Learn how to make baked Italian chicken meatballs! These tender and juicy meatballs have all the flavors of Italian meatballs, but instead of beef, they use ground chicken. We use ricotta cheese, soft homemade breadcrumbs, and lots of Parmigiano Reggiano to make them extra moist and tender. They are truly the best chicken meatballs I’ve had!
Meatballs are a favorite in our house! We can’t get enough of them, from our secret ingredient Italian meatballs, to my family’s favorite chicken parmesan meatballs. I used the same concept for my family’s Italian meatballs and added ricotta cheese for extra tenderness! Trust me, these are not your average chicken meatballs.
These are baked in the oven rather than browned on the stovetop, so there is no need for extra oils or frying, and they come out perfectly cooked! We also use fresh herbs for brightness and plenty of freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese to keep them moist and full of flavor.
Swap these meatballs with any of your favorite recipes; I promise everyone will love them!
Ingredients
See the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients and measurements.
The meat – you’ll need ground chicken for the main protein.
Breadcrumbs – homemade breadcrumbs are key. I recommend skipping dry store-bought breadcrumbs and using softer toast to create a softer breadcrumb that will add moisture to the meatballs.
Parmigiano Reggiano – this salty cheese is essential for a good meatball. I recommend freshly grated as this will add more moisture and flavor to the meatballs!
Ricotta cheese – this creamy Italian cheese is my family’s secret ingredient for making incredibly tender meatballs.
Egg – this is used to bind the ingredients together and for the meatball to hold its shape.
Garlic – for flavor! Fresh cloves are best, but you can also use garlic powder for a less intense garlic flavor.
Fresh basil and parsley – for bright herb flavor! I don’t recommend dried herbs for meatballs. 🙂
Salt & pepper – for flavor!
How to Make Italian Chicken Meatballs
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1
Mix the meatball ingredients. Add all of the meatball ingredients to a large bowl and mix thoroughly together using your hands or a spoon.
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2
Roll them into meatballs: Prepare a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, or brushed with oil, and portion the mixture into smaller meatballs (about 1 1/2 inches) or larger ones (about 3 inches). Carefully form them into a ball shape.
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4
Arrange on a grease pan. As your forming the meatballs, place them on a sheet pan that’s been sprayed with oil or lined with parchment paper.
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4
Bake the meatballs. Then bake smaller meatballs for 15-16 minutes, or larger meatballs for 18-20 minutes. The internal temperature should be 165F or above. Serve with your favorite marinara and a little parmigiano cheese on top!
Tips for Meatball Success
Homemade breadcrumbs are key – I recommend avoiding store-bought breadcrumbs because they are generally dryer and have zero moisture in them. For meatballs, I recommend making homemade breadcrumbs and toasting the bread a little less so it’s a little softer. This will improve the consistency of the meatballs and give tenderness from the softer breadcrumbs.
Ricotta changes everything – My family has used ricotta cheese in their Italian meatball recipe for as long as I can remember, and it changes everything. Using ricotta increases the moisture and tenderness tenfold and sets these meatballs apart from any other when it’s used! If you’re not a fan of ricotta, I would still recommend giving it a try because you would never know it’s in the meatballs – it’s just there for moisture.
Use a cookie or ice cream scoop for perfect meatball measurements. A cookie scoop is the fastest way to form meatballs and perfectly portion the meat mixture. It also makes forming the meatballs much faster since there’s no guessing about the size!
A swap for Parmigianno Reggiano. Even though freshly grated Parmigianno is my top choice for flavoring meatballs, you can also use pecorino romano too.
Instead of ground chicken. You can use ground turkey instead of chicken.
Make it gluten-free. Learn how to make homemade breadcrumbs on our website, and use your favorite gluten-free bread to make this recipe gluten-free. You can also use store-bought gluten-free breadcrumbs.
Add some spice. If you like a little heat, add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the mixture.
What to Serve These Meatballs With
Marinara – of course, meatballs and marinara are the ultimate combo. We love to serve these with our San Marzano tomato sauce, fresh tomato sauce, or this spicy arrabbiata sauce. If we don’t have time to make a homemade sauce, we love using Victoria or Raos!
Spaghetti (or any pasta!) – Meatballs and spaghetti are a classic duo! But you could also serve this with any of your favorite pasta shapes.
Meatball sub – instead of Italian meatballs, make your meatball sub with these chicken meatballs.
With zucchini or eggplant recipes – instead of pasta, I love to serve this alongside a zucchini or eggplant dish to lighten things up. Serve that as protein with our eggplant rollatini or zucchini lasagna!
More Italian Meatballs to Try
Classic Italian Meatballs – are the perfect meatballs if you want a classic and authentic Italian meatball made with beef and pork. We also use a secret ingredient that makes them incredibly tender!
Chicken Piccata Meatballs – for a fun twist on our Lemon Chicken Piccata, but made in meatball form! They’re tender, tangy, and served in a delicious lemony caper sauce.
Chicken Parmesan Meatballs with Zucchini – are most similar to these Italian chicken meatballs but instead, they are made with zucchini for some added nutrients and moisture and are served with melty cheese and sauce, just like our chicken parmesan!
Baked Italian Chicken Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 2/3 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup homemade breadcrumbs, see notes
- 1 egg
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 Tablespoons fresh basil, finely chopped
- 1 Tablespoon fresh parsley finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400F.
- Mix the meatball ingredients: Add all of the meatball ingredients to a large bowl, and use your hands or a spoon to thoroughly mix all the components together.
- Roll them into meatballs: Prepare a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, or brushed with oil, and portion the mixture into smaller meatballs (about 1 1/2 inches) or larger ones (about 3 inches). Carefully form them into a ball shape and place on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake: Once the meatballs are formed, bake them in the oven – if they're smaller, they'll need 15-16 minutes. And if they're larger, they'll need about 18-20 minutes. The internal temperature should be 165F or above when they are fully cooked. Then serve and enjoy! We love to pair these with marinara and our favorite pasta shape.
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I think i need to try this with Turkey esp around the holidays. BUT im the opposite of the other comment here, NOT a fan of Ricotta cheese, what would you suggest for a substitute Bethany? Lastly would think this will also work with beef or pork? I assume so, but you never know and you’re the chef.
You can make my Italian meatballs for beef and pork meatballs. They also include ricotta though:) and I have had several family members who hate ricotta eat the Italian meatballs and never even know it was in them. However, you could sub cottage cheese (I had a youtube viewer say they tried that and it was great). But I do want you to know you will never ever taste the ricotta! It only adds moisture 🙂
Didn’t deviate much from the recipe. Added fresh thyme, parsley, chilli flakes and a splash of Worcestershire. Really really good. The addition of ricotta is brilliant.
Thanks for sharing the recipe, it will go into the dinner rotation.
So glad you loved the ricotta addition, David! And glad you could add your own flare 🙂 Thanks so much!