Description
This Chicken Parmesan Meatballs recipe offers a delicious twist on classic chicken parmesan, featuring tender, flavorful meatballs browned to perfection and served with pasta and rich tomato sauce. Ready in just 35 minutes, it's a satisfying family-friendly dinner that's easy to prepare and full of comforting Italian flavors.
Ingredients
Meatballs
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp dried basil
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 lb. ground chicken
- 1 large egg
- 2 Tbsp cooking oil, divided
Pasta and Sauce
- 12 oz. pasta (such as spaghetti or penne)
- 1 24oz. jar pasta sauce
Instructions
- Mix Seasonings: In a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan, garlic powder, dried basil, dried oregano, salt, and freshly cracked black pepper. Stir well to evenly distribute all the seasonings.
- Combine Meat Mixture: Place the ground chicken into a large mixing bowl. Add the seasoned breadcrumb mixture and the large egg. Using your hands, mix everything thoroughly until the ingredients are well incorporated and form a uniform mixture.
- Form Meatballs: Shape the chicken mixture into meatballs, each about 1 to 1.5 tablespoons in size. You should get approximately 20 meatballs from the mixture.
- Brown Meatballs: Heat 1 tablespoon of cooking oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot and shimmering, add half of the meatballs. Cook each meatball for about one minute on each side, turning carefully to brown all six sides evenly and ensure they are cooked through. Transfer the cooked meatballs to a clean plate. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the skillet and repeat the process with the second batch.
- Cook Pasta: While browning the meatballs, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions, usually 7 to 10 minutes, until tender. Drain the pasta in a colander.
- Heat Sauce: Pour the pasta sauce into a medium saucepan and heat over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until warmed through.
- Combine Meatballs and Sauce: Add the cooked meatballs to the saucepan with the heated pasta sauce. Gently stir to coat the meatballs in the sauce. Allow them to simmer together for a few minutes if necessary to blend flavors and heat the meatballs thoroughly.
- Serve: Plate the cooked and drained pasta, then spoon the saucy meatballs on top. Serve immediately for a comforting and flavorful meal.
Notes
- For best flavor, use freshly grated Parmesan cheese instead of pre-grated.
- Be careful not to overmix the meat mixture to keep the meatballs tender.
- Use a pasta shape that holds sauce well, such as penne or rigatoni.
- Leftover meatballs and sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or frozen for longer storage.
- To make the dish gluten free, substitute gluten-free breadcrumbs and pasta.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Italian
