From the roundup: 22 Easy High Protein Fall Dinners the Whole Family Will Actually Eat
These baked chicken meatballs in marinara have been on our dinner rotation long enough that my kids request them by name. The active work is about 20 minutes of mixing and rolling, then the oven handles the rest while you get the pasta water going and warm the sauce. No standing over a skillet, no splatter on the stovetop.
Ground chicken is stickier to work with than beef, and the first time I made these I skipped wetting my hands and ended up with a mess. Wet hands every few meatballs makes the rolling go quickly and the shape holds together. The brush of olive oil on top before baking is a small step that actually matters: it gives the outsides a little color without frying.
The simmer in marinara at the end is not optional. Five to eight minutes in the sauce keeps the meatballs from drying out and pulls the whole dish together. I usually set the extra sauce from the pan right on the table because it always disappears.
Why you will love this
- Sheet pan baking means no stovetop frying and no grease splatter to clean up
- The 5-to-8 minute simmer in marinara keeps the meatballs moist all the way through, which ground chicken really needs
- Everyone can pick their own base: spaghetti, polenta, or zucchini noodles, all work with the same sauce
- You can bake a double batch and freeze half, so a future dinner is basically already done
- At about 50 minutes start to finish, this fits a real weeknight without a lot of advance planning
Tips for success
- Wet your hands with cool water before rolling each meatball and re-wet every few. Ground chicken sticks to dry palms and the balls end up lumpy.
- Do not overwork the mixture. Stir until just combined, the same way you would treat meatloaf. Overworking compacts the proteins and the meatballs come out dense.
- Check doneness with a thermometer, not by color. Ground chicken can look done on the outside at 15 minutes but still read under 165 degrees F in the center.
- Keep the marinara at a gentle simmer, not a boil, when you add the meatballs. A hard boil breaks them apart before they have a chance to absorb any sauce.
Common questions
- Can I use extra-lean ground chicken? The recipe works better with 93/7. Extra-lean has very little fat and the meatballs tend to dry out in the oven.
- My meatballs fell apart when I stirred them into the sauce. This usually means they needed another minute or two in the oven to fully set before transferring. Use a wide spatula and move them gently.
- Can I skip the simmering step and just serve straight from the oven? You can, but the meatballs will taste drier and the sauce will taste separate. The few extra minutes make a real difference.
- What size should the meatballs be? About 1.5 inches across, roughly the size of a golf ball. Bigger than that and the centers take longer to cook through.
Substitutions
Ground turkey works in place of ground chicken with no other changes needed. For a gluten-free version, swap the breadcrumbs for gluten-free breadcrumbs or almond flour, and check that your marinara label is gluten-free. Pecorino Romano can replace the Parmesan if that is what you have open. If someone at the table is dairy-free, leave out the cheese and add an extra pinch of salt and a little garlic powder to compensate.
Any marinara works here, homemade or jarred. On a busy night I reach for a good store-bought jar and nobody notices the difference once everything simmers together.
Make-ahead and storage
You can mix and roll the meatballs up to 24 hours ahead and refrigerate them on the parchment-lined baking sheet, covered loosely. You can also bake them a day early, cool them completely, and refrigerate without the sauce. The next evening, warm the marinara and add the cold meatballs, giving them a few extra minutes to heat through before serving.
Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat with a splash of water if the sauce has thickened. To freeze, cool the baked meatballs completely, spread them on a sheet pan until solid, then transfer to a zip bag for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in simmering sauce so they stay moist.
Baked Chicken Meatballs in Marinara
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground chicken, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, beaten egg, garlic, parsley, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes if using. Use your hands to mix gently until everything is just combined. Do not overwork the mixture or the meatballs will be dense. The mixture will feel sticky, and that is normal with ground chicken.
- Wet your hands with cool water before shaping each meatball. This keeps the mixture from sticking to your palms and helps you get a smooth, round shape. Scoop and roll the mixture into balls about 1 1/2 inches wide. You should get roughly 20 to 22 meatballs. Place them on the prepared baking sheet with a little space between each one.
- Lightly brush the tops of the meatballs with olive oil. This encourages a little color on the outside even without frying. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until the outsides are set and lightly golden and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of one meatball reads 165 degrees F. They will look slightly firm and the bottoms will have a pale golden color on the parchment.
- While the meatballs bake, pour the marinara sauce into a large saucepan or Dutch oven and warm it over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Keep it at a gentle simmer, not a rolling boil, so it does not scorch on the bottom.
- When the meatballs come out of the oven, use a spatula or spoon to transfer them directly into the simmering marinara. Stir gently so each meatball gets coated in sauce. Let them simmer together for 5 to 8 minutes. This finishing step is important because it marries the flavors and keeps the meatballs moist all the way through.
- Serve the meatballs and sauce over cooked spaghetti, creamy polenta, or zucchini noodles. Finish with freshly grated Parmesan and torn basil leaves. Set the extra sauce from the pan on the table because everyone always wants more.
Notes
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