Description
These Chicken Parmesan Meatballs combine tender ground chicken with classic Italian flavors like Parmesan and fresh parsley, baked in a rich marinara sauce and topped with melted mozzarella cheese. Seared for a golden crust and finished in the oven, they make a delicious and satisfying meal perfect on their own or served over pasta.
Ingredients
Scale
Meatball Mixture
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 large egg
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Cooking
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 cups marinara sauce
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) to prepare for baking the meatballs after searing.
- Mix Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine ground chicken, Parmesan, breadcrumbs, parsley, egg, minced garlic, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Mix thoroughly until well combined for even flavor distribution.
- Form Meatballs: Roll the mixture into approximately 1-inch meatballs and place them on a parchment-lined or lightly greased baking sheet to keep them uniform in size.
- Sear Meatballs: Heat olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat. In batches, add the meatballs and sear them on all sides until golden brown, about 5 minutes per batch, then remove and set aside.
- Add Sauce: Lower the heat to low, carefully add marinara sauce to the skillet, then return the seared meatballs to the skillet, spooning sauce over them to coat well.
- Add Cheese: Sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese evenly over the sauced meatballs for a melty topping.
- Bake: Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven and bake for 15-20 minutes until the meatballs are fully cooked through and the cheese is bubbly and golden brown.
- Garnish: Remove from the oven and garnish with fresh basil leaves to add a fragrant, fresh finish.
- Serve: Serve the meatballs hot alone or over pasta or crusty bread to complete the meal.
Notes
- Using an oven-safe skillet allows you to sear and bake the meatballs in the same pan, making cleanup easier.
- Be sure not to overcrowd the skillet when searing meatballs to ensure they brown evenly.
- These meatballs freeze well; freeze before baking and cook from frozen, adding extra baking time.
- For a lower fat option, use a non-stick skillet and reduce olive oil to 2 tablespoons.
- You can substitute fresh parsley with dried parsley, about 1 tablespoon dried.
