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Baked Chicken Meatballs

Juicy and delicious Baked Chicken Meatballs made with garlic, basil and tarragon then baked in a super easy and flavorful tomato sauce. I love to serve these meatballs with creamy polenta and crusty bread for mopping up the best bits!

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
55 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 385 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

For the Chicken Meatballs
  • 1.6 lbs (750g) chicken I use half chicken breasts and half thighs* see notes
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup (60g) breadcrumbs
  • 2 tbsp fresh tarragon finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp parmesan freshly grated
  • salt and pepper
For the Tomato Sauce
  • 1 garlic clove finely chopped or minced
  • 1/2 cup (125ml) red wine
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 26 oz (800g ) canned chopped tomatoes high quality (2 cans)
  • 1 cup water

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Add chicken breasts and thighs to a food processor and blitz to a course minced texture. You can also use ground chicken and skip this step.
  2. Add the chicken to a large mixing bowl with breadcrumbs, egg, tarragon, parmesan and sea salt. Mix everything together until thoroughly combined.
  3. Roll the chicken mixture into balls using a heaped tbsp for even measure. Make sure to roll the balls until there are no cracks and have a shine to them. *See tips section for help of forming meatballs.
  4. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F.
  5. Add olive oil to a pan/skillet and brown the meatballs on all sides then set aside. You might need to do this in batches.
  6. Keep the skillet on the heat and add the chopped garlic, saute for 1 minutes until fragrant then add the red wine. Reduce by half then add the tomato paste and mix to combine.
  7. Add the chopped tomatoes and water and reduce the sauce for 10 minutes. Pour the sauce into a baking dish big enough to hold all meatballs and top with the meatballs.
  8. Bake the meatballs for 25 minutes until the sauce is a rich red colour, bubbling and the meatballs are cooked through.
  9. Garnish with basil and parmesan and serve with you favorite sides.

Notes

  • If you don't want to blitz the chicken in a food processor then ground chicken will work just fine just go for the same weight of ground meat.
  • You can add different herbs and spices to the sauce or meatball mixture to change it up.
  • When shaping the meatballs use wet hands to stop the meat sticking to you then roll them in the palms of your hands until there are no or very few cracks and the meatball takes on a shine.
  •  
  • Use the highest quality tomatoes you can get your hands on for making the tomato sauce for best flavor and results. Cheaper brands won't taste nice and will give you a watery and bland sauce.
  • Leftover meatballs can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days then reheat either on the stove or in the oven until piping hot all the way through. You may need to add a splash of water to the sauce if it has thickened or add them to a fresh sauce.
  • You can also freeze these meatballs in suitable containers.

Nutrition Information

Calories 385kcal (19%) Carbohydrates 29g (10%) Protein 24g (48%) Fat 17g (26%) Saturated Fat 5g (25%) Cholesterol 109mg (36%) Sodium 596mg (25%) Potassium 690mg (20%) Fiber 3g (12%) Sugar 7g (14%) Vitamin A 500IU (10%) Vitamin C 20.1mg (22%) Calcium 148mg (15%) Iron 4.6mg (26%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 385

% Daily Value*

Calories 385kcal 19%
Carbohydrates 29g 10%
Protein 24g 48%
Fat 17g 26%
Saturated Fat 5g 25%
Cholesterol 109mg 36%
Sodium 596mg 25%
Potassium 690mg 15%
Fiber 3g 12%
Sugar 7g 14%
Vitamin A 500IU 10%
Vitamin C 20.1mg 22%
Calcium 148mg 15%
Iron 4.6mg 26%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.