Description
These Baked Chicken Pesto Meatballs are a flavorful and healthy option for a quick dinner. Made with ground chicken, fresh vegetables, and basil pesto, they bake to a golden brown perfection and can be served on their own or with pasta. A delicious and easy-to-make recipe that yields tender, juicy meatballs packed with herbs and spices.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 1 cup grated zucchini
- 1 medium carrot, grated
- 1/4 cup basil pesto
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 cup breadcrumbs
- 2 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Prepare the veggies: Grate the zucchini and carrots using a box grater. Gently pat the zucchini dry with a paper towel to soak up some of the liquid.
- Mix together the ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine ground chicken, egg, grated carrots and zucchini, basil pesto, breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, and seasonings. Mix the meatball ingredients together using a spatula or your hands until all combined.
- Make the meatballs: Using a small to medium cookie scoop (about 1.2 tablespoons), form 2-inch sized balls (golf ball size) from the meatball mixture and place on a prepared baking sheet lined with parchment paper or sprayed with non-stick spray in a single layer. You should get about 22 meatballs.
- Bake: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Bake the meatballs for about 14 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and cooked through. Meatballs should have an internal temperature of 165 degrees F when checked with a meat thermometer.
- Serve: Serve the pesto meatballs immediately as is or toss them with leftover pesto or a simple tomato sauce and pasta noodles for a complete meal.
Notes
- Pat the zucchini dry to prevent excess moisture from making the meatballs soggy.
- Use a meat thermometer to ensure the meatballs are cooked through to 165°F for safety.
- You can substitute the chicken with ground turkey if preferred.
- Breadcrumbs help bind the meatballs; gluten-free breadcrumbs can be used to make the recipe gluten-free.
- Leftover meatballs can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days or frozen for longer storage.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 230 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 550 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 10 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 22 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg
