These chicken and broccoli meatballs are great served on their own or dipped into your favorite marinara sauce. Packed with a serving of broccoli, they are a great source of protein and veggies!
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Everything comes together in one bowl for these easy-to-make meatballs! These oven-baked meatballs are freezer-friendly and can be customized to serve with marinara sauce, a sweet and spicy sauce, or in a meatball sub!
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WHAT YOU’LL NEED
Here is what you’ll need to make these chicken and broccoli meatballs:
- Chicken: I used ground chicken in this recipe, but you can also use the same method with ground turkey.
- Panko Breadcrumbs: Absorbs the juices from the meat as it cooks so that the meatballs are not dry.
- Parmesan Cheese: For added flavor to the meatballs.
- Egg: Used as a binder to help hold all of the ingredients together.
- Onion Powder/Black Pepper: For added flavor and an extra kick to the meatballs.
- Salt: Optional ingredient for a little added taste.
- Marinara Sauce (Optional): To dip the meatballs into. I love using the Rao’s brand marinara sauce, but these are great to snack on as is!
- Oil Spray: To spray the meatballs before baking.
PROCESS
- Add the broccoli to a microwave-safe bowl and microwave it on high heat for 2 minutes, or until tender. Drain all of the liquid.
- Use kitchen scissors to finely chop the broccoli into small pieces. You may also quickly pulse the broccoli in a blender if you prefer a more fine texture.
- Add the chicken, breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, egg, broccoli, and seasonings to a bowl and mix until combined. Be sure not to overmix as overmixing can cause the meat to be tough when baked.
- Scoop out tablespoon-sized portions and roll them into small balls. Place the balls on a parchment paper-lined pan.
- Spray the meatballs with some cooking oil spray and bake them at 400 degrees F for 15-18 minutes.
- If you choose to add them to a sauce, simmer the marinara sauce in a pan on low heat. Add in the meatballs and simmer for a few minutes.
STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS
Store the meatballs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To freeze, arrange meatballs in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Once solid, transfer the meatballs to a freezer bag and freeze for up to 2 months.
SUBSTITUTIONS
- Chicken: You may substitute the ground chicken with ground turkey. I love using the Butcher Box subscription service for high-quality meats. If you would like to try out Butcher Box, you can click here for a special offer (affiliate link).
- Breadcrumbs: Almond flour usually serves as a good alternative to breadcrumbs for these meatballs.
- Egg: The egg may be replaced with 2 tablespoons of buttermilk. A flax egg may also be a good alternative, but I have not tried this myself.
RECIPE NOTES
- Do not overmix the meat mixture. If you overwork the meat mixture, your meatballs may come out tough, so try not to overmix them.
- Keep your hands moist with a bit of water as you form and roll the balls so that your hands don’t get too sticky.
- This recipe makes around 30 small meatballs. If you would like to make larger meatballs, add a few minutes to the total bake time.
- I like to add in an extra ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper to the mixture for an extra kick, but you can leave this out if your little ones are not a fan of spicy foods.
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Chicken And Broccoli Meatballs
These chicken and broccoli meatballs are great served on their own or dipped into your favorite marinara sauce. Packed with a serving of broccoli, they are a great source of protein and veggies!
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Servings: 30 meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground chicken
- ½ cup Panko breadcrumbs
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 egg
- 1 ½ cups finely chopped broccoli florets
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ⅛ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C).
- Add the broccoli to a microwave-safe bowl and microwave it on high heat for 2 minutes, or until tender. Drain all of the liquid.
- Use kitchen scissors to finely chop the broccoli into small pieces. You may also quickly pulse the broccoli in a blender if you prefer a more fine texture. You should have about 1 ½ cups of the finely chopped broccoli mixture.
- Add the chicken, breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, egg, broccoli, and seasonings to a bowl and mix until combined. Be sure not to overmix as overmixing can cause the meat to be tough when baked.
- Scoop out tablespoon-sized portions and roll them into small balls. Place the balls on a parchment paper-lined pan.
- Spray the meatballs with some cooking oil spray and bake them at 400 degrees F for 15-18 minutes.
- Optional: If you choose to add them to a sauce, simmer the marinara sauce in a pan on low heat. Add in the meatballs and simmer for a few minutes.
Notes
- Do not overmix the meat mixture. If you overwork the meat mixture, your meatballs may come out tough, so try not to overmix them.
- Keep your hands moist with a bit of water as you form and roll the balls so that your hands don’t get too sticky.
- This recipe makes around 30 small meatballs. If you would like to make larger meatballs, add a few minutes to the total bake time.
- I like to add in an extra ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper to the mixture for an extra kick, but you can leave this out if your little ones are not a fan of spicy foods.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Chicken And Broccoli Meatballs
Amount per Serving
Calories
36.37
% Daily Value*
Fat
1.9
g
3
%
Saturated Fat
0.67
g
4
%
Trans Fat
0.01
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
0.3
g
Monounsaturated Fat
0.72
g
Cholesterol
19.91
mg
7
%
Sodium
87.93
mg
4
%
Potassium
100.8
mg
3
%
Carbohydrates
1.28
g
0
%
Fiber
0.17
g
1
%
Sugar
0.15
g
0
%
Protein
3.58
g
7
%
Vitamin A
50.73
IU
1
%
Vitamin C
4.07
mg
5
%
Calcium
20.62
mg
2
%
Iron
0.24
mg
1
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
TRIED THIS RECIPE?Rate in the comments below or tag @feedingtinybellies on Instagram!
These turned out amazing!! Thanks so much for sharing – my 18 month old is gobbling them up as we speak 🙂
I’m so happy to hear that!! Thank you for sharing your great review, Kelly!😊
What are storage instructions?
Hi Aditi! The storage instructions for each recipe are listed in the blog post if you scroll up a bit titled “storage instructions” 😊
Are these to be frozen before or after baking? And what are the cooking/reheating recommendations?
Hi Bekah! These are best frozen after baking. To reheat, you can place the meatballs in a baking dish in a single layer, cover with foil and bake at 300 degrees F for 20-30 minutes😊
Is the broccoli measurement before or after chopping?
Hi Jenae! The broccoli measurement is after chopping, so you would measure out 1.5 cups after chopping.
Absolutely delicious and easy! Perfect recipe for dinner or snacking throughout the day. Thank you!
My 13 month old loved these and she typically doesn’t like to eat meat!
I’m so glad to hear that your little one enjoys these meatballs!😊
Awesome recipe! In case it’s helpful for others, I made three modifications due to my toddler’s food allergies and they still turned out great: 1/4 cup applesauce (egg-free swap), gluten free plain breadcrumbs (wheat-free swap), and vegan Parmesan cheese (dairy-free swap). Thanks as always for your tasty recipes!
Thank you for sharing your allergen swaps, I’m sure it’ll be helpful to readers who are looking for good alternatives! I’m so glad you enjoyed these meatballs, Liz!😊
My picky 2.5 year-old and 11 month-old baby both loved this. I’m so happy to have found this recipe (hubby and I also loved them with some pizza sauce) for the whole family! Thank you!
I’m so happy to hear that!😊
What is the serving size?
Hi Channing! This recipe makes about 30 tablespoon-sized meatballs. The nutrition facts listed are for one single meatball.
Yum!!! These meatballs are so good and easy to whip up. I did slightly larger scoops and ended up with 20 meatballs – only half made it into the fridge to have for dinner tomorrow, the rest got gobbled up by my husband and 7-month-old. 🙂
I’m so glad you all enjoyed these meatballs!😊
My son loved them so much I made a bunch for the freezer. When cooking after freezing do you need to defrost them in the fridge overnight or can you put them straight into the oven?
I’m so glad to hear that your son loved these! I usually reheat leftovers directly from frozen in a pan covered with aluminum foil on low heat (around 300F) until fully warmed through😊
Isn’t parmesan too slaty for tiny bellies? My son is 9.5 months and I try to limit salt as much as possible. What can I replace it with?
Hi Hanna! You can swap it with a lower sodium cheese like Mozzarella 😊