Baked Chicken Meatballs
One of the best things about making a meal is when you can make a little extra to freeze for later. That’s the case with my Baked Chicken Meatballs!
The other huge bonus to these meatballs is that they have hidden veggies. The zucchini helps to keep them moist, the onion provides more flavor, and no one will be the wiser. Serve them on pasta or as a dish on their own.
These juicy meatballs have a bunch of ingredients, but they are incredibly easy to make. Don’t let the list feel daunting! Put everything together in one bowl, make your meatballs and bake them to crispy perfection. That’s it!
This particular recipe does include crackers, but if you are trying to make them gluten-free, you can go one of two ways: try a gluten-free cracker substitute or crush up pork rinds to use instead. Either way you’ll have a tasty dish!
Looking for some other hidden veggie dishes? Try my Gluten Free Chicken Broccoli Casserole or my Cabbage and Tomatoes with Bacon!
Hidden Veggies Meatballs Recipe
1 lb ground chicken
1 cup crackers, crushed
1/2 cup zucchini, grated
1/4 cup onion, grated
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 Tbsp seasoned salt
1 tsp garlic, minced
3 Tbsp Italian seasoning
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp pepper
2 tsp thyme
1 egg, beaten
3/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Put 7 or 8 crackers in a bag and crush them with a potato masher or your hands. See if that fills up 1 cup and keep adding crushed crackers until you reach that level.
Take out a large mixing bowl and add your cup of crackers.
Grate your zucchini and your onion and add both to the bowl.
Add your shredded cheese, seasoned salt, garlic, Italian seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, thyme, egg, and red pepper flakes (optional, but add them if you like spice). Mix all of these until they are well incorporated.
Add your ground chicken and combine it with ingredients already in the bowl. Be careful not to work this mixture too much or it will make your meatballs tough. Mix it just enough to incorporate everything together.
Using an ice cream scoop, spoon out the mixture onto a parchment lined baking sheet, leaving the meatballs approximately 1 inch apart.
Bake the meatballs for approximately 15 – 20 minutes and then, with tongs, turn over each meatball.
Bake for another 15 minutes or until the meatballs show the browned outsides you’re looking for.
Serve these with pasta and sauce or eat them by themselves!
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Baked Chicken Meatballs With Hidden Veggies
These Baked Chicken Meatballs are even better because they have hidden veggies baked in! A crispy outside and juicy inside will have people asking for more!
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 1 cup crackers, crushed
- 1/2 cup zucchini, grated
- 1/4 cup onion, grated
- 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1 Tbsp seasoned salt
- 1 tsp garlic, minced
- 3 Tbsp Italian seasoning
- 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp pepper
- 2 tsp thyme
- 1 egg, beaten
- 3/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Put 7 or 8 crackers in a bag and crush them with a potato masher or your hands. See if that fills up 1 cup and keep adding crushed crackers until you reach that level.
- Take out a large mixing bowl and add your cup of crackers.
- Grate your zucchini and your onion and add both to the bowl.
- Add your shredded cheese, seasoned salt, garlic, Italian seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, thyme, egg, and red pepper flakes (optional, but add them if you like spice). Mix all of these until they are well incorporated.
- Add your ground chicken and combine it with ingredients already in the bowl. Be careful not to work this mixture too much or it will make your meatballs tough. Mix it just enough to incorporate everything together.
- Using an ice cream scoop, spoon out the mixture onto a parchment lined baking sheet, leaving the meatballs approximately 1 inch apart.
- Bake the meatballs for approximately 15 - 20 minutes and then with tongs, turn over each meatball.
- Bake for another 15 minutes or until the meatballs show the browned outsides you're looking for.
- Serve these with pasta and sauce or eat them by themselves!
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
15Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 100Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 48mgSodium: 403mgCarbohydrates: 4gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 9g
This calculation is intended for informational purposes only. I am not a doctor or dietician. This calculator is a guide, but makes no guarantee of being exact or fully accurate.
