It’s officially gameday season, which makes me so happy! I personally find Game Day food to be fun and quirky. It’s a great time to experiment with your favorite foods and flavors but turn them into bite size treats! There something about seeing the mini version of your favorite dish that makes it all the more exciting to eat! Today, I’m sharing one of my favorite meatball recipes– Chicken Parm Meatballs! First off, who doesn’t love regular Chicken Parm? Now imagine that Italian American staple in a meatball! What isn’t there to love?
I created this meatball first as a challenge and over time it evolved into one of my go to meatball recipes! All of the flavors blend really well especially when you’re serving this as an appetizer with toasted bread or crostini. The name alone ignites excitement! The chicken, cheese, breadcrumbs and sauce… Mm.. mmm. Mmmmmm!
Now all meatballs have an art form to them whether your blending different meats or using fresh vs. dried ingredients. The big debate is whether or not to use eggs and I personally like to use eggs because I find that it really holds the meatball together. I also prefer to use dried herbs. Over time, I find that they taste a lot better than fresh herbs. I also pair these Chicken Parm Meatballs with my Homemade Tomato Basil Marinara Sauce which is jammed packed with fresh ingredients.
Overall, my favorite part about these Chicken Parm Meatballs are the layers of flavors that I pack into this small meatball. It’s the perfect dish to wow your guests!
If you’d like to see an easy to follow step-by-step video on How to Make Chicken Parm Meatballs visit my YouTube Channel: Chef Zee Cooks
Don’t forget to Pin this yumminess to your boards!
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Ground Chicken
- ¼ cup Panko Bread Crumbs
- 1 Egg beaten
- ½ Golden onion minced
- 4 Garlic cloves minced
- 3 tbs Parmesan cheese grated
- 3 tbs Romano cheese grated
- ½ tsp Dried basil
- ½ tsp Parsley Flakes
- Olive Oil
- ½ cup Mozzarella cheese *to taste
- 2 tsp Salt *to taste
- ½ tsp Black pepper
- 4 cups of Marinara Sauce
- Fresh parsley & basil for garnish
- Ingredients: Breading
- ¼ cup Panko Bread crumbs
- 1 ½ tsp Parmesan cheese grated
- 1 ½ tsp Romano cheese grated
Instructions
- Saute minced onions and peppers in olive oil. Saute until they are soft and translucent
- Add sauteed onions and garlic in large mixing bowl with ground chicken along with dried basil, parsley, 3 tbs Parmesan cheese, 3 tbs Romano cheese, egg, black pepper, and ¼ cup bread crumbs
- Mix until well combined. Set aside
- In a separate plate, combine the other ¼ cup of breadcrumbs, and 1 ½ tsp of the Romano and Parmesan Cheese
- Very carefully, mold seasoned ground chicken into small-medium meatballs. It's important that they're all similar sizes so that they cook evenly.
- After you've made the meatballs, roll them into the breadcrumb cheese mixture and lay them onto a baking sheet.
- Chill in the refrigerator for at least two minutes
- In a heat skillet over medium flame, add olive oil
- Carefully add chicken meatballs and brown evenly on all sides
- Once all of the meatballs have browned, add marinara sauce. Make sure all of the meatballs are covered in sauce
- Place meatballs into preheated oven at 375 degrees. Bake for 20 minutes covered brown
- After 20 mins, raise oven temperature to 425 degress and add mozzarella cheese. Bake uncovered for 3-5 mins or until cheese is melted and golden brown.
- In the end, remove from oven and garnish with fresh basil or parsley. Serve hot with pasta or bread
Notes
Feel free to serve this dish with toothpicks as a great game day appetizer!