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–+ servings

Chicken Parm Meatballs

This recipe has everything you love about chicken parm…rolled into a meatball. Each bite is cheesy, delicious and packed with satiating protein.
Yield: 25 meatballs
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients
 

  • 1 pound lean ground chicken or turkey, at least 90-94% lean*
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • ½ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded or grated
  • ⅓ cup panko breadcrumbs, preferably whole grain
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon dried parsley
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
  • 25 small “pearl-sized” mozzarella balls**
  • 1 (24-ounce) jar marinara sauce
Ingredient Details to Know
*Truth be told, it’s easier to work with ground turkey… it’s less sticky.
**If you can't find mozzarella pearls, you can slice cheese sticks into small pieces to poke into each meatball.

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350°. In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground chicken, parmesan, breadcrumbs, eggs, salt, pepper, basil, oregano, parsley and red pepper flakes. Mix everything together, but be careful to not over-mix.
  • Liberally coat a baking sheet with oil spray. Form the ground chicken mixture into small meatballs (about golf ball size) and lay them on the baking sheet. *The meatball mix will be sticky; it helps to first mist hands with cooking spray and then form balls. Alternatively, you can place bowl with meatball mix in fridge for about 15 minutes to firm.
  • Working with one meatball at a time, insert a small mozzarella ball into the center of each, reforming the chicken around the cheese so it’s completely tucked and hidden within the meatball.
  • Cook in oven on middle/upper rack for 15 minutes. Then carefully transfer meatballs into a pot with heated marinara sauce, cover with lid, and allow meatballs to simmer in sauce for about 40 to 60 minutes. Occasionally lift lid and stir.
  • Serve over whole grain pasta, zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash. Garnish with chopped parsley or basil.

Notes

Nutrition is provided per meatball so you can easily calculate the math based on how many meatballs you enjoy. In my house, a serving is typically 4 to 5 meatballs. 
Author: Joy Bauer, MS, RDN, CDN

Nutrition Information per serving

Serving Size: 1 meatballCalories: 60Carbohydrates: 3gProtein: 6gTotal Fat: 3.5g— Unsaturated Fat: 2g— Saturated Fat: 1.5gCholesterol: 35mgSodium: 150mgFiber: 1gTotal Sugar: 2g— Natural Sugar: 2g— Added Sugar: 0g
Nutrition information is calculated using a leading industry software. That being said, brands can vary, and there may be slight fluctuations in the numbers.