Chicken Parm Meatballs
These plump, juicy chicken meatballs are packed with garlic, lemon zest, Parmesan, and toasted pine nuts for an elevated twist on classic chicken parm. Serve with Pesto Alfredo sauce over pasta for a quick and delicious high-protein dinner!
Ingredients
- Meatballs:
- 1 ½ lbs ground chicken
- ½ onion finely diced
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup pine nuts toasted
- 1 lemon zested (about 2 tbsp)
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tbsp parsley chopped
- 2 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup olive oil
- Sauce:
- Pesto Alfredo Sauce or sauce of choice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Toast the pine nuts in a small pan until golden; set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine ground chicken, onion, Parmesan, breadcrumbs, pine nuts, lemon zest, garlic, parsley, fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, salt, and egg. Mix until well combined.
- Use a small scoop to form 24 meatballs. Roll into balls and arrange on a foil-lined, greased baking pan.
- Lightly coat meatballs with olive oil using a brush or cooking spray.
- Bake for 18 minutes until golden and cooked through.
- Rest for 5 minutes, then serve with Pesto Alfredo sauce over pasta or enjoy on their own!
Notes
- For extra crispiness, broil for 1-2 minutes after baking.
- Swap pine nuts for almonds or walnuts if needed.
- Serve over zucchini noodles for a low-carb option.