These Ground Chicken Parmesan Meatballs have a crunchy, cheese crust and are full of fresh basil and garlic flavor. The grated Parmesan cheese coating on these tender meatballs crisps up beautifully when they’re seared in a skillet. They taste incredible on their own as a party appetizer, or served over a bed of pasta with marinara sauce!
Parmesan Crusted Chicken Meatballs
Inspiration struck one weeknight recently…
“What if we coated a ground chicken meatball recipe in grated Parmesan cheese and then fried them in a skillet?”
Y’all… I didn’t know this crunchy and tender combo was even possible?!
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Why This Will Be Your Favorite Chicken Parmesan Meatballs Recipe
But the cheesy Parmesan coating turned into this gorgeous, golden crust, while the inside of the meatballs cooked up beautifully and was bursting with fresh basil, garlic, and Italian flavors.
We initially served these morsels over this Creamy Pesto Risotto, but since then have paired them with our favorite marinara sauce for more of a unique spin on the traditional Chicken Parmesan. It’s one of those easy weeknight meals the whole family will be begging for.
Any way you serve them, be prepared to watch these chicken parm meatballs disappear before your eyes!
Ingredients
- Ground chicken. Chicken is tender while still holding it’s shape and being good for you. You can sub in ground turkey or ground beef, but the flavor will change.
- Parmesan cheese. Either buy a bag of grated Parmesan cheese or grate a block yourself. Shredded cheese won’t work nearly as well.
- Breadcrumbs. Italian seasoned breadcrumbs are perfect for holding the meatballs together without changing the texture. Panko won’t have as much flavor. You can also choose a gluten-free breadcrumb variety if needed.
- Italian seasoning. Either make a homemade Italian seasoning or buy a bottle at the grocery store.
How to Make Ground Chicken Parmesan Meatballs
Please see the recipe card below for ingredient amounts and more detailed instructions.
1. Combine Meatball Ingredients
In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground chicken, bread crumbs, ½ cup Parmesan cheese, whisked egg, basil, garlic, lemon zest, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper, and red pepper flakes. (Save the remaining cheese for later.)
Use a spatula or your hands to carefully mix the ingredients until everything is incorporated. Be careful not to overwork the meat mixture or the meatballs will turn out tough.
2. Measure Meatballs
Scoop out about 2 tablespoons of the ground chicken mixture. Use your hands to roll it into a ball. If it’s sticking to your hands, spray or drizzle your clean hands with olive oil or a non-stick cooking spray.
You should end up with 20 meatballs.
3. Coat in Parmesan
Add the last ¼-cup Parmesan cheese to a medium-sized bowl. Carefully set one meatball into the bowl and roll it around until it’s completely covered in cheese.
Repeat with the remaining meatballs.
4. Cook in Skillet
Add enough oil to fully cover the bottom of your large skillet. Turn the heat to medium and wait a couple of minutes until the oil starts to sizzle.
Place the meatballs in a single layer across the bottom of the pan and cook for 1 to 2 minutes per side. Use tongs to rotate the meatballs. It should take about 7 to 8 minutes until all of the sides have crisped up. The cooking time will vary slightly based on the size, but the small meatballs should be golden brown on the outside.
Serve the browned meatballs right away with some extra grated Parmesan cheese and fresh basil.
How to Freeze Chicken Meatballs?
The best way to freeze cooked meatballs is to let them cool completely, then spread them out on a baking sheet. Freeze the meatballs for a few hours, then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container. Don’t forget to label the bag, and they should last for about 2 months.
To reheat, let them thaw in the fridge, then warm them back up in a skillet with a little bit of oil.
FAQs
To ensure your meatballs stick together, you need a binder in the mixture. Both eggs and breadcrumbs do an excellent job keeping the meat packed.
Your chicken meatballs might be tough if you overmix the batter or cook them for too long.
Parmesan chicken meatballs are done when they are cooked through to an internal temperature of 165℉.
Recipe Tips
- Make it work. If you can’t use ground chicken, ground turkey is the best alternative.
- Just enough. Be sure not to overmix the meatball mixture or they’ll be tough.
- Get it hot. Let the oil completely heat up before adding the meatballs.
- All around. Rotate the meatballs as they’re cooking so each side gets nice and crispy.
- Make it fancy. Learn how to chiffonade cut the basil for an impressive presentation.
What to Serve with Chicken Parmesan Meatballs?
These easy and flavorful meatballs are perfect as an appetizer or paired with a healthy side dish for dinner.
Serve them with your own Pomodoro Sauce or Bolognese Sauce.
To make a complete meal, add a grain like White Rice, Instant Pot Wild Rice, Coconut Rice, or Mango Coconut Rice.
For veggies, add some simple recipes on the side, like Air Fryer Broccoli, Green Beans Almondine, or Herb Roasted Carrots. Of course, you can’t go wrong with a green salad with a Healthy Salad Dressing.
More Meatball Recipes
Meatballs can be served as an appetizer or main dish—you choose! These delicious recipes are perfect for any occasion.
- Thai Chicken Meatballs
- Crockpot Grape Jelly Meatballs
- Greek Turkey Meatballs
- Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
- Sage and Cranberry Meatballs
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Ground Chicken Parmesan Meatballs
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Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground chicken
- ½ cup bread crumbs Italian
- ¾ cup Parmesan cheese grated, divided
- 1 egg whisked
- ¼ cup basil chiffonade
- 2 cloves garlic finely minced
- ½ tsp. lemon zest
- 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp. salt to taste
- ¼ tsp. black pepper to taste
- ¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
- 2-3 Tbsp. oil avocado or olive
Instructions
- Combine Ingredients: Add all ingredients to a large bowl except for ¼ cup Parmesan cheese. Mix together by hand or with a spatula until everything is well incorporated.1 lb. ground chicken, ½ cup bread crumbs, ¾ cup Parmesan cheese, 1 egg, ¼ cup basil, 2 cloves garlic, ½ tsp. lemon zest, 1 tsp. Italian seasoning, 1 tsp. salt, ¼ tsp. black pepper, ¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
- Measure Meatballs: Scoop out 2 tablespoons of mixture and roll into a ball. (Spray a bit of non-stick cooking spray on your hands or a drizzle of oil if you’re having trouble with the mixture sticking.) Repeat with the remaining meat mixture until you have 20 meatballs.
- Coat in Parmesan: Add the remaining ¼ cup Parmesan cheese to a medium-sized bowl. Place one meatball at a time into the bowl and coat completely with cheese. Repeat until all meatballs have been coated.¾ cup Parmesan cheese
- Cook in Skillet: Add enough oil to fully cover the bottom of a large skillet. Turn the heat to medium and wait 1-2 minutes, or until the oil begins to sizzle. Place the meatballs into the skillet in a single layer. Cook for 1-2 minutes per side before using tongs to rotate the meatballs. Repeat this process over the course of 7-8 minutes, or until almost all sides of the meatballs have crisped up.2-3 Tbsp. oil
- Serve the meatballs immediately with additional grated Parmesan cheese and basil, if desired. Enjoy!
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Notes
- Make it work. If you can’t use ground chicken, ground turkey is the best alternative.
- Just enough. Be sure not to overmix the meatball mixture or they’ll be tough.
- Get it hot. Let the oil completely heat up before adding the meatballs.
- All around. Rotate the meatballs as they’re cooking so each side gets nice and crispy.
- Make it fancy. Learn how to chiffonade cut the basil for an impressive presentation.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
