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    Home » Dinner

    THE BEST CHICKEN MEATBALLS EVER

    Dec 29, 2019 by Tania Sheff · This post may contain affiliate links

    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 54 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!

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    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

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    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
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