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5.0 from 54 votes

Chicken and Zucchini Meatballs

These chicken and zucchini meatballs are healthy, but are still amazingly juicy and fluffy! These are the perfect chicken meatballs with sneaky hidden green veggies for a healthy option for adding to pasta, eating on a sub sandwich, or just enjoying as an appetizer with your favorite dip.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
30 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 307 kcal
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 2 cups grated zucchini (about 2 small or 1 large zucchini)
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs (panko or regular are fine)
  • 1/4 cup milk (see notes)
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (plus more for the zucchini)
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (plus more for greasing the pan)
  • 1 lb. ground chicken (or turkey)

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Grate the zucchini (I used a box grater) onto a clean kitchen towel or cloth napkin (see notes). Spread it out in a thin layer across the towel and sprinkle with a pinch of the salt. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes (the salt will draw the water out).
  2. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a rimmed baking sheet with a thin layer of olive oil (first line with foil, for easy clean-up, if you prefer).
  3. In a large bowl, mix together the egg (1), plain breadcrumbs (½ cup), milk (¼ cup), garlic powder (½ teaspoon), onion powder (½ teaspoon), kosher salt (½ teaspoon), black pepper (¼ teaspoon), and olive oil (2 tablespoons). Set aside.
  4. Roll the grated zucchini up in the towel and wring out as much water as possible over your sink. Add the grated zucchini to the bowl, as well as the ground chicken (1 lb.). Mix together well (your hands will work best for this, but a spoon will work if you don't want to touch the mixture).
  5. Form balls about 1 ½ inch in diameter (approximately 20 meatballs) and place on the prepared baking sheet. I recommend using a cookie scoop for this, which will help form meatballs of uniform size as well as aid in forming balls out of a somewhat sticky/loose mixture (see notes).
  6. Bake at 400 degrees for about 20-25 minutes, until internal temperature has reached 165 degrees F. Optional: for the last 3-5 minutes, broil the meatballs to brown them a bit on the top.
  7. Serve with marinara sauce over cooked pasta, in a meatball sub, as a main with sides, an app with a dip, or however you like to serve meatballs!

Notes

  • ½
  • The milk helps make the meatballs super juicy, but it may be omitted or replaced with a plant-based substitute if you prefer (oat milk is the best substitute in terms of taste).
  • The added olive oil to the meatballs also helps make the meatballs super juicy and moist, but feel free to take it down to 1 tablespoon or omit if you want a lower fat option.
  • The mixture will be pretty loose and sticky. This is OK - as it cooks, the meatballs will bind together and be quite firm and hold together well after they bake. A cookie scoop can help you form the meatballs without worrying about using your hands, which may prove challenging. You can also refrigerate the mixture before forming the meatballs for an hour (or prep ahead up to overnight) and it will hold together as you form the meatballs a little better at the colder temperature.
  • Cooking time note: This recipe yields about 20 1 ½-inch meatballs, give or take. If you make them bigger or smaller, you may need to adjust cooking time to longer or shorter. This is where a meat thermometer comes in handy (I recommend Thermoworks Thermapen One for a super fast, accurate read!).
  • You can make these chicken meatballs in advance and freeze them raw or cooked. Cook from frozen and raw at 400 degrees for 30-35 minutes or from frozen and cooked for 25-30 minutes.
  • Make these gluten-free by using gluten-free breadcrumbs. Make them dairy free by using plant-based milk.
  • I don't recommend using paper towels to drain the zucchini. They will fall apart when you try to wring it out. If you don't have a clean towel to use, you can add the grated zucchini to a mesh sieve set over a bowl, sprinkle with salt, and let sit for a little. You can use a spoon to press on the zucchini and let the liquid drain out of the sieve into the bowl.

Nutrition Information

Serving 5meatballs Calories 307kcal (15%) Carbohydrates 13g (4%) Protein 24g (48%) Fat 18g (28%) Saturated Fat 4g (20%) Polyunsaturated Fat 3g Monounsaturated Fat 10g Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 120mg (40%) Sodium 477mg (20%) Potassium 817mg (23%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 3g (6%) Vitamin A 179IU (4%) Vitamin C 11mg (12%) Calcium 64mg (6%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 307

% Daily Value*

Serving 5meatballs
Calories 307kcal 15%
Carbohydrates 13g 4%
Protein 24g 48%
Fat 18g 28%
Saturated Fat 4g 20%
Polyunsaturated Fat 3g 18%
Monounsaturated Fat 10g 50%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 120mg 40%
Sodium 477mg 20%
Potassium 817mg 17%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 3g 6%
Vitamin A 179IU 4%
Vitamin C 11mg 12%
Calcium 64mg 6%
Iron 2mg 11%

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