These juicy chicken meatballs are baked in the oven and have a golden cheesy topping. They're small, cute and so tasty. It's so convenient to bake them all at once.
Baked chicken meatballs may not seem very exciting, but with golden, crisply melted cheese on top they are so much more special. The meatballs are really moist, flavorful and don't taste heavy at all. I love how cute they look since I make them small. The cheese gives them such a pretty golden color and makes them so much yummier too.
Baking meatballs is awesome. It just makes so much sense. There's no standing at the stove cooking multiple batches of meatballs, they all bake at the same time in the oven. There's no oil splatters either, which is another big plus.
They are also great for meal prepping. You can easily prep them ahead of time, store in the refrigerator, and then bake when you're ready. My favorite times to make prep them is Sundays before church or when we have company for dinner. Put them in the oven, and by the time you make a side dish and salad, the meatballs are bubbling merrily and ready to be served.
They reheat really well too, so feel free to make an extra batch and then all you have to do is warm them up.
Ingredients:
- ground chicken
- a combination of both white and dark chicken is best; ground chicken breast can be too dry. Instead of ground chicken you can also use ground turkey or any other ground meat, like pork or beef.
- panko breadcrumbs
- milk - for soaking the breadcrumbs. You can use any type of milk, even dairy free milk.
- onion, minced or grated
- sour cream
- egg
- salt, ground black pepper, dry herbs, garlic powder
- for the dry herbs, I like a mix of dry chives, granulated onion, dry parsley, thyme, etc.
- mayonnaise
- Instead of mayonnaise, you can use plain Greek yogurt or omit it completely.
- grated cheese
- Use any cheese that melts well. I like using a combination of mozzarella and Parmesan cheese, but you can also use monterey jack, colby, cheddar, swiss, etc.
- oil, for brushing on the baking sheet
How To Make Baked Chicken Meatballs
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Brush the bottom with oil.
- Grate the onion on the fine holes of a box grater or finely mince the onion.
- Pour the milk over the breadcrumbs. Beat the egg.
- In a bowl, combine the meatball ingredients, the ground chicken, onion, breadcrumbs + milk, egg, sour cream, garlic powder, dry herbs, salt and ground black pepper. Mix to combine.
- Form the meat mixture into meatballs. I like to make them small, about 1 - 1 ½ Tablespoons each. Place the meatballs on the prepared baking sheet.
- Drizzle the top of the meatballs with the mayonnaise, just enough to cover the top. It's very easy to do that by putting the mayonnaise into a small ziplock bag and cutting off a tiny hole in one of the corners.
- Top each of the meatballs with grated cheese.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes, then turn on the broiler to 475 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for an additional 3-5 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling and golden brown. (If you make the meatballs bigger, you will need to bake them longer.)
Helpful Tips and Frequently Asked Questions
Chicken is such a lean protein, that this recipe would be awesome if you want a healthier option. Don't add the mayo and cheese and brush the meatballs with oil before baking.
Bake them at 425 F for 10 minutes, then broil for 3-5 minutes to give them a bit more color and crispness.
You can skip the mayonnaise completely. I personally like the combination of mayo and cheese, but if you don't, you can either use Greek yogurt or don't use it at all. Just place the cheese on top of the meatballs. The mayo does help the cheese adhere better, so you may want to brush the meatballs with a little bit of oil before adding the cheese.
Store the leftover meatballs in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Reheat them in the microwave, but for the best results, do it on the stove. Cook them on low heat, with a tiny bit of water, just enough to create steam in the skillet, just until heated through.
Yes! Meatballs freeze really well. Freeze the meatballs in a freezer ziplock bag or an airtight container for up to 3 months.
What To Serve On the Side
PrintBaked Cheesy Chicken Meatballs
These juicy chicken meatballs are baked in the oven and have a golden cheesy topping. It's so convenient to bake them all at once.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 30 meatballs 1x
- Category: Entree
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground chicken (use a combination of white and dark chicken)
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ - ⅓ cup milk
- 1 small onion, minced or grated
- 1 Tablespoon sour cream
- 1 egg, beaten
- ¾ - 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dry herbs (such as dry parsley, chives, thyme, Italian seasoning, granulated onion/garlic, etc.)
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 cup finely grated cheese, such as Mozzarella with Parmesan or any cheese that melts well - Monterey Jack, Colby, cheddar, Swiss, Gruyere, etc.
- ½ Tablespoon oil, for brushing on the baking sheet
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or
- Grate the onion on the fine holes of a box grater or finely mince the onion. Pour the milk over the breadcrumbs.
- In a bowl, combine all the ingredients for the meatballs together, the ground chicken, grated onion, breadcrumbs, milk, sour cream, egg, salt, pepper, garlic powder and dry herbs. Mix until evenly combined.
- Form into meatballs, about 1 - ½ tablespoons each. You should have about 30 meatballs.
- Place the meatballs on the prepared baking sheet about ½ - 1 inches apart.
- Put mayonnaise in a Ziploc bag and cut a tiny hole in one corner.
- Apply a small amount of mayonnaise to the top of each meatball, then top with the grated cheese.
- Bake, uncovered, in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes. Then, turn on the broiler (at 450 degrees Fahrenheit) and bake for another 3-5 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling and golden brown.
- Serve warm. Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days or freeze up to 3 months.
This recipe was originally published on December 30, 2011. I have updated the photos and clarified the instructions, but we are still enjoying this recipe so many years later.
Hi, how do I reheat them after freezing, so they remain moist? Thank you very much!
I like using the airfryer to reheat the meatballs, or in a pan with a bit of water, covered, on low heat until heated through.
Thank you very much, they turned out delicious!! Kids ate them so fast I had zero meatballs to freeze hhhh. Lesson learned, next time will make a much bigger batch.
That's awesome to hear! 😊 It sounds like the meatballs were a huge hit! I love how fast they disappeared – definitely a sign of how delicious they were! Haha, next time you’ll know to make a bigger batch! Thanks for sharing your feedback, and I’m so glad your family enjoyed them!
These are delicious. I tried the honey version & was not a fan at all (not my taste). But these are great! Easy to assemble, quick to bake. They're very soft, for those that like their meat on the soft side. Baby-lead weaning friendly!
I'm so glad you enjoyed the meatballs, Lily. Thank you for taking the time to write.
Hi, what kind of bread can I use?
Any kind of bread that you like will work. Regular Italian bread, etc. Panko bread crumbs are great too.
Hi Olga 🙂 do you think ground turkey would work for this recipe? Thanks 🙂
They r so good!! I made them few times already!!! Thank u Olga!!
That's awesome! I'm so happy to hear that. Thanks for taking the time to write.
I'm curious about how many meatballs come out of 1 recipe? Thanks
Hi Olga, thanks so much for your blog! I just love it:-) I made those meatballs today, and they were SO good!!! They were the most delicious meatballs I EVER tried! I just can't brag enough about them! Lol my sister in law was dancing when she tried them - they were just the most delicious little things, the whole family LOVED them😋 Anyways, I give you 10 stars for those and will definitely make them again and again, and would recommend them to anyone who want to make an easy meat dish! Thank you!!!!😊
I'm so happy to hear that, Lu! You made my morning with your sweet comment. These meatballs are a favorite in our family too.
I honestly thought you were exaggerating when you described how delicious and moist these were. After all, how great can baked meatballs get? I made these today when I felt like making something fast and simple and was I in for a surprise. These are the best meatballs I've ever made! So juicy and flavorful and the crispy cheese on the outside was so good! And super easy, the side dish took longer to make than these. Thanks for the tip about keeping your hands wet when forming these, it wasn't difficult at all. I love your site, I visit almost daily! Thank you.
I'm so happy you enjoyed the meatballs, Jenny. Thank you so much for taking the time to write; I really appreciate it.
OMG! Sounds great. I'm going to try this tonight. Thanks for the idea!
Made these today olga and they were delish! Thanks for the recipe love
Hi Olga,
I want to make these for dinner and was wondering after you bake them do they release some drippings into the pan? We like to pour drippings on top of our pasta as a side dish..
Hi Valentina,
I never have any drippings with this recipe. Ground chicken is very lean. If you use ground pork or ground beef, those meatballs will definitely have drippings after baking.
Thank you, Olga, for a great recipe that just made me look good in front of my boyfriend 😉 I can confidently say that not only did these turn out great, but that this recipe will definitely be made again and again. I'm a beginner cook, so I'm still learning and have limited experience, especially with meat dishes! I basically followed your recipe to the letter, my cheese topping was a shredded "Italian" blend that included mozzarella, provolone, asiago, parmesan.
That's so awesome for me to hear, Vita! I love it:). I'm all for making people look good in front of their boyfriend, husband, in-laws, friends, etc.
Oh man these look amazing 🙂 Will definitely make next. Do you think a tablespoon of plain Greek yogurt would be alright in substitution for the TBS of sour cream?
Greek yogurt will work just as well, Vita. Maybe put in just a tiny bit less, since sour cream is a little bit thicker.