These Healthy Chicken Meatballs make a great weeknight meal. This recipe is easy, gluten-free (no breadcrumbs), clean eating, and paleo!
Easy make ahead meals are one of my favorite go-tos during the week. Especially, tasty ones, like my Healthy Chicken Fajitas Meal Prep, Healthy Chicken Stir Fry, and Healthy Chicken Parmesan.
In This Post You'll Find:
I'm always looking for new Healthy Recipes that I can share on this blog or just add to my family's weeknight dinner rotation.
And I SO love it when I find high-protein, Clean Meals that everyone enjoys.
This Healthy Chicken Meatballs meal is one of those keeper recipes.
What I like so much about these baked healthy chicken meatballs is that they are flavorful, moist, and a great change of pace - both for chicken and for meatballs. They also bake super quickly in the oven and don't require a lot of prep work. Winner!
Ingredients For Healthy Chicken Meatballs
Ground Chicken Breast: Lean and mild in flavor, ground chicken makes a lighter alternative to beef or pork while still creating juicy, tender meatballs. That being said, you can swap the grounc chicken with ground turkey, pork, or beef.
Almond Meal: Finely ground almonds take the place of breadcrumbs, adding a nutty flavor and keeping the meatballs gluten-free.
Parmesan Cheese: Gives these chicken meatballs a savory, cheesy flavor and helps hold everything together.
Fresh Zucchini: Sliced zucchini cooks quickly and soaks up flavor, making it a simple and healthy side to pair with the meatballs.
Olive Oil: Used for sautéing, olive oil brings a light richness and helps the zucchini and onions caramelize just enough for extra flavor.
Step By Step Instructions
Step 2: In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground chicken, almond meal, chopped Italian parsley, grated parmesan, sea salt, pepper, garlic powder, and egg and mix very well. Using your hands, form the mixture into 2-inch meatballs. Place the meatballs into the baking dish, separating them a little bit so they can evenly bake.
Step 3: Put into the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, until almost cooked through, and then turn the oven to broil for 3-5 minutes to create a crispy, golden-brown top. To make the zucchini, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add thinly sliced red onion and cook for 2-3 minutes, until it starts to sweat.
Step 4: Add the sliced zucchini, sea salt, pepper, and garlic powder and stir to combine. Cover and cook for 6-8 minutes, or until zucchini is just tender, but not falling apart.
FAQs
How to Make Chicken Meatballs Without Breadcrumbs
One of the biggest culprits for what makes many meatball recipes not that healthy is the use of breadcrumbs. Breadcrumbs are usually made from white, highly processed bread and contain very little nutritional value. Instead, I like to replace breadcrumbs with almond meal (AKA almond flour) in my meatballs. The ratio is 1:1 so you use the same amount of almond meal as you would breadcrumbs.
Adding in the almond meal adds fiber and protein to the meatballs and also makes them paleo, clean eating, and gluten-free.
If you're looking for a clean chicken meatball recipe, but you don't have or can't find almond meal, you can also sub breadcrumbs with homemade Ezekial breadcrumbs - just pop a couple slices in the toaster and then break or blend them into crumbles. That way, you'll have whole wheat, fresh breadcrumbs.
I know - did I just blow your mind? Healthy homemade breadcrumbs are totally a thing 🙂
How to Make Chicken Meatballs Moist
Dry meatballs are no fun and such a shame. Here are some easy tips for how to fix dry meatballs and make them moist and juicy instead:
- Add moisture: The meat by itself will shrink when cooked. Add eggs and almond meal to help keep the meatballs tender and moist, but don't add too much or it will make the meatballs spongy.
- Gently form the meatballs: If the meatballs are packed too tightly, they can wind up being tough and chewy. Don't spend too much time forming the meatballs - make them quickly and gently.
- Use an ice cream scoop: Make the meatballs as uniform as possible so they all bake evenly (which means you don't have some overcook while waiting for others to finish cooking).
- Don't overcook. Ground chicken is great for making meatballs, but can become dry if overcooked. Make sure to pay close attention to the meatballs as they bake so you don't overcook them.
Follow these steps and you'll be on your way to making moist meatballs.
How to Make Chicken Meatballs Ahead of Time
Making chicken meatballs ahead of time is a great way to save time during the week. You can either store the meatballs in the fridge or the freezer when made ahead. Here's how you can do it:
Storing Chicken Meatballs in the Refrigerator
I recommend following through with the baking of the meatballs before storing in the refrigerator to avoid having raw chicken in your fridge. Plus the meatballs may lose their shape if not cooked. You can store them in a sealable plastic bag or meal prep container that is air-tight. Properly stored, cooked meatballs will last for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. Storing any longer would require you to freeze your chicken meatballs (see below for how to freeze meatballs). If you need help with figuring out the right meal prep containers, check out my post on The Ultimate Guide To Meal Prep Containers.
Storing Chicken Meatballs in the Refrigerator
To freeze the meatballs, allow them to cool completely and then place on a baking sheet, lined with parchment paper, into the freezer to completely freeze. Make sure to allow space between the meatballs so they don't stick. Once frozen, the meatballs can be stored in a freezer safe sealable plastic bag or s freezer safe container. Frozen meatballs will last in the freezer for 3-4 months.
