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Chicken Parmesan is one of my favorite meals. A crunchy, breaded piece of chicken topped with marinara and melted cheese… what isn’t to love? When I started seeing pictures of people turning one of my fav meals into meatballs, I was dunzo. Had to try it out. I mean, it really is quite genius. Chicken Parmesan Meatballs capture all of the great characteristics of traditional chicken parmesan, only wrapped up in a bite-sized, meatball package. And in this recipe, I serve them with a quick and easy homemade marinara.

So let’s talk a little about what to expect… To make the Chicken Parmesan meatballs, ground chicken meatballs are coated in a panko-parmesan breading and then pan fried so that you still get that crunch that comes with traditional chicken parmesan. You’ll want to cook the meatballs most of the way through and then they will finish cooking in the oven with the marinara.

And as far as the marinara goes, it a decent size batch. You probably won’t need to use all of it, so I’d recommend serving the meatballs with some pasta in the leftover marinara. It’s a perfect dinner that everyone will love.

Let me show you how I made these Chicken Parmesan Meatballs 👇🏻

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Cooking the Marinara:

Start with the marinara first, that way it can simmer and develop flavor while you prepare the meatballs.

In a large sauce pot, add 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add 1/2 of a diced sweet onion and cook for 3-5 minutes until the onion is soft. Add 3 minced garlic cloves and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.

Next, add 15 oz canned tomato sauce, 28 oz canned crushed tomatoes, 2 tbsp granulated sugar, 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, 1 tsp Italian seasoning and 1 teaspoon EACH salt and pepper.

Bring the marinara to a boil and then lower the heat to low. Cover the marinara and let it simmer while you prepare the meatballs, stir occasionally.

Preparing the Chicken Parmesan Meatballs:

Now start the meatballs. Using your hands, mix together 1 Lb ground chicken, 1 whisked egg, 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs, 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, 2 tsp Italian seasoning, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp onion powder, and 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley in a large bowl. Mix well.

Roll the chicken into meatballs the size of golf balls or slightly smaller.

In a large, shallow bowl mix together 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, and 1 tsp Italian seasoning. Roll the meatballs in the breading and place on a plate or a tray.

Preheat your oven to 375.

Cooking the Chicken Parmesan Meatballs:

In a large skillet, heat 1/2 tbsp of olive oil and 1/2 tbsp of unsalted butter over medium-high heat. Cook the meatballs in 2 batches.

You want to get a good, crispy crust on the outside of the meatballs. They don’t have to be cooked all of the way through because they will finish cooking in the oven with the marinara.

In a large oven-proof skillet or baking dish, ladle some of the marinara into the bottom (you won’t use all of the marinara). When the first batch of meatballs are done browning, place them into the skillet with the marinara. To cook the second batch of meatballs, add another 1/2 tbsp of olive oil and 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter to the skillet. Repeating the cooking steps above and then place the second batch of cooked meatballs in the skillet as well.

Cook meatballs in the oven for 10-15 minutes to make sure that the meatballs are cooked all of the way through (cooking time will depend on how big you made the meatballs- internal temp should register 165 degrees).

Remove the meatballs from the oven and top with 1-2 cups mozzarella cheese.

Cook for another 5 minutes until the cheese is melted. Top with fresh basil or parsley (optional).

You can serve the meatballs with some fresh vegetables, but I’d recommend serving them with some pasta to use up that remaining marinara. I cooked a tri-color rotini and then added it right into the marinara when it was finished cooking.

I stirred the pasta into the marinara, add some shredded parmesan and some fresh herbs.

Enjoy!

These are the recommended products that I used to make this delicious recipe! These are not only products that I use, but products that I love.

Have you tried this recipe? Thinking about it? I’d love to hear from you! Please leave me your thoughts below in the comment section.

Looking for a more traditional Chicken Parmesan? I’ve got you covered 👇🏻