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
Winner, winner meatball dinner! Quick, easy, and irresistibly tasty, these baked chicken meatballs with a tangy glaze make the perfect fuss-free family supper.
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 pound 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.
- 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 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. Remove from the oven and serve.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cooked meatballs can be frozen, with their glaze, for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to serve, thaw them in the fridge and then reheat them, tightly covered with foil, in a 300°F oven, until hot in the center.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Serving size: 1 meatball
- Calories: 119
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated fat: 2 g
- Carbohydrates: 4 g
- Sugar: 1 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 10 g
- Sodium: 161 mg
- Cholesterol: 54 mg
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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Comments
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First, let me say that you are my go-to resource. If I think of or see something I might want to make I check your site and cookbook first to see if you have a recipe for it or something I can adapt.
This is one of the rare recipes that everyone in my house does not love (I think it is the ground chicken texture, not the flavors) BUT my mom, my sister, and I LOOOOOOVE it. So when they are here I make this and the kids and husband fend for themselves 🙂
We love the glaze so much that I buy a 12oz can of tomato paste and use the whole thing up. I double the amount in the meat and the rest I use for the glaze and increase the amounts of the other ingredients proportionally. (If I have extra garlic I add that in and sometimes a tiny splash of Worchester sauce)
Do you have any suggestions for turning that remaining glaze into a true sauce? Up to this point we always just spoon a giant dollop onto our plates and then mix it around with whatever starch I made. I’ve thought about heating it up and adding sour cream or chicken broth or something but I’m afraid to ruin it. Any ideas?
So glad you’re a fan of the glaze! Unfortunately, I don’t think it would translate well to a sauce – while you could add broth to it, I think it would just dilute it. You could try adding sour cream; it may be good but taste quite different. Your best bet may be to look for a tomato sauce with a splash of balsamic – sorry!
I didn’t care for this recipe at all, although my family thought it was OK. I used the pancetta version from the book. The meatballs tasted too much like breadcrumbs and the glaze was simply not good – it needed the addition of soy and a bit more sugar or something else to balance out the tomato paste, which was too overwhelming. I prefer the panade method instead of breadcrumbs. Would not make again.
I made this years ago and recently brought them back in to the rotation and I am so happy I did! They are incredibly fast to made and absolutely delicious. I think these would also freeze really well after baking.
Hi Jenn,
Love all your recipes, and typically so do my kids! This one however they did not love; I think it was just the balsamic glaze they didn’t care for. I loved it, but 4 kids refusing to eat what I just made for dinner is 😫 do you recommend any different (milder) glaze or sauce for these? I’m making them now again just leaving the glaze off but thought I’d ask! Thank you so much!
Hi Taylor, sorry to hear these got the thumbs down from your kids! Kids love this sauce — you could stick to the meatballs in this recipe and use the sauce from the cocktail meatballs (keep in mind that it’s a sauce versus a glaze). I you make it, I hope they enjoy this one more!
A family member doesn’t like new foods, so he spent the day grunting and complaining when I was making the meatballs…to appease him, I used the Balsamic sauce on half of the meatballs and spaghetti sauce on the other half.
I made the recipe exactly as printed,,,and turns out he loved them…and I loved them…and…they (with the spaghetti sauce) were also accepted by a fussy 2 years old. So this recipe is a “keeper” and I’m happy I tried it.
I also liked that the meatballs were baked and not fried.
This is my family’s favorite meatball. I have made so many of your recipes and they are always delicious and the instructions spot on. Thank you!
Theses are easy and to die for
I made these just as the recipe called and they were delicious. I also made them with ground turkey and they were good, but the chicken has a better taste. As usual! Love all of your recipes…I feel like your groupie I am so excited about your site. I tell everyone I know, and no one leaves my house without asking for the recipes which I gladly share. Thank you. Keep them coming. I especially appreciate the freeze tips and make ahead tips.
💗
Is store bought already grated parmesan cheese okay (the refrigerated kind)?
Hi Theresa, Pecorino Romano has a slightly stronger flavor, but the grated parm will work. Hope you enjoy!
Hi! These meatballs are great, especially with the kids! Just wondering if they can be made in the crockpot for a party?
So glad you and the kids like them! I don’t have a slow cooker so I can’t say for sure, but I think it would work. Please LMK how they come out if you try it!