Chicken Meatballs with Tomato-Balsamic Glaze
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These balsamic-glazed chicken meatballs are what weeknight dinner dreams are made of: minimal effort, maximum flavor. Bonus–they’re also great served cocktail-party style with toothpicks.
If you’re looking for an alternative to traditional spaghetti and meatballs or turkey meatballs in marinara sauce, this light and elegant chicken meatball recipe fits the bill. I love them with mashed potatoes, puréed cauliflower, polenta, or buttered pasta for a quick and easy weeknight meal.
You can also make these chicken meatballs as an appetizer—just make them smaller and spear them with toothpicks.
“I have MANY meatball recipes – this one ranks high! Sometimes I make a double batch and use leftovers for meatball subs and meal-prep.”
What You’ll Need To Make Chicken Meatballs With Tomato-Balsamic Glaze
- Egg: Helps bind the meatball mixture together for a cohesive, tender texture.
- Fresh Parsley: Adds freshness and a pop of color to the meatballs.
- Tomato Paste: Adds rich, concentrated tomato flavor to both the meatball mixture and glaze. I recommend buying the tomato paste that comes in a tube, which is nice because you can use just what you need and store it in the fridge until you need it again.
- Garlic: Brings bold, savory flavor to the meatballs—just one clove goes a long way.
- Milk: Adds moisture to the meatballs and helps keep them tender.
- Ground Chicken: The base of the meatballs. Choose a variety with a bit of fat for moist, flavorful results—skip the extra-lean breast meat. You can substitute ground turkey, just make sure it’s not too lean.
- Grated Pecorino Romano Cheese: Adds salty, tangy richness to the meatballs. Similar to Parmesan cheese/Parmigianno Reggiano, but sharper and more robust in flavor.
- Italian Bread Crumbs: Help hold the meatballs together while adding texture and herby flavor. If you’re cooking gluten-free, a number of brands make gluten-free versions that work well.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Used in the glaze to bring everything together and add richness.
- Balsamic Vinegar: Adds a tangy-sweet note to the glaze that balances the tomato and sugar.
- Sugar: Rounds out the glaze with a hint of sweetness.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Mix the base. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, parsley, tomato paste, garlic, milk, salt, and pepper until the tomato paste is fully dissolved.
Step 2: Add the meat and fillers. Add the ground chicken, grated cheese, and breadcrumbs.
Step 3: Combine. Use your hands to gently mix everything together—the mixture will be a bit wet.
Step 4: Form the meatballs. With damp hands, shape the mixture into medium-sized balls and place them in an ungreased 9×13-inch baking dish.
Step 5: Make the glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together the tomato paste, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and sugar.
Step 6: Glaze the meatballs. Brush the glaze evenly over the meatballs. It may seem like it’s not enough, but a little glaze goes a long way (it’s boldly flavored) and too much will overpower the flavor of the meatballs.
Step 7: Bake and serve. Bake in a 325°F oven for about 30 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of a meatball reads 160°F. Serve the meatballs hot and enjoy!
More Meatball Recipes You May Like
Chicken Meatballs with Tomato-Balsamic Glaze
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- 1 large egg
- 3 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ¼ cup milk
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 lb ground chicken (preferably Purdue, not extra lean all breast meat)
- ½ cup grated pecorino Romano cheese
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons Italian seasoned bread crumbs
For the Glaze
- 1½ tablespoons tomato paste
- 1½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
- ¾ teaspoon sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C) and set a rack in the middle position.
- In a large bowl, combine the egg, parsley, tomato paste, garlic, milk, salt and pepper. Mix well with a wire whisk, making sure the tomato paste is completely dissolved.
- Add the ground chicken, grated cheese and breadcrumbs. Use your hand to mix the ingredients together; it will be somewhat wet. Form medium-sized balls and place into an ungreased 9 x 13-in (23 x 33-cm) baking dish.
- Make the glaze by combining all of the ingredients in a small bowl. Brush evenly over the meatballs. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of a meatball registers 160°F (71°C). Remove from the oven and serve.
Notes
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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I made these last night and we were very impressed. The texture and flavor are great! Came together in minimal time. Another wonderful “Jenn” recipe! Stay safe =)
WOW! Just made a batch and love the texture and flavor. My local Whole Foods only carries 98% white meat ground chicken so I added a tablespoon of olive oil so it wouldn’t be too dry. Only thing I altered with recipe. Glaze takes it over the top and without the glaze, recipe could easily substitute a typical beef meatball simmered in a red/marinara sauce. I can see how they would be great as an appetizer since the sauce is mildly sweet with a flavorful meatball underneath. Another great recipe for my box!! Keeper for sure. Thanks again, Jenn!
I make these chicken meatballs a lot, I always double the glaze so there is enough of it for us. I use these with spaghetti delicious also great when made for appetizer. i always add some italilan seasoning never have the seasoned bread crumbs.
Love the majority of your recipes, but not a fan of these. They kind of lacked taste and felt undercooked even though I did bake them till 160 degrees. Kids ate them though! Next time I’d maybe make them with half chicken half pork. Do you think that would work?
Yes you could also add some bacon or pancetta for more flavor. 🙂
Hi Jenn-
This is the first comment I’ve made on your blog after two weeks of being obsessed over your recipes snice finding you. These meatballs were awesome! I have six children so I have to double double (sometimes triple) everything, but they were a hit with everyone! 🙂 I’ve loved the naan bread, lentil veggie soup, pumpkin scones, French Apple cake and others. We’re going to gain weight as I can’t stop trying your recipes! It’s awesome how everything I need for your recipes is already in my pantry and yet it all comes out so good! Thank you!
I’m so happy you’re enjoying the recipes, Stephanie! Thank you for taking the time to write and let me know. 😊
These were DELICIOUS! My son requested spaghetti and meatballs for dinner tonight – checked the fridge and all I had was ground chicken, so I knew I had to make these. Recipe came together in about 10 minutes of prep work, We are watching our calories so I used half the cheese the recipe called for and I didn’t miss it at all. Flavor is great, the glaze is tangy and sweet. I was already baking Jenn’s chocolate zucchini bread at 350, so I popped these in at that higher temp and used a thermometer to check them to 165. Took about 24 minutes.
Dear Jenn,
I’ve made these already & we loved them. I was wondering if i could prepare the meatballs & freeze them before cooking to use at a later date.
Thanks for so many delicious recipes.
Darlene
So glad you enjoy the recipes, Darlene! I generally freeze meatballs after cooking them, but it’s perfectly fine to freeze them before if you prefer. 🙂
I made this recipe again tonight for the umpteenth time. I leave out the milk and cheese because we keep kosher. If I have non dairy creamer available I’ll use that but tonight I didn’t. I just don’t bake them as long. Served them with green beans and carrots and rice. A perfect weeknight meal.
I have made these a few times now. They are perfect! I double the glaze, add some to the meatballs and save some to “ dip” ……..yummy!
Excellent! I , too, will double the glaze next time!