Baked Chicken Parmesan Meatballs

This easy recipe for baked Chicken Parmesan Meatballs takes chicken meatballs with spinach and bakes them in a creamy tomato sauce for a nutrient-dense boost. Top with parmesan cheese and bake for a dish that’s great as dinner or as a party appetizer!

baked chicken parmesan meatballs in sauce in a pan

Everyone loves easy meals for dinner. Homemade ground chicken meatballs baked in tomato sauce and filled with spinach create a simple weeknight meal that the entire family will love. The meatballs are great for meal prep and leftovers too. If you’re looking for easy chicken recipes, then this meal is perfect for you.

You can easily adapt these to make them gluten free. They taste great on their own or served over pasta. Or add then to a sub roll and serve as a chicken parmesan meatball sub.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • These chicken parm meatballs make a satisfying protein for dinner or a great party appetizer.
  • Everything is cooked in one skillet
  • You can make your own tomato sauce, or use your favorite jarred sauce to save time.
  • The chicken meatballs pair well with any pasta or as the main course to any dinner sides. 
all of the ingredients for the meatballs and sauce on a tabletop

Ingredients You’ll Need

For the Skillet Tomato Sauce: 

  • Olive Oil – Helps to release the aromatic flavors of the vegetables when sauteed. 
  • Garlic & Onion – Infuses the sauce with a classic garlic and onion flavor. 
  • Tomato Paste – Adds thickness and rich tomato flavor. 
  • Herbs & Seasonings – You’ll need parsley, basil, dried oregano, and red pepper flakes to flavor this sauce.
  • Crushed Tomatoes – Adds bulk and tomato flavor to the sauce. 
  • Heavy Cream – Gives the sauce a touch of rich creaminess. 

For the Chicken Parmesan Meatballs:

  • Ground Chicken – This is the main protein in the meatballs and is packed with protein. You can substitute with ground turkey or beef, if desired.
  • Baby Spinach – Adds a nutrient-dense boost to the meatballs.
  • Panko Breadcrumbs – Helps bind the meatballs together and gives them a perfect texture. 
  • Garlic & Onion – Infuses the meatballs with a garlic and onion flavor. 
  • Salt & Pepper – Balances and enhances all the flavors. 
  • Parmesan Cheese – Gives the meatballs a salty cheesy flavor. 
  • Mozzarella – Melted on top with the sauce for an Italian-style dish. 
  • Egg – Helps bind all of the ingredients together in the meat mixture. 
  • Olive Oil – Cooks the meatballs when they are in the skillet. 
  • Basil – For garnish. 
mixing together the ingredients for meatballs in a bowl and then cooking in a skillet

How To Make This Recipe

  1. Prepare for baking: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. 
  2. Form the chicken meatballs: In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, spinach, bread crumbs, onion, 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, garlic, and egg. Stir together with a fork then knead gently with your hands until evenly combined. Form the mixture into meatballs about 1 1/2 inches in diameter.
  3. Brown the meatballs: Heat olive oil in another medium or large skillet pan over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs to the pan in a single layer. Let cook, turning occasionally, until all sides are browned. They will not be cooked all the way through because they will finish cooking when baked. 
  4. Assemble with sauce and cheese: Place the meatballs in the pan with the tomato sauce. Sprinkle mozzarella and the remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese over the top. Bake until the cheese is melted and the meatballs are cooked through about 15 minutes. Remove from oven, garnish with fresh basil and serve.
cooking tomato sauce in a skillet

Using Homemade Tomato Sauce 

Using a jar of your favorite homemade tomato sauce is a great idea if you’re short on time, but making your own tomato sauce is simple and easy! 

  1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. 
  2. Add onion and cook for 1 minute. 
  3. Stir in the tomato paste, garlic, parsley, basil, oregano, and red pepper flakes and mix until fragrant, about 30 seconds. 
  4. Add the crushed tomatoes to the pan, stir, lower heat and simmer for about 8 minutes. Stir in heavy cream, if desired. 
  5. Place meatballs in the sauce prior to baking and top with mozzarella cheese, if desired.
chicken parmesan meatballs in a sauce in a skillet

Recipe Tips

  1. When forming the meatballs, make sure you don’t overwork the meat as this could make them have a tough texture. 
  2. The purpose of pan-frying the meatballs is to get them browned and form a crust so they stay tender on the inside when baked. Do not cook the meatballs all the way through in the pan frying step. 
  3. Make sure you chop your spinach for the meatballs into a fine mince in order to avoid large pieces in the meatballs when cooked. 
  4. Make all the meatballs roughly the same size so they cook evenly. 

Variations

  • Gluten-Free Chicken Parmesan Meatballs: omit the breadcrumbs completely, or use a gluten-free breadcrumb of your choice. 
  • Change up the meat. You can use ground beef, bison, turkey, or even ground lamb to make these meatballs. 
  • Use chopped basil inside the meatballs instead of, or in addition to the spinach for a fresh herb taste. 
  • Feel free to omit the cream from the sauce if you enjoy basic tomato sauce. 
  • For a low-carb dish, omit the breadcrumbs and serve over a bed of zucchini noodles. 

What to Serve with Chicken Parmesan Meatballs

The options are endless for serving. You can serve these over a simple plate of pasta or in sub roll. You can also serve them with a few of your favorite sides.

a spoon scooping up one chicken parmesan meatball

Other Easy Chicken Meatballs

These cheesy chicken parmesan meatballs are the perfect dinner recipe any time. Try them on their own or serve them with pasta!

chicken parmesan meatballs in a sauce in a skillet

Baked Chicken Parmesan Meatballs

Yield: 5 servings (about 12 large meatballs with sauce)
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
These easy chicken meatballs are baked in a creamy tomato sauce with plenty of cheese to create a meal that everyone will love! 
5 from 13 votes

Ingredients 

For the sauce:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/4 cup chopped onion
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 can (28 ounce) crushed tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream

For the meatballs:

  • 1 1/2 pounds ground chicken
  • 3 ounces baby spinach, chopped into small pieces
  • 1/3 cup dried panko bread crumbs
  • 1/4 cup diced onion
  • 1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 ounces shredded mozzarella
  • minced fresh basil, for garnish

Instructions

To make the sauce:

  • Heat olive oil in a large skillet pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste, garlic, parsley, basil, oregano and red pepper flakes and mix until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the crushed tomatoes, stir, lower heat to simmer and cook about 6 to 8 minutes, or until the sauce is thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the cream.

To make the meatballs:

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, spinach, bread crumbs, onion, 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, garlic and egg. Stir together with a fork then knead gently with your hands until evenly combined. Form the mixture into meatballs about 1 1/2 inches in diameter.
  • Heat olive oil in another medium or large skillet pan over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs to the pan in a single layer. Let cook, turning occasionally, until all sides are browned. (They will not be cooked all the way through because they will finish cooking when baked.) Place the meatballs in the pan with the tomato sauce. Sprinkle mozzarella and remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese over the top. Bake until the cheese is melted and the meatballs are cooked through, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven, garnish with fresh basil and serve.

Notes

*Nutritional info is per serving.
Gluten Free Substitution: You can omit the bread crumbs or use gluten free bread crumbs to make it gluten free or lower carb count.
Storing: Any leftover chicken parmesan meatballs can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days before reheating and serving. 
 
Freezing: You can freeze cooked or raw meatballs by placing them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freezing until solid. Once fully frozen, add to an airtight container or freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 4 months. 

Nutrition

Calories: 468kcal, Carbohydrates: 8.4g, Protein: 35.9g, Fat: 33.4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0g, Monounsaturated Fat: 0g, Trans Fat: 0g, Cholesterol: 174.3mg, Sodium: 602.1mg, Potassium: 234.6mg, Fiber: 1.3g, Sugar: 2.1g, Vitamin A: 0IU, Vitamin C: 0mg, Calcium: 0mg, Iron: 0mg
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Italian
Author: Ashley C.
If you try this recipe, don’t forget to leave a review below or share a photo and tag @spoonfulofflavor on Instagram.

24 comments on “Baked Chicken Parmesan Meatballs”

  1. Excited to try! If freezing, what is your recommendation on cooking method/time? I am assuming you would freeze before browning? Could you bake from frozen or need to thaw before? Thanks!!

    • Hi, Becky! Yes, freeze before you brown them. After freezing, you need to thaw the raw meatballs completely before browning and baking in step 2. You can also cook them completely, then freeze after cooking. You can bake the cooked meatballs from frozen at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes, or until heated through. Enjoy!

  2. It’s always a little insulting when the prep time claims 10 minutes, yet it takes me an HOUR… haha! Nevertheless, we LOVED the recipe and we were able to use up a bunch of loose ends from our fridge. Score!

  3. These meatballs were beyond delicious! Can’t wait to make again!

  4. These meatballs are amazing! My new favorite recipe to make!

  5. It looks absolutely delicious! Can the meatballs be made a day or two before and frozen?

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