I could easily start with “who doesn’t a love good meatball?” but hey, you never know! I like to say that my family and I are like meatball connoisseurs and try them at all restaurants that we go to. (I did not join in the meatball fun for almost a year when I went 100% plant-based though)
Plus, growing up Italian, Sunday’s were for meatballs and spaghetti. I carried that tradition over for a while when the kids were younger but man is that a lot of work! God bless my grandparents who did it every Sunday without fail!
I still like to make a good meatball at home from time to time though. They are rather simple and are great for meal prep. I recently made my turmeric turkey meatballs that were a huge hit, not your usual meatball oh so yummy! I like making dishes that are rather versatile. This way if you aren’t 100% sold on the ingredients that I use you can easily swap them out for what you do like.
One ingredient I always use when making anything with chicken or turkey meat are chopped onions. Since I use the white meat it can tend to be on the drier side but the onions give it the juice that is needed to make it moist. I would suggest not swapping the onions unless there is an allergy as you really can’t taste them.
Other ingredients used are whole wheat breadcrumbs (you can go with almond flour to keep them gluten-free) fresh grated parm cheese, spinach, and lots of Italian seasonings such as dried basil, oregano, garlic & onion powder, red pepper flakes, salt, and fresh parsley if you have it.
Now you are probably wondering what makes them so red on top? This is the best part I think! Once they are formed and ready to bake, brush the tops of them with a tomato paste and olive oil mixture! Then bake them and watch the paste crust over and deepen the flavor of these chicken meatballs! Delish!
That’s it! Super simple and you can enjoy them so many ways. Over zoodles for a low carb pasta and meatball dish, in a salad, make sliders or even as appetizers if you make them bite size with sauce to dip in! Plus they are freezer friendly. I actually have a batch in my freezer now that we will enjoy later this week.
Remember to tag me in your photos when you make your chicken meatballs! I love to see your creations! Let’s connect on Instagram or Facebook!
Healthy Chicken Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground chicken organic if possible
- 2 cups fresh spinach chopped small
- 1 egg beaten
- 1/2 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh grated parm cheese
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp dried basil
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes more if you like heat
- 1/2 tsp salt
- a handful of chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400f. Spray a baking sheet with oil
- Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl well together. Using your hands is best! Reserve 1 tsp of each the tomato paste and olive oil for the brushing on top.
- Mix the remaining tomato paste & olive oil and brush or spoon over the tops of the meatballs evenly.
- Bake for about 20 minutes or until cooked through.
- Let cool and then enjoy however you desire! Keep in the fridge for 2-3 days or freeze.
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