These Chicken Meatballs are oven baked and smothered in delicious brown gravy! Serve these with mashed potatoes and roasted green beans for a delicious dinner that’s easy to make ahead of time!

Be sure to try my Meatball Pasta and  Baked Chicken Thighs recipe next!

Chicken Meatballs in a skillet with sauce and a wooden spoon.

Chicken Meatballs

I can’t express how much I love these incredibly flavorful Chicken Meatballs. Not only are the meatballs themselves full of delicious flavor, but this savory sauce brings them to a whole new level! You may even prefer these over beef meatballs! 

This recipe ensures that the meatballs are perfectly tender, juicy, and stay together. You won’t have any issues with these falling apart on you!

Make-ahead and freezer instructions are also included. And don’t miss my pro tips below! 

How to Make It

*See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.

Combine meatball ingredients, adding in the meat last. Combine gently. (Overworking the meat can create tough meatballs.)

Chicken Meatballs in a glass bowl before and after being mixed together.

Roll into 24 meatballs, about 1 + 1/2 inches in size. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake at 400° for 15 minutes Set aside.

Chicken Meatballs on a baking sheet before and after being baked.

Melt the butter and add the flour, cook for 2 minutes. Add the sauce mixture in small splashes, stirring continuously. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.

Making a roux and adding sauce to it in a skillet.

Add the meatballs and spoon the sauce on top. Heat through for 5 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the meat is 165°F.

Chicken Meatballs in a skillet before and after sauce being spooned on top.

Make Ahead Method

  • Prepare the meatballs as outlined and refrigerate or freeze. You may choose to bake now or later.
    • If you bake them ahead of time, let cool completely and store in an airtight container until ready to serve. 
    • Refrigerate for 2-3 days or freeze for 3 months.
  • The sauce mixture can also be combined up to 2 days ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the fridge. This includes every sauce ingredient other than the butter/flour.
  • When ready to serve: Cook the sauce as outlined, add the baked meatballs, simmer, and serve!

Pro Tips

  • Grind your own chicken: I find that the price of ground chicken is more than twice as much per pound than boneless chicken breasts, so I grind the chicken myself in my mini food processor. Super quick and easy! 
  • Meat Additions: I like using a combination of meat instead of all ground chicken. Ground pork rounds out the flavor nicely without being overpowering. You can also use chicken sausage, turkey sausage, or simply all ground chicken if preferred.
  • Beef Bouillon Cube: This recipe calls for beef bouillon which adds a nice depth of flavor and a darker color. I use 1/2 tsp. Better Than Bouillon. 
  • Baking the Meatballs: I choose to bake the meatballs in this recipe instead of browning them in the skillet or cooking them in this sauce as this ensures they stay together well. Chicken is on the leaner side and can be more prone to falling apart. They’re only baked for 15 minutes and can finish cooking in the sauce.
  • Try these next: If you’re a meatball fan, definitely try out my Ricotta Meatballs! They are super popular and so good!

Storage

  • Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Leftovers freeze/reheat very well! 
  • To Reheat: Place on a baking sheet or dish and cover with foil. Bake at 300° F for 15 minutes. (If frozen, thaw in the fridge overnight.)

Chicken Meatballs and sauce on top of mashed potatoes on a white plate.

Tools For This Recipe

(Amazon affiliate links)- Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.

  • Mini Food Processor: To grind your own chicken breast. The cost is much less per pound if you purchase chicken breast vs. ground chicken.
  • Baking Sheet– This is the one pictured above that I use to bake the meatballs.
  • Better Than Bouillon– I use this for the bouillon cubes in my recipes as well as to make beef and chicken broth. It takes up very little space and is easy to measure customized amounts.
  • Small Cookie Scoop– A heaping scoop of this will help measure out your meatballs in a uniform size.
  • Mixing Bowl- To combine the meatball ingredients.
  • 12-inch Enamel Cast Iron Skillet– A great size for the sauce/meatballs.
  • Gravy Master– To add an optional darker color to the sauce.

Try These Next

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Chicken Meatballs in a skillet with sauce and parsley on top.

Chicken Meatballs

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
4.96 from 23 ratings
Servings: 24 meatballs
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These Chicken Meatballs are oven baked and smothered in delicious brown gravy! They're also freezer friendly and easy to make ahead of time.

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

Meatballs

  • ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
  • ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
  • ¼ cup parsley, roughly chopped
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • ¼ cup half and half
  • 1 large egg, whisked
  • 1/3 cup yellow onion, very finely minced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 lb. ground chicken
  • ½ lb. ground pork, see notes

Sauce

  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • ½ beef bouillon cube, see notes
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon half and half
  • ½ teaspoon each: onion powder, garlic powder, parsley, mustard powder
  • ¼ teaspoon each: dried rosemary, ground sage, pepper
  • 2-3 drops gravy master, optional

Instructions

Make the Meatballs

  • Preheat oven to 400° F.
  • Pro Tip: Make sure the onions are very finely minced. This way you don’t have to soften/cook them first and it’ll ensure the meatballs stay together.
  • Combine the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, parsley, Italian seasoning, and salt/pepper in a large bowl. Add the half and half, egg, onions, and garlic and mix until well combined.
  • Add the meat and gently mix with your hands or a silicone spatula until just combined. Don't overwork the meat, or the meatballs will be tough. If the mixture feels too wet, add 1-2 tablespoons breadcrumbs.
  • Roll into 24 meatballs, each about 1 ½ inches wide. Place on a light colored, lightly greased baking sheet.
  • Pro Tip: Refrigerate the meatballs for up to 5 minutes and then give them one more roll to smooth them out a little more.
  • Bake for 15 minutes, then remove and set aside.

Make the Sauce

  • While the meatballs bake, set the butter/flour aside and combine all remaining sauce ingredients in a medium measuring cup with a spout.
  • Melt the butter over medium heat and add the flour. Stir continuously for 2 minutes, until the flour turns a light brown and the raw flour smell is cooked off.
  • Add the sauce mixture in small splashes, stirring continuously. Adding it slowly will ensure the sauce is thick and that the roux doesn’t break.
  • Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Pro Tip: A few drops of gravy master will add a darker color to the sauce, this is totally optional.
  • Add the meatballs back and spoon the sauce on top. Heat through for 5 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the meat is 165 degrees.
  • Serve with mashed potatoes and roasted green beans.

Notes

Make Ahead Method:
  • Prepare the meatballs as outlined and refrigerate or freeze. You may choose to bake now or later.
    • If you bake them ahead of time, let cool completely and store in an airtight container until ready to serve. 
    • Refrigerate for 2-3 days or freeze for 3 months.
  • The sauce mixture can also be combined up to 2 days ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the fridge. This includes every sauce ingredient other than the butter/flour.
  • When ready to serve: Cook the sauce as outlined, add the baked meatballs, simmer, and serve!
Pro Tips:
  • Grind your own chicken: I find that the price of ground chicken is more than twice as much per pound than boneless chicken breasts, so I grind the chicken myself in my mini food processor. Super quick and easy! 
  • Meat: I like using a combination of meat instead of all ground chicken. Ground pork rounds out the flavor nicely without being overpowering. You can also use chicken sausage, turkey sausage, or simply all ground chicken if preferred. Either way, you want 1.5 lbs. of meat.
  • Beef Bouillon Cube: This recipe calls for beef bouillon which adds a nice depth of flavor and a darker color. I use 1/2 tsp. Better Than Bouillon. 
  • Baking the Meatballs: I choose to bake the meatballs in this recipe instead of browning them in the skillet or cooking them in this sauce as this ensures they stay together well. Chicken is on the leaner side and can be more prone to falling apart. They're only baked for 15 minutes and can finish cooking in the sauce.
  • Try these next: If you're a meatball fan, definitely try out my Ricotta Meatballs! They are super popular and so good!
Storage:
  • Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Leftovers freeze/reheat very well! 
  • To Reheat: Place on a baking sheet or dish and cover with foil. Bake at 300° F for 15 minutes. (If frozen, thaw in the fridge overnight.)
Nutritional information is an estimate and is per meatball (including sauce). This recipe makes approximately 24 meatballs.

Nutrition

Calories: 88kcal, Carbohydrates: 3g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 36mg, Sodium: 229mg, Potassium: 154mg, Fiber: 0.2g, Sugar: 0.4g, Vitamin A: 129IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 24mg, Iron: 0.5mg
Did you try this recipe?Mention @TheCozyCook on Instagram or tag #thecozycook!
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Author: Stephanie