Chicken Parmesan Meatballs are oven baked to perfection and only take a few minutes to prep. Tender, juicy meatballs are layered with marinara and coated in parmesan and mozzarella for the most delicious Italian dinner. It's all the flavors of traditional chicken parm with way less work.
I love chicken parmesan, but it's not exactly a quick meal, and it's usually a big production with lots of pots and pans. This is the perfect shortcut version with all the flavor.
For more Italian recipes, try this Italian Grinder Pasta Salad, Pastina Soup, Cheese Manicotti, and Rigatoni and Sausage Bake.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe:
- Quick. A much faster way to chicken parmesan, and we're using jarred marinara as a shortcut.
- Easy. Let the oven do the work with minimal prep.
- Big on Flavor. All those Italian flavors in chicken parmesan you know and love, but in a juicy meatball.
- High Protein. 38 grams of protein per serving (3 meatballs)
- Budget Friendly. Pair this affordable recipe with pasta and easily feed a family of 4-5 people for around $20.
If you love this recipe, you need to try my Stuffed Shells, Italian Sausage Lasagna, Four Cheese Pasta and Chicken Romano.
Ingredients:
Bread: You want sandwich bread for this recipe. The milk soaks into it and the mixture makes the juiciest meatballs.
Cheese: I like a combination of parmesan and mozzarella for the topping. I recommend shredding both cheeses from the block for the best melt.
Breadcrumbs: Italian breadcrumbs are best for this recipe for their spice mixture and texture.
*Find the full recipe ingredients and quantities in the recipe card below.
Substitutions and Variations:
- Ground turkey works great in substitution of the ground chicken.
- Feel free to add onion, but make sure it's nice and minced when adding to the mix.
- The Italian breadcrumbs can be swapped out with Panko bread crumbs. One of them is necessary or the meatballs are really sticky and hard to handle.
- Fresh parsley or basil are the perfect finishing touch.
For more ground chicken recipes, try these Ground Chicken Nuggets, Chicken Meatball Soup, or Ground Chicken Spaghetti.
How to Make Chicken Parmesan Meatballs:
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, add the slice of sandwich bread and pour the milk over top. Mush it up with your fingers or a spoon.
Step 2: Right on top of the bread, dump in the ground chicken, bread crumbs, salt, spices, and garlic. Crack the egg over the top, then stir, or use your hands to combine.
Step 3: Spread out a cup of marinara sauce on the bottom of a 8x11 or 9x13 casserole dish. Use a spoon to scoop out a large meatball portion, then use your hands to round the top a bit. You want to touch the meatballs as little as possible, because the mixture is pretty sticky.
Step 4: Add each large meatball to the casserole dish over the sauce. You should get between 10 and 12.
Step 5: Top the meatballs with another cup of marinara sauce, then sprinkle on the mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Cover gently with foil, trying not to touch the cheese, then bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until the internal temperature of each meatball reaches 165 degrees, about 15-20 more minutes.
Step 6: Allow to cool for about 5 minutes before serving. Optional: Top with fresh basil or parsley. Serve with my stuffed garlic bread recipe, or over pasta or risotto and enjoy!
Expert Tips:
- Don't overwork the meatball mix. It gets really sticky. I like to scoop it out with a spoon, gently round the top of it and plop it right onto the casserole dish.
- I highly recommend an instant read thermometer. The inner portion of each meatball should read 165 degrees before removing from the oven.
For more meatball recipes, try these Jalapeno Cranberry Meatballs, Slow Cooker Swedish Meatballs, Marinara Meatball Sliders, Sweet Chili Meatballs, and Teriyaki Chicken Meatballs. Can you tell I love meatballs?
More Italian Recipe You'll Love:
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Baked Chicken Parmesan Meatballs
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 10-12 large meatballs 1x
Description
Chicken Parmesan Meatballs are oven baked to perfection and only take a few minutes to prep. Tender, juicy meatballs are layered with marinara and coated in parmesan and mozzarella for the most delicious Italian dinner. It's all the flavors of traditional chicken parm with way less work.
Ingredients
- 1 slice white sandwich bread
- ¼ cup whole milk (2% is okay too)
- 16 ounce package of ground chicken
- 1 egg
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ cup Italian breadcrumbs
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 2 cups jarred marinara sauce + more for serving if desired
- 1 cup mozzarella, shredded from the block
- ½ cup parmesan, shredded from the block
- Optional: 1 tablespoon fresh basil or parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, add the slice of sandwich bread and pour the milk over top. Mush it up with your fingers or a spoon.
- Right on top of the bread, dump in the ground chicken, bread crumbs, salt and spices, and garlic. Crack the egg over the top, then stir, or use your hands to combine.
- Spread out a cup of marinara sauce on the bottom of a 8x11 or 9x13 casserole dish. Use a spoon to scoop out a large meatball portion, then use your hands to round the top a bit. You want to touch the meatballs as little as possible, because the mixture is pretty sticky.
- Add each large meatball to the casserole dish over the sauce. You should get between 10 and 12.
- Top the meatballs with another cup of marinara sauce, then sprinkle on the mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Cover gently with foil, trying not to touch the cheese, then bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until the internal temperature of each meatball reaches 165 degrees, about 15-20 more minutes.
- Allow to cool for about 5 minutes before serving. Optional: Top with fresh basil or parsley. Serve with my stuffed garlic bread recipe, or over pasta or risotto and enjoy!
Notes
Don't overwork the meatball mix. It gets really sticky. I like to scoop it out with a spoon, gently round the top of it and plop it right onto the casserole dish.
I highly recommend an instant read thermometer. The inner portion of each meatball should read 165 degrees before removing from the oven.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Appetizer, Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
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