Chicken Parm Meatballs
Chicken Parm Meatballs
These chicken parm meatballs are perfect for game day or just your average weeknight. Look no further if you need a fun, simple and delicious dinner or appetizer that even your very critical 3 year old will love (speaking from experience). Ricotta is my secret ingredient that leaves them light, airy and so tender. They’re loaded with garlicky flavor and topped with lots of melty cheese. My favorite way to serve them is with sweet dinner rolls that are coated in a garlic herb butter and toasted in the oven.
Main Ingredients
Ground Chicken – You can use ground chicken or turkey for this recipe.
Ricotta Cheese – Ricotta is creamy, a little fluffy and slightly sweet in flavor. It makes these meatballs light and so tender.
Grated Onion and Garlic – Grating the onion and garlic allows the flavor to really permeate the meatballs. I also love the liquid from grating the onion, don’t leave that behind.
Marinara Sauce – My favorite marinara sauce to use is ROA’S but use which ever you prefer!
Mozzarella Cheese – Buy the block and grate it yourself for better flavor and more stretch. Pre grated cheese has a wax coating on it that makes it a little less lux.
Parmesan Cheese – Parmigiana reggiano, parmesean or even pecorino romano cheese all work for these meatballs.
To make the chicken meatballs
- Preheat the oven to 425°. and arrange the oven rack 6 inches from the broiler.
- Prep the ingredients – Grate the cheeses, the onion and garlic and chop the parsley.
- Combine the ingredients – In a medium bowl mix together the ground chicken with the ricotta, half of the parmesan cheese, onion, garlic, garlic powder, parsley, egg and breadcrumbs. Mix until combined.
- Form the meatballs – Using a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop little rounds onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper (for easy clean up). You should end up with 19 meatballs. Lightly roll the scooped mix into a ball.
- If you don’t have a cookie scoop the meatballs just use a spoon. They should be about 1 1/4 inches in diameter.
- Brown the meatballs on one side – Heat up an oven safe pan on medium-medium high, drizzle in some olive oil and arrange the meatballs like a bullseye in the pan. Allow them to brown for 4 minutes.
- Make them Chicken Parm – Turn each meatball over, pour in a jar of marinara and sprinkle with mozzarella and the rest of the parmesan cheese. Pop the pan into the oven for 7 min at 425°
- Broil – Broil for 3 more minutes until browned and bubbly.
To make the garlic herb sweet rolls
What you need:
- 1 pack of Hawaiian Dinner Rolls or Sweet Dinner Rolls
- 1/2 stick of butter, melted
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
To make them:
- Make a cut down the center – On the top of the buns, slice them down the center 2/3 of the way across.
- Make the garlic herb butter – Mix the melted butter, garlic and parsley together in a small bowl.
- Brush the buns with the butter – Using a pastry brush or a spoon, slather the buns with the garlicky butter.
- Place in the oven – along with the meatballs until slightly golden and toasted.
Equipment
- Medium mixing bowl
- Oven safe pan
Ingredients
Chicken Parm Meatballs
- 1 lb Ground Chicken
- 1/2 cup Ricotta
- 2/3 cup Parmesan Cheese grated, divided 1/3 + 1/3
- 1 Tbsp Onion grated
- 1 Garlic Clove grated
- 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/4 cup Bread Crumbs
- 1 Tbsp Parsley chopped
- 1 Large Egg lightly beaten
- 1 cup Mozzarella Cheese grated
Garlic Herb Butter Sweet Dinner Rolls
- 1 pack Hawaiian Dinner Rolls or sweet dinner rolls
- 1/2 stick Butter melted
- 2 Garlic Cloved minced
- 1 tbsp Parsley chopped
Instructions
Chicken Parm Meatballs
- Preheat oven to 425 and place the oven rack 6 inches from the broiler
- Combine ground chicken with ricotta cheese, 1/3 cup of parm cheese, and remaining 6 ingredients. Mix gently until combined. Refrigerate mixture for 30 minutes.
- Using a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop, measure out meatballs and roll into balls.
- Heat an oven proof pan over medium high. Add 2 Tbsp oil and place meatballs in the pan arranging them in a bullseye. Allow the meatballs to brown for 4 min. Turn them over. Pour marinara over meatballs and sprinkle with mozzarella and parmigiana cheese. Put pan in oven and cook for 7 min. Turn the broiler on and broil for another 3ish min until browned on the top.
Garlic Herb Butter Sweet Dinner Rolls
- On the top of the buns, slice them down the center 2/3 of the way across.
- Mix the melted butter, garlic and parsley together in a small bowl. Using a pastry brush or a spoon, slather the buns with the garlicky butter.
- Place in the oven at 425° (along with the meatballs) until slightly golden and toasted.
To Serve
- Spoon a meatball inside of a toasted garlic herb dinner roll and enjoy!
- Serve with pasta, spaghetti squash or a larger hoagie roll for more options!