Baked Spicy Chicken Parm Meatballs (Print)

Juicy spicy chicken meatballs baked in marinara with melted mozzarella cheese for a comforting Italian-American meal.

# Ingredients:

→ For the Meatballs

01 - 1 lb ground chicken
02 - 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
03 - 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
04 - 1 large egg
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
07 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
08 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
09 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
10 - 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
11 - 1 teaspoon onion powder
12 - 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
13 - 2 tablespoons hot sauce

→ For Baking

14 - 2 cups marinara sauce
15 - 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
16 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
02 - In a large bowl, combine ground chicken, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, egg, garlic, parsley, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, cayenne, onion powder, oregano, and hot sauce. Mix until just combined without overmixing.
03 - With damp hands, form mixture into 1 1/2-inch meatballs and place on a plate. Yield is approximately 16 meatballs.
04 - Heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add meatballs and brown 2-3 minutes per side in batches. Meatballs do not need to be fully cooked through.
05 - Spread half the marinara sauce in prepared baking dish. Arrange browned meatballs on top. Spoon remaining sauce over meatballs.
06 - Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes.
07 - Remove from oven and sprinkle mozzarella cheese evenly over meatballs. Return to oven and bake 10-12 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly. Internal temperature should reach 165°F.
08 - Remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • You get all the flavors of chicken parm without the fussy pounding and breading step.
  • These freeze beautifully, so you can bake them straight from frozen on a chaotic weeknight.
  • The spice sneaks up on you in the best way, building heat without overwhelming the dish.
  • One pan, minimal cleanup, maximum comfort food vibes.
02 -
  • Don't skip the browning step; it creates a crust that keeps the meatballs from falling apart in the sauce.
  • Ground chicken can be tricky—it dries out faster than beef or pork, so the egg and breadcrumbs are essential, not optional.
03 -
  • Brown the meatballs in batches instead of cramming them all in at once—crowding the pan steams them instead of browning them.
  • If your mozzarella isn't melting evenly, cover the dish loosely with foil for the first few minutes of that final bake, then uncover to let it brown.
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