Zucchini Parmesan Chicken Meatballs
These Zucchini Parmesan Chicken Meatballs are the perfect weeknight meal. Tender and delicious, this easy meatball recipe comes together quickly. I like to enjoy these chicken meatballs over a bed of rice with a side of homemade tzatziki for the ultimate lightened up, high protein meal.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
High-quality ingredients. For this recipe, I used Smart Chicken’s organic boneless skinless chicken breasts. Add the chicken breasts to a food processor to make the ground chicken.
Humanely handled. Smart Chickens are fed a high-quality diet, humanely handled and never given antibiotics, hormones or animal by products.
Smart Chicken is air chilled. Smart Chicken is air chilled instead of water chilled. This process yields better texture, taste and flavor when cooking your chicken.
This post as sponsored by Smart Chicken. While I was compensated for my time, all opinions are my own.
Recipe Ingredients
- Chicken: You’ll need one pound of Smart Chicken boneless skinless chicken breasts for this recipe. Add them to a food processor to form ground chicken.
- Egg: This recipe calls for one large egg.
- Oil: This recipe calls for extra virgin olive oil. Adding some fat to the lean meat helps keep it juicy.
- Zucchini: You’ll need to grate one small – medium sized zucchini for the meatballs. Squeeze out excess moisture from the zucchini.
- Cheese: This recipe calls for grated parmesan cheese.
- Breadcrumbs: This recipe calls for Italian a breadcrumb.
- Seasoning: You’ll need garlic powder, onion powder, dried parsley, dried oregano, kosher salt and a few turns of cracked black pepper for this recipe.
Optional Additions
- Rice: Serve these meatballs over a bed of rice.
- Tzatziki: Enjoy with a dollop of my easy tzatziki sauce.
Variations
- Serve with cheese. Option to top these meatballs with a slice of provolone, mozzarella or some crumbled feta cheese. To melt the cheese, place it on the meatballs and heat it under a broiler. Make sure you use an oven safe pan.
- Add to a salad. Keep things light and enjoy these meatballs over a salad instead of rice.
- Add some sauce. If you want a saucy meatball, try nestling these into some warm tomato basil sauce, Alfredo sauce, or my marry me sauce.
Expert Tips
- Make sure your chicken is fully thawed. If your chicken is frozen or even semi-frozen it will retain water. That water will come out during cooking process and make your meatballs soggy.
- Squeeze or press out excess moisture from the zucchini.
- Lightly wet your hand with water to form the meatballs. This will prevent the meat from sticking to your hands.
- Do not overcrowd the pan. Work in batches when pan searing.
How to Make
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a baking dish with avocado oil cooking spray. Set aside.
Grind the Chicken
Add your Smart Chicken boneless skinless organic chicken breasts to a food processor. Buzz until smooth, no lumps.
Combine
Add the ground chicken, egg, breadcrumbs, grated parmesan cheese, extra virgin olive oil, grated and squeezed zucchini, kosher salt, dried parsley, dried oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, and a few turns of cracked black pepper to a bowl.
Form the Meatballs
Lightly wet your hands with water and form the meatballs. You’ll get 18-20 medium sized meatballs.
Pan Sear
Add avocado oil to a skillet and lightly pan sear the meatballs until they’re golden brown on all sides. Remove from the skillet place them on a paper towel to absorb excess oil. Do not overcrowd the pan. Work in batches.
Bake
Once all the meatballs are pan seared and have rested on the paper towel, add them to the prepared baking dish. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until they are cooked through. The internal temperature should reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure doneness.
Serve and enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Store covered in the refrigerator for up to four – five days. Reheat the meatballs in the microwave until warmed through.
Try my Lebanese Orzo Rice and Easy Tzatziki Sauce.
Other Chicken Meatball Recipes to Consider Trying
- Firecracker Meatballs
- Greek Chicken Meatballs
- Juicy Chicken Meatballs with Onions, Peppers and Provolone
- Chicken Cacciatore Meatballs
- Creamy Baked Pesto Pasta with Chicken Meatballs
- Marry Me Chicken Meatballs
Zucchini Parmesan Chicken Meatballs
Equipment
- 1 food processor
- 1 baking dish
- 1 skillet
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground chicken, Smart Chicken
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ½ cup Italian breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 sml – med zucchini, grated, press out excess moisture
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- few turns cracked black pepper
Instructions
How to Make
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a baking dish with avocado oil cooking spray. Set aside.
Grind the Chicken
- Add your Smart Chicken boneless skinless organic chicken breasts to a food processor. Buzz until smooth, no lumps.
Combine
- Add the ground chicken, egg, breadcrumbs, grated parmesan cheese, extra virgin olive oil, grated and squeezed zucchini, kosher salt, dried parsley, dried oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, and a few turns of cracked black pepper to a bowl.
Form the Meatballs
- Lightly wet your hands with water and form the meatballs. You’ll get 18-20 medium sized meatballs.
Pan Sear
- Add avocado oil to a skillet and lightly pan sear the meatballs until they’re golden brown on all sides. Remove from the skillet place them on a paper towel to absorb excess oil. Do not overcrowd the pan. Work in batches.
Bake
- Once all the meatballs are pan seared and have rested on the paper towel, add them to the prepared baking dish. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until they are cooked through. The internal temperature should reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure doneness. Serve and enjoy!
2 Comments on “Zucchini Parmesan Chicken Meatballs”
The meatballs turned out perfect! Loved this recipe and so did our picky daughter! Only substitution I made was using Swiss and Gruyère blend instead of Parmesan cheese bc that’s what I had. Served with rice, tzatziki and chopped tomatoes. Will have this on repeat for sure!
So glad you enjoyed, Niki! Xoxo, Sarah