These baked chicken meatballs are tender, juicy, and perfectly seasoned. Serve them as an easy appetizer dipped in creamy dill yogurt sauce, or toss them with your favorite pasta sauce for a delicious family dinner.
5 Star Review
“This recipe is amazing! I made it exactly as written except I doubled the garlic in the meatballs and sauce. I love garlic and it was super tasty and lots of flavor…” – Laura
Today’s baked chicken meatballs are semi-inspired by my chicken skewers, which I serve with taratur (the Macedonian version of tzatziki). In meatball form, lean ground chicken is seasoned, juicy, and extra versatile! I’ll serve these juicy chicken meatballs topped with creamy dill yogurt sauce one day, and toss them with red pepper pasta sauce the next. Even better? They’re ready in 30 minutes.
Why You’ll Love This Baked Chicken Meatballs Recipe
- Baked, not fried. My chicken meatballs are tender, seasoned well, and to keep things lean, they’re not fried! Oven-baked meatballs need less oil, and they come out perfectly browned on all sides.
- Easy ingredients. These meatballs are easy to make from a package of ground chicken mixed with dried herbs, panko crumbs, onions, and garlic. The trick to perfect meatballs is not to overmix the ingredients!
- Versatile. Served with a creamy, Mediterranean-inspired dill yogurt sauce, chicken meatballs make a tasty appetizer. Or, you can plate them up with pasta or rice for an easy dinner. Change up the sauce, stick them on a skewer… the possibilities are endless (and delicious).
Ingredients You’ll Need
This chicken meatball recipe has every ingredient for a happy dinner with Chardonnay on the side. The ingredients are simple, and I’ve included a few notes and easy swaps below if you need them. Scroll down to the recipe card after the post for the printable recipe, followed by a step-by-step with photos.
- Ground Chicken – You can also make this meatball recipe with ground turkey, lean ground beef, or pork.
- Breadcrumbs – I use Panko breadcrumbs, but any unseasoned or seasoned breadcrumbs will work.
- Garlic – I season the meat with a combination of freshly minced garlic and garlic powder. If you don’t have fresh garlic, substitute an extra ½ teaspoon of garlic powder per fresh clove.
- Onion – Finely diced. I recommend yellow onion or shallot.
- Dried Herbs – Dried thyme and oregano, or you can use a blend, like Italian seasoning. If you’d prefer to substitute freshly chopped herbs instead, you’ll need 2-3 times the listed amounts in the recipe card. You’ll also need salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste.
Creamy Dill Yogurt Sauce
My favorite way to serve these baked chicken meatballs is smothered in a luscious and garlicky homemade dill yogurt sauce. While the meatballs bake, I mix plain yogurt with a good amount of minced garlic, chopped fresh dill, salt, pepper, and a little olive oil to thin it out. The sauce shouldn’t be thick, but rather smooth and pourable, like a creamy salad dressing.
5 Tips for the Best Baked Meatballs
- Don’t overmix the meatball mixture. I like to use my hands to gently fold the meatball ingredients together, and then to shape the meatballs afterward. Overmixing the meat mixture results in tough, dense meatballs.
- Use a cookie scoop. Use a small to medium-sized cookie scoop when portioning the meat mixture to ensure that your meatballs are the same size. Same-sized meatballs bake more evenly.
- Bake at a high temperature. Make sure the oven is fully preheated to a hot 400ºF before you bake the meatballs. The high temperature sears the outside of the meat and locks in the juices. If your oven isn’t hot enough, the meatballs take longer to cook and may become dry.
- Test when they’re done. Meatballs are done when they’re browned on the outside and the internal temperature reads 165ºF on an instant-read thermometer.
- Rest the baked meatballs. Allow these chicken meatballs to rest for 5-10 minutes after baking. This allows the juices inside to redistribute and makes the meat extra juicy and tender.
Serving Suggestions
Serve these juicy oven-baked chicken meatballs as an appetizer with the prepared yogurt sauce, a sprinkle of dill for garnish, and a glass of cold Chardonnay or a Campari spritz. I also love plating the meatballs over a bed of jasmine rice or lemon rice, with a side of tomato cucumber salad or ratatouille for a light and easy, Mediterranean-style dinner. They’re also delicious served with crispy potatoes or spaghetti. Feel free to toss them with your favorite pasta sauce!
Make Them Ahead
Prepare the raw chicken meatball mixture up to 24 hours in advance and keep it covered tightly in the fridge until you’re ready to shape and bake. You can also portion and shape the meatballs, and then pre-freeze them on a baking sheet before transferring them to a Ziploc freezer bag. Keep the meatballs frozen for up to 1 month and thaw them in the fridge before you bake them as usual. See the next section for tips on storing the leftover meatballs once they’re baked.
Storing and Reheating Meatballs
- Refrigerate. Store leftover baked chicken meatballs in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Reheat. To reheat leftover meatballs, use the microwave or warm them in a skillet on the stovetop. You can also reheat the meatballs in the oven under foil until they’re hot throughout.
- Freeze. The baked chicken meatballs can be frozen for up to 2 months. Pre-freeze the cooled meatballs on a baking sheet and then stash them in a freezer-safe container or Ziploc bag. Thaw the meatballs in the fridge before you reheat them.
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For the Chicken Meatballs
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Prep. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish or baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside.
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Combine the meatball ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, combine chicken, panko bread crumbs, garlic, onion, thyme, oregano, garlic powder, salt, and pepper; mix and stir until thoroughly combined.
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Shape the meatballs. Form the mixture into 1 ½-inch meatballs. Transfer the meatballs to the previously prepared baking sheet.
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Bake. Bake for 16 to 20 minutes, or until the chicken meatballs are cooked through. Remove them from the oven and let them rest for a few minutes.
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Prepare the yogurt sauce. In a small mixing bowl, combine garlic, salt, ground pepper, dill, yogurt, and olive oil; mix until thoroughly incorporated. Taste for seasonings and adjust accordingly.
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Serve. Transfer the meatballs to a serving platter and spoon the yogurt sauce over the meatballs. Garnish with chopped fresh dill and serve.
- This recipe makes 16 meatballs.
- You can serve these meatballs with rice, potatoes, orzo pasta, salad, etc.
Serving: 4Meatballs + 2 tablespoons sauce | Calories: 279.7kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 24.7g | Fat: 15.6g | Saturated Fat: 3.5g | Cholesterol: 96.7mg | Sodium: 431mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 4.3g
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
How to Make Chicken Meatballs
Most of the meatball recipes on my site are baked. Don’t get me wrong, I love pan-fried meatballs, especially when we’re cooking them in sauce, like in my pork meatballs recipe. But for everyday, effort-free meals, the oven is the way to go:
- Mix the meatball ingredients. While the oven preheats to 400ºF, take out a big bowl and add your ground chicken, breadcrumbs, herbs, and seasonings. Stir so that everything is evenly combined.
- Shape the meatballs. Next, get in there with your hands and roll the meat mixture into 1½” meatballs. Place these onto a lightly greased baking sheet.
- Bake. Bake at 400ºF for 16-20 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through. Just like you’d rest a chicken breast after baking, rest the meatballs for a few minutes after they’re out of the oven. It leaves just enough time to make the yogurt sauce!
- Prepare the yogurt sauce. Meanwhile, whisk together the garlic, salt, pepper, and dill with yogurt and olive oil.
- Enjoy! Serve the meatballs with the sauce on the side or over rice with your favorite sides. See the Serving Suggestions earlier for ideas.
Air Fryer Method
If you own an air fryer and don’t feel like turning on the oven, make chicken meatballs in the air fryer instead! Use the cooking directions for my air fryer meatballs as a guide. You may need to adjust the cooking time depending on the size of the meatballs and the air fryer model you’re using, so use a meat thermometer to be sure they’re done (see my Tips above).
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