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This cheesy Chicken Parmesan Meatballs Recipe is a wholesome, delicious, juicy, and tasty chicken meatball recipe served over a chunky, Garlic Tomato Sauce. This whole recipe will be ready on your dinner table in about 30 minutes and is simple!
You may also love my buffalo chicken meatballs.
Recipe Overview
I could go on for days about these cheesy Chicken Meatballs. The garlic tomato sauce is simmered to perfection and filled with fragrant notes of chunky tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and fresh basil. Make a batch of this chunky tomato sauce to use for other meals in the future, too, like spaghetti and meatballs, Italian Spaghetti Squash Boats, casseroles, One-Pot Lasagna Soup, Zucchini Lasagna, and so much more.
Ingredients needed
This is a list that features the simple ingredients you will need to make this dish. For a list of the full measurements, be sure to scroll down to the recipe card.
- Ground Chicken– You may use ground turkey.
- Breadcrumbs–Use whichever kind of breadcrumbs you would like for these meatballs. Panko breadcrumbs will work for a gluten-free meatball option.
- Parmesan– Freshly grated parmesan works just fine.
- Eggs– Eggs allow the meatballs to stick together and form into meatballs.
- Seasoning– A blend of Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- Oil– Any oil works like olive oil or avocado oil.
- Garlic– Fresh garlic, if possible. It won’t be as flavorful with garlic powder.
- Crushed Tomatoes– Canned crushed tomatoes are easy to use for the tomato sauce, but feel free to use homemade crushed tomatoes, too.
- Fresh Basil– Brings out all the flavors.
What to serve with it
I mostly like to share these with either rice or spaghetti because it is what my kids like. There are a few other options.
I also like to serve them with veggies like Garlic Roasted Broccolini, Oven-Roasted Parmesan Green Beans, fresh Caprese Salad, Caesar salad, and more.
How to make chicken parmesan meatballs
- Prepare and stir ingredients: First, prep all of the ingredients by measuring everything out and chopping anything that needs to be diced or minced as this will save you a ton of time. Place the ground chicken, breadcrumbs, grated parmesan, eggs, seasoning, salt, and pepper in a medium to large bowl and mix with your hands until combined being careful not to overmix.
- Form the meatballs: Next, with a tablespoon, scoop out the meatball mixture and roll it between your palms until a nice round ball is formed. We like to grease our hands with oil a bit so the meatball mixture doesn’t stick to our hands.
- Repeat: Repeat with the remainder of the mixture until all of the meatballs are formed. Next, evenly roll each meatball into the breadcrumbs making sure to coat the entire surface to make sure they get nice and crispy golden.
- Cook the meatballs: In a large skillet, heat the oil until warm. Next, add the meatballs and sauté on each side until golden brown in color on the outside but still uncooked in the center. This allows the meatballs to be perfectly tender in the end.
- Simmer the sauce: With the same pan, add the minced garlic to some oil and cook until fragrant but not burnt. You want just enough flavor in the recipe. Add the crushed tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and season with salt and pepper–do not be shy with the seasoning!
- Return to skillet: Allow the tomato sauce to simmer until a low boil forms, then transfer the meatballs back to the skillet into the sauce. Cook the meatballs in the sauce for about ten minutes to make sure they are able to absorb all of the Italian flavors.
- Enjoy with fresh basil and extra parmesan for serving.
Common Questions
If you do not use breadcrumbs in meatballs, your meatballs will probably still turn out fine! Most of the time, meatballs are able to stick together and cook fine without the breadcrumbs.
When you cook meat, it shrinks. For meatballs, it is important to add binders like eggs and breadcrumbs to keep the meatballs tender and juicy. Try not to skip on these two ingredients otherwise, you will end up with tough meatballs. My chicken meatball recipe does call for breadcrumbs and eggs so add them in!
If you prefer to bake these chicken meatballs rather than pan-sear them, you can definitely do so. Skip the part to recoat the meatball after you roll into a ball. Place on a pan lined with aluminum foil and place in the oven. Bake for about 15-20 minutes until browned.
You may swap the chicken with ground turkey. But you can also use ground beef if you like.
More meatballs recipes
- Honey Sriracha Meatballs
- Italian Turkey Meatballs
- Turkey Meatball Zoodle Recipe
- Turkey Meatballs in Curry Sauce
- Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
You may also like
- Lemon and Parmesan Chicken Orzo Soup
- Chicken Parmesan Pasta
- Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan
- Baked Tomato Feta Pasta
- Homemade Spaghetti Meat Sauce
Chicken Parmesan Meatballs In Tomato Sauce
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound Ground Chicken
- ½ Cup Breadcrumbs, + 2 Tbsp more to coat
- ½ Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
- 2 Medium Eggs
- ½ Tablespoon Italian Seasoning
- 28 ounces Crushed Tomatoes, one can
- 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
- Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
- Fresh Basil
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the 1 pound Ground Chicken , ½ Cup Breadcrumbs, ½ Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese, 2 Medium Eggs, ½ Tablespoon Italian Seasoning, Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper. Mix well until combined.
- Scoop about 1 Tbsp of mixture and roll it between your palms to form a meatball. Repeat with the remaining mixture, then dredge each meatball into breadcrumbs. Set aside on a plate.
- Heat 2 Tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add meatballs and sauté for 3-4 minutes, turning occasionally until browned but not cooked through. Set aside on a plate.
- In the same skillet, add 2 Garlic Cloves and cook until fragrant, for 1 minute. Add 28 ounces Crushed Tomatoes, 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning and season with salt and pepper to your taste.
- Simmer for about 5 minutes, then return the meatballs into the skillet nestling them into the sauce.
- Cook for an additional 10 minutes, or until meatballs are cooked through.
- Season with Fresh Basil and ground pepper and enjoy!
Notes
- You may use fresh tomatoes instead of canned if preferred.
- If you don’t want to use chicken, you may use ground turkey
- Grate your own Parmesan cheese if possible.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I’ve been making these for a few years now and it’s one of my son’s favorite dishes. I’ve also served these to guests and everyone who’s had it has also loved it!
So glad! Thanks for the feedback. Appreciate it.
This recipe is amazing! This was my first time making chicken meatball and it exceeded expectations!!
Thank you
Unbelievably delicious. This was my first attempt at chicken meatballs and I don’t think it could have been better.
Rena these were such a hit with my family! Thanks so much for the recipe. I breaded them and baked them for maybe 40 mins (I made them pretty big, and cooked them fully through). So good thank you:)
So glad you loved them. Thanks for the feedback
Wow these are amazing!!! My husband said they are better than restaurant meatballs. I subbed the Parmesan for 1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes because we can’t do dairy and it turned out just as flavorful. Thank you for the awesome recipe!
That’s a great substitute. Glad you guys loved it.
How many meatballs per serving?
It depends on the size of the meatballs. So if you make 12 of them so 3 meatballs. if they are small enough and you make 16 of them its 4 meatballs
Yummy! First time making meat balls and it was easier than I thought. I ended up making my meatballs smaller so got a lot. Cooked up some linguine to go with this. Delicious!
Thank you Sue. So glad you liked it!