Creamy, full-fat ricotta makes incredibly light, airy meatballs. Mix them up in minutes with ground chicken, whole milk ricotta, and Italian-style seasonings. Serve with marinara or your favorite sauce. Double the batch and freeze half.

A bowl of penne pasta topped with golden-brown ricotta meatballs, dollops of creamy ricotta cheese, fresh basil leaves, and a sprinkle of grated cheese, with a fork resting on the side.
Ricotta meatballs can be made with ground chicken, turkey or beef.

These ricotta meatballs are a lightened-up version of my grandma’s classic Italian meatballs recipe, which is made with beef and pork.

Made with ground chicken, ricotta, garlic, fresh basil, and plenty of Parmesan, the ricotta keeps the inside soft while the outside turns golden.

Karen’s ingredient notes

Ingredients arranged on a surface, including a bowl of raw ground chicken thigh, bowl of cracked eggs, ricotta cheese, basil leaves, panko and grated cheese.
  • Ground chicken: For maximum texture and flavor, I highly recommend using ground chicken thigh instead of chicken breast to make these meatballs, just like my recipe for chicken meatballs with pesto. The dark meat has slightly more fat, which translates into juicy meatballs! Ground turkey thigh can be substituted.
  • Ricotta cheese: Full-fat, whole milk ricotta is what you’re looking for for the lightest meatballs. Skim or low-fat ricotta has more liquid, which impacts the texture.
  • Breadcrumbs: With ricotta and egg adding moisture, I use a minimal amount of breadcrumbs or panko crumbs to bind the meatball mixture. You don’t need that much — the airy, fluffy insides of these meatballs is based on the ricotta cheese.

How to make the meatballs

  • Beaten eggs and a whisk in a small glass bowl.
    1. Whisk two eggs in a small bowl — this will help them blend into the mixture.
  • Raw ground chicken, ricotta cheese, grated Parmesan, fresh basil and eggs bowl showing the mixing process for chicken meatballs.
    2. Put the ground chicken, beaten eggs, ricotta, basil, Parmesan cheese, garlic, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Mix with your hands or a large fork until evenly blended.
  • Raw chicken meatballs and a cookie scoop on a baking sheet.
    3. To portion, scoop 1/4 portions of the meatball mixture and shape into balls. Expert tip: Wet your hands, or coat a cookie scoop with cooking spray to make the process less sticky.
  • Uncooked ground chicken meatballs arranged on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
    4. Arrange the meatballs on a parchment-lined baking sheet as you go.
  • Golden brown baked chicken meatballs on a sheet pan.
    5. Bake chicken ricotta meatballs at 450F for about 20 minutes.
  • Cooked meatballs in a skillet, with a wooden spatula on the side.
    6. Another option is to pan-fry the meatballs in a large skillet until cooked through.

Serving ideas: Serve these family-style on a platter, or with toothpicks and dipping sauce for a buffet spread. Spoon this easy homemade marinara sauce over them for a simple, complete dinner.

A bowl of penne pasta topped with golden-brown ricotta meatballs, dollops of creamy ricotta cheese, fresh basil leaves, and a sprinkle of grated cheese, with a fork resting on the side.
5 from 9 ratings

Chicken and Ricotta Meatballs (Baked or Pan-Fried)

Karen Tedesco
Ricotta meatballs are easy to love, mostly because creamy, full-fat ricotta makes incredibly light and airy meatballs. Mix them up in minutes using ground chicken, whole milk ricotta cheese, and Italian-style seasonings. Serve these tender beauties with homestyle marinara sauce or your favorite sauce. And make a double batch for the freezer!
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Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients
 

Yield: about 30 meatballs

  • 2 pounds (907 g) ground chicken thigh, turkey or lean beef
  • 8 ounces (225 g) whole milk ricotta cheese, excess liquid drained
  • ½ cup panko, or coarse breadcrumbs
  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • ½ cup fresh basil leaves, chopped, or substitute 2 teaspoons dried basil or chopped fresh parsley
  • 2 teaspoons grated or finely chopped garlic
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, or crushed red pepper
  • Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
  • Extra virgin olive oil

Equipment

Instructions
 

  1. Put the ground chicken, ricotta, panko, eggs, Parmesan, basil, garlic, cayenne, 2 teaspoons salt and black pepper in a large bowl and mix well. Form the mixture into approximately 2-ounce meatballs, using damp hands to make them less sticky, or portion with an oiled cookie scoop.

Baked meatballs

  1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with a piece of parchment. Arrange the meatballs on the sheet and drizzle them with some olive oil. Bake 20 minutes, turning them over halfway through, or until the meatballs are golden brown all over and cooked through (160-165F on a meat thermometer).

Pan-fried meatballs

  1. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs to the pan — they should sizzle on contact or the pan isn't hot enough. Cook the meatballs 3-5 minutes, or until golden brown on one side. Turn them over and continue cooking until they feel firm to the touch and are cooked through. Tip: For juicier meatballs, cover the pan after flipping them the first time, lowering the heat to medium so the residual steam heat will finish cooking them.

Serving

  1. If you'd like to serve the meatballs with marinara or your favorite pasta sauce, cook or bake them until they're halfway done. Drop them into your simmering sauce and cook about 10 minutes.
  2. The meatballs are fun to serve with sturdy toothpicks, along with a bowl of zesty tomato sauce on the side for dipping.

Notes

  • For the best texture and flavor, I highly recommend using ground chicken thigh instead of chicken breast to make these meatballs. The dark meat has slightly more fat, which translates into juicy meatballs! Ground turkey thigh or even ground beef can be substituted.
  • 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 per serving

Calories: 343kcal Carbohydrates: 5g Protein: 35g Fat: 20g Sodium: 250mg Fiber: 0.3g Sugar: 1g

Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.

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