Baked Pesto Chicken Meatballs
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No need to fry! These delicious chicken meatballs are combined with basil pesto, Parmesan cheese, and panko breadcrumbs and bake in just 20 minutes in the oven. Serve over cheesy orzo for a complete dinner, or with your favorite marinara sauce.
Baked chicken meatballs are an easy dinner you and all-around family pleaser. These bite-size babies are a top-notch dinner served on a base of buttery, cheesy Parmesan orzo with sun-dried tomatoes and fresh herbs.
Or, if you have time to be a little more ambitious, sauce the meatballs with my recipe for homemade marinara sauce.
What makes my technique a standout is that instead of frying the meatballs on the stove (which let’s be honest, takes some babysitting), I shape them with a cookie scoop, put them on a sheet pan, and pop them right in the oven.
When I worked as a personal chef, I cooked food for more than a few fancy dinner parties, but nine times out of ten most families wanted homey comfort food — just like these meatballs.
Ingredient rundown
Instead of red meat like beef and pork, the neutral flavor of chicken means all the seasonings come to the forefront (which you can taste in my tender chicken and ricotta meatballs).
- Ground chicken: For the juiciest, tender meatballs, I highly recommend using ground chicken thigh. Chicken breast meat doesn’t have as much fat — which translates to juicy flavor — and tends to have a drier texture when cooked. You can also use ground turkey to make the meatballs instead of chicken.
- Pesto: Look for fresh basil pesto in your grocery store (it’s usually stocked near the refrigerated fresh pastas) or make it from scratch.
- Parmesan cheese: Use fresh, grated Parmesan cheese.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic tastes the best. Use one clove grated on a microplane or finely chop it. In a pinch, substitute with 1 teaspoon garlic powder.
- Egg: Use one large or extra-large whole egg to help bind the meatballs.
- Panko: Panko breadcrumbs are light and fluffy in texture. Use plain or seasoned panko, whichever you have on hand. If you want to use regular fine dry breadcrumbs, use half the amount listed in the recipe as they are a bit denser.
- Spices and Seasonings: Black pepper, kosher salt, red pepper flakes and fresh herbs (parsley or basil).
- Olive oil
Steps for success
1. Put all the ingredients for the meatballs in a large bowl. 2. Combine with a spoon or large fork until well mixed.
3. Form into balls with moist hands (my preference is to use this cookie scoop). Arrange on a baking sheet (lined with parchment paper for easy clean up). 4. Bake 20 minutes, turning them halfway through.
Serving chicken meatballs
- Pile the meatballs on a platter with some toothpicks and serve as a hearty appetizer with marinara sauce, pesto sauce, or garlic butter as a dip.
- Add them to warm chicken broth or soup.
- To serve a larger group, this recipe easily makes a double batch for more servings.
Baked Pesto Chicken Meatballs with Parmesan Orzo
Ingredients
Chicken meatballs
- Olive oil, for the sheet pan
- 1 pound (450 g) ground chicken, preferably thigh meat
- 1 egg
- ⅓ cup (35 g) grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup panko crumbs
- 3 tablespoons (45 g) basil pesto sauce
- 1 garlic clove, grated or finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or ½ teaspoon table salt
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red chili pepper
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Parmesan Orzo
- ½ cup (75 g) dried orzo pasta
- ¼ cup (28 g) sun-dried tomatoes, diced or sliced into thick slivers
- ¼ cup (25 g) grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- 2 tablespoons (30 g) butter
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Instructions
Prepare the meatballs
- Preheat the oven to 425 (220 C) degrees. Lightly coat a rimmed baking sheet with olive oil or line with parchment paper for easy clean up.
- Put all ingredients for the meatballs (except the olive oil) in a bowl and mix well with a wooden spoon until blended. Form the mixture into approximately 16 meatballs approximately 2-inches in diameter (a cookie scoop is perfect for this), arranging them on the baking sheet. To smooth out their shape, moisten your hands and lightly roll into balls.
- Bake 10 minutes. Turn the meatballs over with a spatula or tongs and bake 10 more minutes. Remove from the oven and serve with orzo or add to marinara sauce.
Make the orzo
- While the meatballs are baking, bring a medium pot of water to a boil and add 2 teaspoons salt. Cook the orzo until al dente, according to the package directions.
- Put the tomatoes in a colander. Drain the orzo into the colander over the tomatoes (this will instantly soften them). Transfer to a serving bowl and stir in the cheese, butter and parsley.
To serve
- Put the meatballs on top of the orzo. Sprinkle with the parsley additional cheese and serve.
Karen’s Notes and Tips
- Chicken meatballs are freezer friendly. To freeze, arrange them in one layer on a tray and freeze until solid. Transfer to a ziplock bag or other airtight container and freeze 1-2 months.
- Store fresh meatballs in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Reheat in a low oven or in the microwave so they don’t dry out, or warm them up in chicken soup or meat broth.
Nutrition
Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.
Hey, I’m Karen
Creator of Familystyle Food
I’m a food obsessed super-taster and professionally trained cook ALL about creating elevated dinners with everyday ingredients. Find simplified recipes made from scratch and enjoy incredibly tasty food! Read more about me here.
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Yum! I ended up doubling the orzo recipe later. So good.