Baked Chicken Parmesan Meatballs

Love chicken parmesan? Try it inside out with these baked chicken parmesan meatballs stuffed with gooey mozzarella cheese, served over spaghetti and a quick sauce.

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After Brent’s fabulous vacation to Costa Rica & Panama, he has adopted yet another expensive hobby – scuba diving. However, this activity is one I think I may need to get into as well.

Fortunately, he found the Dive Shop where they offered to take me in the pool for free to first see if I would even like it before I go spending money on classes. Umm, yes please! Let it be known that I will be breathing under water by the end of today.

In other news, I’ve been craving Chicken Parmesan for quite some time, but decided to try and change it up a bit. As if a light-bulb popped out of my head like in the cartoons, baked chicken parmesan meatballs came to mind.

Normally Chicken Parmesan would be coated in a Parmesan-bread crumb crust, but since those ingredients were already mixed into the meatballs themselves I refrained. In the end it paid off because these baked chicken parmesan meatballs were a little bit crunchy on the outside

To continue to the trend, I also decided to stuff it with Mozzarella instead of putting it on top – stuffed yet inside-out? Whatever it is, I loved it. It’s hard to beat that oozing glob of Mozzarella when you cut into the meatballs. 

Serve these baked chicken parmesan meatballs by themselves or add some roasted broccoli and garlic rolls on the side. Alternatively, they are also delightful served over crispy polenta with basil pesto. And for dessert? How about a zabaglione?

BAKED CHICKEN PARMESAN MEATBALLS

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Yield: 4-6 Servings Prep Time: 25 Minutes Cooking Time: 35 Minutes 35 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 bunch fresh basil leaves, torn
• 1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• Pinch sugar
• Salt and pepper
• 1 lb. ground chicken breasts
• 1 Tbsp grill seasoning blend
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish
• 1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
• Handful of parsley, chopped
• 4 oz. Mozzarella, cut into 12 cubes
• 1 lb. spaghetti, cooked al dente

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Coat a large rimmed baking dish with nonstick spray; set aside.
2. Coat a medium skillet with olive oil and place over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic; cook and stir for 5 minutes until fragrant and soft.
3. Add the basil, tomatoes, and red pepper flakes; cook and stir until the liquid is cooked down and the sauce is thick, about 15 minutes; season with sugar, salt and pepper. Lower the heat, cover, and keep warm.
4. While the sauce cooks, place chicken in a bowl and season with grill seasoning. Mix in the egg, Parmesan, bread crumbs, and parsley.
5. Form 12 meatballs and squish to flatten them; place one cube of Mozzarella in each, forming the meatball around the cheese. Place in prepared baking dish.
6. Bake the meatballs for 15 minutes or until golden and firm.
7. Remove from oven and serve over spaghetti topped with Parmesan cheese.

Source: Adapted from Tyler Florence and Rachael Ray from Food Network.

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Post updated 4/17/2023, photo above is the original.