For the tastiest, moist, tender chicken meatballs, look no further my friends. Enter Chicken Pesto Meatballs. These delicious meatballs, as most dinners, were born out of the necessity to use what was on hand. I figured I’d make meatballs out of ground chicken that I had in the fridge..but let’s face it. They always turn out rather dry. The secret ingredient? Pesto! Either store bought or homemade. Plus the pesto also gives the meatballs a giant boost of flavor. These are perfect in your favorite marinara sauce to serve over pasta or also great for a meatball sub with some sauce, and some melty provolone.
Table of contents
Recipe Inspiration
The weeknight dinner shuffle is real friends. Often we want a tasty meal without a lot of fuss. I make this Chicken Pesto Meatball recipe on the weekend and freeze them for busy weeknights. These are moist, tender, flavorful Chicken Pesto Meatballs that hold up well in the freezer and reheat. You can definitely use turkey and I think even ground beef would work. (I’ve not tried beef, yet.) I really love the lighter texture given by the use of Panko breadcrumbs. (An added bonus if you can find Italian flavored Panko.) These are Japanese style breadcrumbs that are a larger, almost with a flake consistency. I use them a lot around here in many recipes.
A major benefit is that this is also a super easy recipe to pull together. The ingredient list is rather short. It’s some easy to find pantry staples along with ground chicken. The only thing that you need is a little patience for cooking them if you decide to fry them. And for the triple bonus? The recipe has a high yield. Yes! I work full time and there is nothing better than having items in the freezer you can just pull and reheat or add to something. These are a definite winner in our home.
How to make Chicken Pesto Meatballs
As I mentioned before, the ingredient list is a short one. You will need the following:
- 2lbs of ground chicken
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup pesto, generous tablespoons store bought
- 1 egg whisked
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 tsp salt kosher
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp paprika (not smoked)
- 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1/3 cup olive oil (if frying the meatballs)
The ingredients are added to a bowl and are mixed just until combined. You want to make sure you don’t overwork the mixture as this will toughen the meatballs. Be generous with your Pesto. This is what gives the meatballs excellent flavor. Homemade pesto is always best, but for store bought, I prefer the consistency and flavor of Mezzetta Basil Pesto. This is made in California, so I can find it pretty easily. Use your favorite brand that you can buy at the grocery store. I also use this Basil Pesto in my Grilled Vegetable Sandwiches with Asiago and Pesto, and its texture works perfectly here too.
How to form meatballs
Once the chicken meatball mixture is ready, I use a 2 tbsp scoop. I heap the scoop so the meatballs are about 1 1/2-2 inch in diameter. Once you have scooped the mixture, gently roll in your hand to form a ball. (The less the mixture is handled, the more tender the meatball. This applies to beef meatballs as well.) Continue to form the meatballs until all of the mixture is used.
TIP: Use a small ice cream scoop to keep meatballs even in size and for cooking.
Baking or Frying meatballs
I love a fried meatball, but baking is easier and you save some calories in the process. Below are both methods for your choosing.
Baking method
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Place meatballs on a parchment lined, rimmed baking sheet. Now place meatballs three across and continue to fill the baking sheet until it’s full. Bake about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and check to see that the internal, middle part of the meatball is 165 degrees. Bake the remainder of the meatballs until all are cooked.
Serve immediately or allow to cool to refrigerate or freeze.
Frying method
Frying meatballs are a Sunday afternoon pleasure. I sometimes bake the meatballs I intend to freeze and fry the meatballs we intend to eat for dinner. I pour a glass of wine, and spend a little while frying these delicious meatballs while my marinara is simmering.
Start by using a heavy bottom skillet. Heat olive oil until you see a little shimmer in the oil. Add the meatballs one a time making sure you don’t crowd them. Rotate them every 1-2 minutes to they brown evenly. Once they are cooked through, place on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb the extra oil. Repeat until all the meatballs are fried. Again, internal doneness should be 165 degrees in the middle of the meatball.
Serve while hot or allow to cool if you intend to freeze them.
Meal ideas for Chicken Pesto Meatballs
I love the versatility of these meatballs. I often bake a dozen in marinara sauce with a little cheese on top with zucchini noodles or pasta. My next favorite is in a bowl filled with some arugula, quinoa, fresh tomato, Balsamic Marinated Red Onions and a few meatballs with a drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette. And for the ultimate indulgence, make a baked meatball sandwich in a soft roll with provolone. Oh yeah!
DINNER TONIGHT: Baked Chicken Pesto Meatballs with Marinara
Preheat oven 400°F.
Use an oven safe casserole or baker. For 12 meatballs and a jar of marinara sauce, I recommend a 2 qt dish or equivalent size.
Place marinara sauce in baking dish, and arrange 12 frozen meatballs with a little bit of space in between each one. Top with about 1 cup of Mozzarella cheese.
Cover with foil and bake for about 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake until cheese is fully melted. About another 10 minutes or so. Serve with zucchini noodles or your favorite pasta.
Ideas for Entertaining
These meatballs can be made in advance for a large gathering. Two of my favorite ways of using these is baked in sauce as a buffet item. Second is for tiny meatball sandwiches using small rolls. Both are winners and easy to execute for large groups. Also kid friendly!
How to Freeze and Thaw meatballs
Now that the meatballs are baked and cooled, I freeze them on a rimmed sheet pan. I place the meatballs with space in between each one and cover them with foil and freeze them. Once frozen you can place them in a zip type storage bag and since they froze individually, it’s easy to remove the amount you want to cook. The meatballs keep up to 2 months in the freezer.
Thawing is not necessary if you are adding these to sauce or baking them in sauce. Just make sure they are completely heated through before serving.
If you use the meatballs for sandwiches or bowls, allow to thaw in the refrigerator for about 4-6 hours. Important to note: Make sure the meatballs are completely heated through before you use in a bowl type meal and if you use for sandwiches, that they are also completely heated through also.
Enjoy!
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Chicken Pesto Meatballs
Equipment
- skillet
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken ground
- 1 cup panko Italian style bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup pesto, generous store bought or homemade
- 1 egg whisked
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese freshly grated
- 1 tsp salt kosher
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 tsp paprika sweet
- 1/3 cup olive oil for frying
Instructions
For baked meatballs
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Place meatballs on a parchment lined, rimmed baking sheet. Now place meatballs three across and continue to fill the baking sheet until it's full.
- Bake about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and check to see that the internal, middle part of the meatball is 165 degrees.
- Bake the remainder of the meatballs until all are cooked.
- Serve immediately or allow to cool to refrigerate or freeze.
Frying method
- Start by using a heavy bottom skillet. Heat olive oil until you see a little shimmer in the oil. Add the meatballs one a time making sure you don't crowd them.
- Rotate them every 1-2 minutes to they brown evenly.
- Once they are cooked through, place on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb the extra oil. Repeat until all the meatballs are fried.
- Again, internal doneness should be 165 degrees in the middle of the meatball.
- Serve immediately or allow to cool for freezing.
Baking meatballs with Marinara
- In a oven safe dish, place 1 jar or 4 cups of sauce in the dish.
- Arrange 12 (baked or fried) meatballs leaving a little space between each meatball.
- Top with Mozzarella cheese (about 1 cup)
- Bake for 20 minutes until cheese is melted.
- Top with parmesan cheese and serve over your favorite pasta.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is calculated online and should be used as a guide.
All content and photographs ©Claudia’s Table and claudiastable.com
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