• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

COOKTORIA logo

  • Recipes
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Vegan
    • Quick Dinners
    • Sweet treats
  • About
  • Quick Dinners
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest

Home » Dinner » THE BEST CHICKEN MEATBALLS EVER

THE BEST CHICKEN MEATBALLS EVER

Last updated on December 29, 2019. Originally posted on January 22, 2016 By Tania Sheff

Jump to Recipe
Super moist and flavorful chicken meatballs, covered in rich marinara sauce. This is the only meatballs recipe you'll ever need. Guaranteed. ❤ COOKTORIA.COM
Super moist and flavorful chicken meatballs, covered in rich marinara sauce. This is the only meatballs recipe you'll ever need. Guaranteed. ❤ COOKTORIA.COM
Super moist and flavorful chicken meatballs, covered in rich marinara sauce. This is the only meatballs recipe you'll ever need. Guaranteed. ❤ COOKTORIA.COM

Super moist and flavorful chicken meatballs, covered in rich marinara sauce. This is the only meatballs recipe you'll ever need. Guaranteed.

Super moist and flavorful chicken meatballs, covered in rich marinara sauce. This is the only meatballs recipe you'll ever need. Guaranteed. ❤ COOKTORIA.COM

While some chicken meatballs are known for being dry, that is something you won’t have to worry about with this recipe. Below, I'll explain all the tricks and secrets for making The Best Chicken Meatballs Ever. Are you excited? Me too!

There are quite a few tricks that will take your chicken meatballs from "good" to "Oh my God, can I have some more?" Let's start with chicken meat.

It is not a secret that chicken breast is a lot drier than thigh. That's why I strongly suggest buying boneless chicken thighs and processing the meat in the food processor at home. It's really easy, and it does make a difference. Plus you'll use the same food processor to pulse the chicken with the rest of the ingredients, so you won't have to wash it twice; Win-win.

Super moist and flavorful chicken meatballs, covered in rich marinara sauce. This is the only meatballs recipe you'll ever need. Guaranteed. ❤ COOKTORIA.COM

It is also important to saute the onion in butter and olive oil before you add it to the meatballs. Don't rush this process. Use low heat and allow the onion to soften nicely and develop a beautiful golden color. The reason we are cooking the onion like this is to add that special sweet and buttery taste to the meatballs. Another reason for cooking the onion is that if you use raw diced onion in the meatballs, you run the risk of having raw onions in them. Do you want that to happen?

Super moist and flavorful chicken meatballs, covered in rich marinara sauce. This is the only meatballs recipe you'll ever need. Guaranteed. ❤ COOKTORIA.COM

And lastly, the kind of bread you use impacts the softness of the meatballs. Try to make your own breadcrumbs from slightly stale Italian bread for the best results. Other kinds of white bread should work as well, although I always prefer to use an Italian loaf. Mixing the breadcrumbs with milk adds a little extra moisture to the meatballs.

Super moist and flavorful chicken meatballs, covered in rich marinara sauce. This is the only meatballs recipe you'll ever need. Guaranteed. ❤ COOKTORIA.COM

After following all these steps, you are on your way to making THE BEST CHICKEN MEATBALLS EVER.

Enjoy!

Super moist and flavorful chicken meatballs, covered in rich marinara sauce. This is the only meatballs recipe you'll ever need. Guaranteed. ❤ COOKTORIA.COM

Super moist and flavorful chicken meatballs, covered in rich marinara sauce. This is the only meatballs recipe you'll ever need. Guaranteed. ❤ COOKTORIA.COM

Super moist and flavorful chicken meatballs, covered in rich marinara sauce. This is the only meatballs recipe you'll ever need. Guaranteed. ❤ COOKTORIA.COM

THE BEST CHICKEN MEATBALLS EVER

Tania Sheff
Super moist and flavorful chicken meatballs, covered in rich marinara sauce. This is the only meatballs recipe you'll ever need. Guaranteed.
3.99 from 53 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Total Time 45 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 24 meatballs
Calories 92 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb. ground chicken thighs or breast (thighs make juicier meatballs)
  • 1 medium onion (chopped)
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 cup breadcrumbs
  • ½ cup milk
  • 1 egg
  • ⅓ cup chopped parsley
  • 2 garlic cloves (minced)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp pepper
  • vegetable oil for frying
  • 1 24 oz jar of your favorite Marinara sauce

Instructions
 

  • In a small mixing bowl, combine breadcrumbs and milk and set aside.
  • Sauté the onion in butter and olive oil on low heat for about 10-15 minutes, until the onion is soft and starts browning slightly.
  • Place the ground chicken in the food processor and add the breadcrumbs, sautéed onion, egg, parsley, garlic, salt and pepper. Pulse this mixture until all the ingredients are evenly combined.
  • Put oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
  • Scoop ⅛th of a cup of the meatball mixture and roll it into a ball. You may need to wet your hands, because the mixture is sticky. One by one, roll the meatballs and add them to the oil.
  • Cook, turning as necessary, until nicely browned all over for about 10 minutes. You don't need the meatballs to cook through completely because you'll cook them in marinara sauce in a later step. (Depending on the size of your skillet, you may need to work in batches. I have a 10-inch skillet and I cooked these meatballs in 2 batches, 12 at a time).
  • Once the meatballs are cooked, transfer them onto a plate lined with paper towels to absorb the oil.
  • Clean the skillet and put the meatballs back in. Pour the marinara sauce on top. Cover the skillet with a tight lid and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes on low heat.
  • Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese or chopped parsley.

Notes

Nutrition

Calories: 92kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 15gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 52mgSodium: 442mgPotassium: 139mgFiber: 1gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 550IUVitamin C: 7.4mgCalcium: 60mgIron: 1.4mg
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below, I can't wait to hear from you!

Before you go...

Check out these recipes 

CABBAGE SAUTEED WITH BEEF

Sauteed cabbage

LAMB CHOPS WITH PESTO

Lamb chops with pesto and pomegranate sauce. @ COOKTORIA.COM

PASTA WITH PEAS AND KIELBASA

Tasty one pot dinner in 30 minutes! Ditalini pasta married with peas, kielbasa and carrots. Give it a try! ❤ COOKTORIA.COM

Follow me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM to get some more deliciousness! ❤❤❤

Super moist and flavorful chicken meatballs, covered in rich marinara sauce. This is the only meatballs recipe you'll ever need. Guaranteed. ❤ COOKTORIA.COM

Super moist and flavorful chicken meatballs, covered in rich marinara sauce. This is the only meatballs recipe you'll ever need. Guaranteed. ❤ COOKTORIA.COM

« EASY MEDITERRANEAN TOMATO FETA DIP
ULTIMATE MUSHROOM SOUP »
587 shares
  • Share

Filed Under: Dinner, Meat and poultry

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sherri says

    March 18, 2018 at 6:51 pm

    What could I use to substitute for breadcrumbs? I'd like to make them without the use of bread. Quinoa? Oats? Any suggestions?

    Reply
    • Tania says

      March 19, 2018 at 8:17 pm

      Hi Sherri! I think instant oats should do the job here. Let me know how you enjoyed the meatballs and happy cooking!

      Reply
  2. Lisa says

    January 29, 2018 at 9:18 pm

    Hi Tania. I've never made chicken meatballs but tried them for the 1st time last week. Your recipe looks great. Can I skip the frying pan & just cook them in a pot of sauce for a few hours like I do with beef meatballs? Also, I've never cooked with ground chicken. I'm curious, what is the difference between buying ground chicken as opposed to chicken thighs in the food processor? Thanks! Excited about trying your recipe.

    Reply
    • Tania says

      January 29, 2018 at 11:41 pm

      Hi Lisa! Yes, you can skip frying. It will make the meatballs healthier. The reason I use ground chicken thighs, is because dark chicken meat is juicier, but regular ground chicken will work as well. I cannot wait to hear how you like the meatballs, Lisa! Happy cooking!

      Reply
  3. Katie says

    March 27, 2017 at 7:16 pm

    Any tips on making them ahead of time? Do you think they would freeze well?

    Reply
    • Tania says

      March 29, 2017 at 1:21 am

      Hi Katie! These meatballs should freeze well. Thanks!

      Reply
  4. Lisa says

    January 18, 2017 at 10:32 pm

    These are so yummy! What are the calories for these yummy meatballs?

    Reply
    • Tania says

      January 19, 2017 at 8:58 pm

      Thanks, Lisa! I do not provide nutritional info, but you can check the calories by putting the ingredients into online calorie calculator, such as https://www.myfitnesspal.com/. Hope you'll give these a try!

      Reply
  5. Amanda says

    September 05, 2016 at 9:11 pm

    I followed the recipe exactly, except I used ground chicken instead of the thighs. They came out too moist and not sure if they were suppose to. They tasted amazing but they were too moist. Never thought I would say that..lol. I used a cast iron pan. Would that have made a difference?

    Reply
    • Tania says

      September 06, 2016 at 10:31 am

      Hi Amanda! These meatballs are moist and soft, but I am not sure why yours came out too moist. I don't think the cast iron pan is what made a difference. Maybe try using less milk next time, ans it will solve the problem. Thank you for your feedback, friend!

      Reply
      • Rita says

        December 30, 2016 at 6:16 pm

        Soak the bread in milk.. then squeeze the milk out.. the add to mixture

        Reply
« Older Comments

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

SEARCH COOKTORIA

Hello friend!

My name is Tania. I create quick, healthy, and wholesome meals. Let's get to know each other, shall we? Read More…

BEST HEALTHY RECIPES

Chicken Snap Pea Stir-Fry

Spanakorizo - Greek Spinach Rice

Creamy Cucumber Salad

Parmesan Zucchini

Simple Asian Slaw

This Apple Cider Vinegar Salad Dressing is my favorite homemade salad dressing, and it’s very easy to make. Simple ingredients – incredible taste!

Apple Cider Vinegar Salad Dressing

More Posts from this Category

LET'S KEEP IN TOUCH

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube

POPULAR RECIPES

Easy Baked Cabbage Steaks

Baked Cod on a tray topped with breadcrumbs

Baked Cod

Quick & Easy Creamy Spinach Orzo

Roasted Green Beans and Potatoes

Lifting Angel Hair Pasta with tongs

Easy Angel Hair Pasta Recipe

Twice Baked Potato Casserole

More Posts from this Category

Footer

↑ back to top

Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy

Newsletter

Sign Up! for emails and updates

Get in Touch

Contact

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © Cooktoria LLC 2021

587 shares