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These ground chicken meatballs simmer right in the sauce, so they stay ridiculously tender and deeply flavorful every single time (no dry, sad meatballs here). They’re easy, unfussy, and happen to be on the lighter side without advertising it. Obviously perfect with pasta recipes, but just as good tucked into a meatball sub or eaten straight from the pan with a fork on a weeknight when cooking feels personal.
Eating less red meat shouldn’t feel like some bleak act of self-denial, and you definitely don’t need to give up the foods you love. You just tweak them. Ground chicken makes that incredibly easy (case in point: my chicken burger recipe), and these meatballs are proof. They’re juicy, satisfying, and wildly crowd-pleasing—even for that one person who insists beef is the only acceptable option. I’d bet on it.
If ground chicken is having a moment in your kitchen, keep it going with my sesame hoisin chicken lettuce wraps, Greek chicken meatballs, and, of course, Italian wedding soup with chicken meatballs.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love These Meatballs
- They’re full of flavor—the seasoning in the meatballs comes through beautifully, and simmering them in a nice sauce really does wonders.
- Make them in advance—if you want to save on time, make the meatballs and pop them into the fridge to set the night before.
- They’re versatile—you can enjoy the meatballs on their own with a nice salad tossed in homemade Caesar dressing, over pappardelle pasta, or stuffed into fresh buns with melty mozzarella.
Ingredient Overview
A quick look at the essentials before we dive into the recipe card:
- Marinara sauce—I like using my homemade marinara sauce (it’s super easy!), but store-bought is fine.
- Seasoning—my homemade Italian seasoning is all you need.
- Worcestershire sauce—a huge flavor enhancer, and it works wonderfully in these chicken meatballs.
- Binders—I use both eggs and panko breadcrumbs to keep them together and retain moisture.
How to Make Ground Chicken Meatballs
Step 1: Form the Meatballs
Place all of the meatball ingredients into a large mixing bowl and mix with your bare hands until well combined. It might feel sticky and wet, but that’s ok. Wash your hands, then lightly oil them with some olive oil. Scoop up a heaping tablespoon of the mixture and roll it into a ball (about 1 x 1-inch). Set it onto a parchment-lined baking tray. Repeat until done, then refrigerate for at least 30 mins.
Step 2: Lightly Sear them
Place the meatballs into the skillet one by one and let them simmer for 3-5 minutes, or until a golden-brown crust forms. Flip the meatballs and sauté for another 3-5 minutes, until the other side is golden.
Step 3: Get Saucy
Add the sauce to the pan, covering the meatballs, and let them simmer (don’t let it come to a full-on boil) on medium-low, covered, for about 30 minutes.
Step 4: Garnish and Serve!
When the meatballs register an internal temperature of 160-165ºF with a meat thermometer, remove them from the heat. Garnish with fresh basil and serve over pasta or in a bun with mozzarella or provolone.
Substitutions & Variations
- Protein—You can use ground turkey in this recipe, and in that case, you may want to check out my ground turkey meatballs.
- Herbs—Swap out the Italian seasoning for chopped fresh herbs like thyme, parsley, and oregano.
- Veggies and add-ins—you can add chopped mushrooms, shredded parmesan, or even chopped spinach. If you like heat, add some crushed chili peppers.
- Sauce—Don’t limit yourself to marinara. You could use a mushroom sauce, like the one in my Chicken With Creamy Mushroom Sauce, or a rich, cozy spinach and artichoke sauce like the one in my Spinach and Artichoke Chicken Skillet.
Recipe Tips
- Letting the meatballs chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes is really important. It helps them set and will keep them from falling apart when you’re cooking them.
- When salting ground meat, especially poultry, use one teaspoon of salt per pound.
What to Serve With These
Storage, Freezing, & Reheating
- These chicken meatballs can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Yes, you can store them with the sauce in the same container.
- To freeze, let the chicken meatballs and sauce cool completely, then transfer them to a freezer-friendly container. They will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- The best way to reheat chicken meatballs in sauce is to pop them into a saucepan and heat them over the stovetop until heated through.
Frequently Asked Questions
Using binders like breadcrumbs and egg are, of course, what “bind” the meatballs together and help them keep their form. Another crucial step is popping them in the fridge to “set” for 30 minutes so they keep their form through the cooking process.
Overmixing the ground chicken mixture can result in a tougher meatball. When you’re mixing your ingredients, use your hands, and blend until everything is well distributed, but no longer.
Breadcrumbs and egg don’t just act as a great binder, but they add moisture to the meatballs as well.
Ground Chicken Meatballs in Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 TBSP Olive oil
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 2 cloves of garlic, grated to a paste or minced
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning, Try it with my homemade Italian seasoning
- 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
- 1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 24 oz marinara; more if you wish., Homemade or jarred work.
Instructions
- If making a homemade marinara sauce, get that done first. When you're done, leave it on a low simmer and move on to the meatballs.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set it aside.
- Put all of the ingredients for the meatballs into a large mixing bowl and blend the mixture thoroughly. The meatball mixture will seem wet and tricky to work with, but that's normal.
- Lightly oil your hands with a bit of olive oil and start forming your meatballs into balls that's measure about 1 x 1 inch, then carefully place the meatballs onto the parchment paper.
- Put the tray of meatballs into the fridge to set for at least 30 minutes.
- When it's cook time, heat the olive oil in a cast iron skillet or non-stick pan. Gently place the meatballs into the pan one by one, and let them simmer for about 3-5 minutes or until golden brown.
- Carefully flip the meatballs with tongs and let them simmer for another 3-5 minutes or until the other side is golden in color.
- Add the sauce to the pan, covering the meatballs, and simmer on medium-low, covered with a lid, for about 30 minutes or until cooked through to an internal temperature of 165º F.
- When ready, garnish the meatballs with chopped fresh basil and serve them with pasta or on fresh hoagies with mozzarella or provolone cheese.
Notes
Nutrition
If you try this recipe for ground chicken meatballs, please pop back in and leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
These are so good! I made them to stuff into hoagies with provolone and they were the perfect dinner. Will definitely make these again with pasta.
Yes! I actually just did this same thing a few weeks ago. Worked out beautifully.
Beautiful pictures and amazing recipe. So flavorful. Thanks for sharing.
You’re welcome!
I may have loved these meatballs a little bit too much! There weren’t many left for the kids since I couldn’t stop eating them before I even served dinner!
Lol, oops! This calls for a “sorry not sorry” ;)
I am always looking for ways to cut calories, and this recipe did not disappoint! The meatballs were so tasty!
I’m so glad! Definitely a great way to lighten things up without losing flavor.
I’ve been substituting ground chicken and turkey for a while in a lot of my ground beef recipes, so I’m looking forward to trying this one. I love the flavor of chicken in sauce.
Keep me posted!
These meatballs are a winner! My kids can’t get enough of these!
I love hearing this!
These are the go-to in our house and we’re excited to give the ground chicken burgers a shot too!
Great! Keep me posted :)
These are crazy good! Had them in a meatball sandwich the next day and WOW.
Oh yes, so so good as a sammy :)
You had me at meatballs! It was a great excuse to bust out my favorite cast iron skillet and make this deliciousness! Thank you for a great alternative to beef! Loved it!
You’re welcome!
I love how easy these are, and cooking them longer in the sauce helps lock in the moisture! yum
Thanks, Rebecca!