These easy Baked Chicken Parm Meatballs are so good! These versatile moreish morsels of chicken and cheesy deliciousness are perfect as part of a party platter, as an appetiser, slathered in a rich tomato sauce alongside a fresh salad and creamy mash or as part of any Italian inspired meal.
There are so many reasons to love this recipe apart from how easy it is. They are full of flavour, moist on the inside and the fact that the oven does all the work means bonus points in my book.
This recipe is a great way to stretch your budget without compromising on quality or taste and is also wonderfully kid friendly if you nix the chillies - but alongside the parsley, the chillies do give the meatballs a lovely kick of freshness.
Short on time? Prepare the chicken mince mixture a day in advance (store in an airtight container in the fridge) and shape, coat and bake the following day.
MY TIPS
A pair of food safe gloves makes it much easier to work with the meatball mixture and dipping process
You can make these into small patties by flattening slightly more make a ball and then gently push down to flatten - perfect for a great chicken slider!
If you would like more colour on top, grill/broil for a few minutes until you get that perfect golden-brown crust on top
Elevate your traditional spaghetti and meatballs with something a little different!
Make a deliciously yummy chicken parm meatball sub by putting these on a roll with some melty-gooey Mozzarella cheese and a rich, tasty tomato sauce/gravy
Nix the coating, cook and then use them in your favorite tomato or cheese based sauce for another great alternative
If you don't have fresh herbs on hand, add a rounded teaspoon or so of Italian mixed herbs
If you aren't sure if these are cooked inside, gently break a chicken ball in half to test if the centre is done - it should be white and have no pink colour at all, if still pink in the centre cook for another 5 minutes and check again
YOU WILL NEED
Meatball mixture
500g | 18 ounces chicken mince
1/4 cups panko breadcrumbs
1 egg
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon of minced garlic
1/2 cup grated/powdered Parmesan cheese
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon very finely chopped flat parsley
1/4 teaspoon onion powder (optional)
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme (optional)
2 times green chillies finely chopped (optional)
Breading/coating
1/3 cup cornflour/cornstarch + a pinch of salt
2 eggs lightly beaten + a pinch of salt
1/2 cup grated or powdered Parmesan cheese
1 cup panko bread crumbs
Olive/vegetable oil spray
METHOD
Preheat oven to 180C/350F and line a baking tray with baking paper.
In a large bowl add the chicken mince, the ¼ cup of the panko breadcrumbs, 1 egg, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, Parmesan cheese, black pepper, onion powder, chopped parsley, thyme and chilli in a bowl and mix until well combined.
Shape into 12 balls and set aside on a plate.
In a small bowl lightly beat 2 eggs with a pinch of salt and set aside.
In another bowl add the cornflour and set aside.
In another bowl combine the panko breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese.
Create a construction line of your chicken mixture, cornflour, egg, panko/parmesan coating and lined baking dish/tray.
Take the chicken balls, one at a time, lightly rolling in the cornflour until completely covered, then place into the egg mixture until fully coated and thirdly add the chicken ball into the breadcrumb-parmesan mixture before placing onto your lined baking tray. Reshape slightly if needed and continue until all the balls are complete.
Spray the chicken balls generously with olive/vegetable oil spray and bake chicken balls for 20-25 minutes. Enjoy hot.
MAKES 12
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