Chicken Meatballs with Tomato-Balsamic Glaze
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
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
Powered by 
- 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.
See more recipes:
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Just had to come back 2 years later and say that I am still making this recipe. I’ve made it with chicken, turkey, and my favorite PORK!!
There are nothing bad in your blog,and I like them so much,hope better in the future,and your life will be better,too.and good things need to share,so I want to introduce my website to you,if you are free,see it,thanks.
I started to read these articles online when a friend recommended to me, now it’s been more than three years since I read the first and I am fascinated here are from news or tips to recipes for every day to improve on different aspects of life , I really love the idea that more people around the world will join this great family of writers and readers of the network. THANKS
A big hello from me to everyone. My name is Tony, I am very grateful to you for sharing this information with us. I hope you keep writing more, I would greatly appreciate if you send me more information, I love the chicken is my favorite.
Your article give me a lot helpful message, no doubt a valuable blog. Best wishes to you.
Just made these for Father’s day – WOW. My family was so impressed, everyone asked for the recipe!
Thanks for sharing, I highly recommend fellow readers make these!
my husband can’t have beef so i’m always looking for alternatives…what a great recipe. the whole family gobbled these up…tons of flavor and really delicious. definitely a keeper…thanks!
I made the chicken meatballs the past two nights. They were soooo good. I did a better job the second night. I used a little less cheese. I paired them with the brussels sprouts, which were equally good. My husband said it’s the best thing I ever made. Thanks for all your great recipes!!
Michelle – You can omit the cheese and substitute chicken stock or water for the milk.
I added chicken broth instead of the milk – and no cheese. The mix became way too moist to form the balls. Had to add alot more bread crumbs. Hope they still turn out okay!
Jan
How did they turn out?
Great recipe–thanks! We have made it twice and used both chicken and turkey. Both were great.