 tsp. Dried Parsley
- 1 tsp. Dried Basil
- 1/2 tsp. Black Pepper
- 2 Eggs
- 1/2 cup Parmesan, plus more for garnish
- 1/2 cup Bread Crumbs or Almond Flour
- 2 Tbsp. Oil for browning
- **For Marinara**
- 1/4 cup Olive Oil
- 1/2 medium Onion, roughly chopped
- 3 Garlic Cloves
- 1 tsp. Dried Oregano
- 1 28 oz. can of Crushed Tomatoes
- 3/4 tsp. Kosher Salt
- Fresh Basil or Parsley, for Garnish
- Spaghetti, cooked and tossed in butter, if using
Directions
- Step 1 Combine all meatball ingredients in a medium bowl and mix thoroughly. Portion into 1 inch sized meatballs (I like to use a muffin scoop for easy portioning).
- Step 2 Set the meatballs in the fridge while you blend the sauce. Combine 1/4 cup olive oil, onion, garlic, oregano, crushed tomatoes and salt in a blender and blend until combined.
- Step 3 In a large 12 inch sauté pan or braising pan on medium high heat, add oil and brown the meatballs. Don’t over crowd, you can brown the meatballs in two batches if needed.
- Step 4 Once browned, remove the pan from heat and add the blended tomato sauce.
- Step 5 Bring the dish to a simmer and let cook for 20-30 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through and the sauce has cooked down to a richer color and consistency. Season to taste.
- Step 6 Top with parmesan and fresh basil or parsley. Serve over spaghetti.
About the Author
Lauren is a classically trained, professional chef. A culinary school graduate, she has spent time working organic farms in the Italian countryside and was the pastry/sous chef at a high profile restaurant in Dallas prior to becoming a full-time personal chef. Her cooking style is often referred to as “rustic.” Being a personal chef, she is not bound by a single type of cuisine and has had the opportunity to experiment with hundreds of regional recipes from all over the world.
