These juicy chicken meatballs are baked in the oven and have a golden cheesy topping. They're small, cute and so tasty. It's so convenient to bake them all at once.
Baked chicken meatballs may not seem very exciting, but with golden, crisply melted cheese on top they are so much more special. The meatballs are really moist, flavorful and don't taste heavy at all. I love how cute they look since I make them small. The cheese gives them such a pretty golden color and makes them so much yummier too.
Baking meatballs is awesome. It just makes so much sense. There's no standing at the stove cooking multiple batches of meatballs, they all bake at the same time in the oven. There's no oil splatters either, which is another big plus.
They are also great for meal prepping. You can easily prep them ahead of time, store in the refrigerator, and then bake when you're ready. My favorite times to make prep them is Sundays before church or when we have company for dinner. Put them in the oven, and by the time you make a side dish and salad, the meatballs are bubbling merrily and ready to be served.
They reheat really well too, so feel free to make an extra batch and then all you have to do is warm them up.
Ingredients:
- ground chicken
- a combination of both white and dark chicken is best; ground chicken breast can be too dry. Instead of ground chicken you can also use ground turkey or any other ground meat, like pork or beef.
- panko breadcrumbs
- milk - for soaking the breadcrumbs. You can use any type of milk, even dairy free milk.
- onion, minced or grated
- sour cream
- egg
- salt, ground black pepper, dry herbs, garlic powder
- for the dry herbs, I like a mix of dry chives, granulated onion, dry parsley, thyme, etc.
- mayonnaise
- Instead of mayonnaise, you can use plain Greek yogurt or omit it completely.
- grated cheese
- Use any cheese that melts well. I like using a combination of mozzarella and Parmesan cheese, but you can also use monterey jack, colby, cheddar, swiss, etc.
- oil, for brushing on the baking sheet
How To Make Baked Chicken Meatballs
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Brush the bottom with oil.
- Grate the onion on the fine holes of a box grater or finely mince the onion.
- Pour the milk over the breadcrumbs. Beat the egg.
- In a bowl, combine the meatball ingredients, the ground chicken, onion, breadcrumbs + milk, egg, sour cream, garlic powder, dry herbs, salt and ground black pepper. Mix to combine.
- Form the meat mixture into meatballs. I like to make them small, about 1 - 1 ½ Tablespoons each. Place the meatballs on the prepared baking sheet.
- Drizzle the top of the meatballs with the mayonnaise, just enough to cover the top. It's very easy to do that by putting the mayonnaise into a small ziplock bag and cutting off a tiny hole in one of the corners.
- Top each of the meatballs with grated cheese.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes, then turn on the broiler to 475 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for an additional 3-5 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling and golden brown. (If you make the meatballs bigger, you will need to bake them longer.)
Helpful Tips and Frequently Asked Questions
Chicken is such a lean protein, that this recipe would be awesome if you want a healthier option. Don't add the mayo and cheese and brush the meatballs with oil before baking.
Bake them at 425 F for 10 minutes, then broil for 3-5 minutes to give them a bit more color and crispness.
You can skip the mayonnaise completely. I personally like the combination of mayo and cheese, but if you don't, you can either use Greek yogurt or don't use it at all. Just place the cheese on top of the meatballs. The mayo does help the cheese adhere better, so you may want to brush the meatballs with a little bit of oil before adding the cheese.
Store the leftover meatballs in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Reheat them in the microwave, but for the best results, do it on the stove. Cook them on low heat, with a tiny bit of water, just enough to create steam in the skillet, just until heated through.
Yes! Meatballs freeze really well. Freeze the meatballs in a freezer ziplock bag or an airtight container for up to 3 months.
What To Serve On the Side
PrintBaked Cheesy Chicken Meatballs
These juicy chicken meatballs are baked in the oven and have a golden cheesy topping. It's so convenient to bake them all at once.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 30 meatballs 1x
- Category: Entree
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground chicken (use a combination of white and dark chicken)
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ - ⅓ cup milk
- 1 small onion, minced or grated
- 1 Tablespoon sour cream
- 1 egg, beaten
- ¾ - 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dry herbs (such as dry parsley, chives, thyme, Italian seasoning, granulated onion/garlic, etc.)
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 cup finely grated cheese, such as Mozzarella with Parmesan or any cheese that melts well - Monterey Jack, Colby, cheddar, Swiss, Gruyere, etc.
- ½ Tablespoon oil, for brushing on the baking sheet
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or
- Grate the onion on the fine holes of a box grater or finely mince the onion. Pour the milk over the breadcrumbs.
- In a bowl, combine all the ingredients for the meatballs together, the ground chicken, grated onion, breadcrumbs, milk, sour cream, egg, salt, pepper, garlic powder and dry herbs. Mix until evenly combined.
- Form into meatballs, about 1 - ½ tablespoons each. You should have about 30 meatballs.
- Place the meatballs on the prepared baking sheet about ½ - 1 inches apart.
- Put mayonnaise in a Ziploc bag and cut a tiny hole in one corner.
- Apply a small amount of mayonnaise to the top of each meatball, then top with the grated cheese.
- Bake, uncovered, in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes. Then, turn on the broiler (at 450 degrees Fahrenheit) and bake for another 3-5 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling and golden brown.
- Serve warm. Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days or freeze up to 3 months.
This recipe was originally published on December 30, 2011. I have updated the photos and clarified the instructions, but we are still enjoying this recipe so many years later.
These look really good, but I am seriously averse to using mayo. Can you recommend a substitute? Or would they still be ok without the mayo? Thanks!
Just use cheese without the mayo, it will be just fine.
Made them for dinner last night and they were delicious - had to make a few tweaks to go with what I had on hand but essentially the same recipe. They are definitely going into the rotation! Thank you!
I made these tonight. They are so easy to make. They taste wonderful! Like other posters I too had an issue with it being a bit too moist to roll into meatballs. I simply gently tossed a heaping tablespoon from hand to hand and dropped on the baking sheet. This recipe will be our new favorite.
I'm so glad you liked them, Michelle!
They ARE very moist, and much softer in consistency than most other meatball recipes. I had to get used to making them. That's why they turn out really juicy, though:)
If I use store-bought bread crumbs instead of doing it myself, how much does 1 slice of bread come out to? 1/4 C?
1 slice of bread is about 1 cup of fresh breadcrumbs. You may need to use less if you're using store bought, since they are dry, not fluffy like fresh bread crumbs, the volume is decreased with drying. Hope they turn out well:)
Im going to have to try these the next time I make some sauce, they sure sound amazing!
This looks absolutely delicious!!!! I am going to have to try this
Do these freeze and reheat well? They look amazing!
We've never had enough to freeze:) I don't think it should be a problem. I would unthaw them and then crisp them up again in the oven for a few minutes.
Hi Olga,
These sure do look yummy! Do you use skinless chicken breast only when you grind the chicken or white and dark meat, with our without skin? Also, do you grind to a hamburger consistency or something chunkier?
Thanks!
Robin @ happilyhomeafter.blogspot.com
Hi Robin,
I use both dark and white meat without the skin and grind it to a regular hamburger consistency. I've even made ground meat in my food processor, and that worked great also.
Ooh, nice addition on the chesee! I put chesee (I like grana padano, sharp but not overpowering) in the mix sometimes, myself, but I've never broiled them with chesee on top. Will have to try. After all, if Kenny was impressed wow cause that's a man who REALLY knows his balls!
I can't wait to make these. What would be a good side dish to pair with these?
Hi Mimi,
My favorite side dish is pasta or mashed potatoes. Rice and couscous are great choices too. These meatballs go well with almost anything.
I'm in love! I went ahead and made these with ground beef because that's what I had on hand, but oh my goodness it's like a cheese filled heaven!
Wow, these look amazing! I never knew you could make meatballs even better!
Oh my! This looks delicious. I love cheese and I have some meatballs hanging out in the freezer somewhere. Love that you can enjoy cheesy meatballs sans pasta.
I'm sold.
I made these the other day and they tasted really good! They weren't as pretty as yours though 😉 My mixture was just too soft and mushy to make meatballs out of by hand so I used a melon baller and just scooped onto a cookie sheet. My 3 and 1 year old loved them too! Thanks for sharing the recipe! Will definitely be trying more of your recipes in the near future.
Hi Natalie,
I ground my own meat for the ground chicken. I have noticed that if you use store-bought ground chicken, it tends to be much softer, so next time, try adding less liquid. Hope that helps:)
Thanks for the tip - will try that next time! 🙂
Natalie,
How do you ground the chicken - with a food processor or a traditional crank-handle meat grinder?
Hi Licia,
You can grind the meat either in the food processor or a meat grinder. I have used both a food processor and an electric meat grinder. Either method will work for the meatballs.
A melon baller is a great idea, Natalie:). My trick for shaping these meatballs is to use damp hands and to keep getting them slightly wet every so often. That helps a lot.
Wow Olga! I can wait to try and make em!! The look and sound amazing
I hope you like them, Nadia.