Chicken Meatballs and Spaghetti

These Italian baked chicken meatballs are juicy, full of flavor, and a healthier alternative to beef or pork. They’re packed with a variety of fresh and dried spices, which is the key to avoiding bland-tasting meatballs. I bake these meatballs instead of frying, which makes them an easy weeknight meal the whole family will love.

I’ve been working hard trying to find a healthy chicken meatball recipe that both my toddler and I like. I find most chicken meatballs boring and lacking in flavor.

What I love about this recipe is that it uses mostly pantry staples to create a savory and juicy meatball. They have a lighter texture than traditional meatballs and go great with my homemade spaghetti sauce.

Chicken Meatball and Spaghetti Ingredients

Below are the ingredients you’ll need to make the chicken meatballs and tomato sauce.

Ground chicken: Ground turkey also works well for this recipe if you prefer.

Egg: I use 1 egg to help bind the ingredients together.

Parmesan cheese: Freshly grated parmesan cheese adds a nice salty and savory flavor to these meatballs. If you want to keep this dairy-free, leave it out.

Breadcrumbs: This helps bind the ingredients together. I use panko breadcrumbs for these chicken meatballs because that’s what I normally keep in my pantry. But you can use plain or whole wheat breadcrumbs if you prefer.

Onion: You can use yellow or white onion for this recipe. It helps to add moisture, texture, and flavor. It’s a must when making tasty meatballs.

Garlic: Fresh garlic is always best in this recipe.

Fresh parsley: While this is a pantry-friendly meal, I like to add at least one fresh herb to these meatballs. I usually have fresh parsley in my fridge, but you can use fresh basil instead if you prefer.  

Seasonings: I use kosher salt, black pepper, ground sage, dried basil, dried thyme, and dried rosemary in this meatball recipe. It’s a nice mix of herbs that gives these chicken meatballs an incredible flavor.  

Spaghetti sauce: I make my pasta sauce from scratch because it always tastes best, and it comes together while the meatballs are baking in the oven. But if you’re in a pinch, you can use your favorite store-bought marinara sauce.

In my spaghetti sauce, I use extra-virgin olive oil, onion, carrot, fresh garlic, dried oregano, dried basil, a pinch of red pepper flakes for heat, baking soda, a little balsamic vinegar, whole peeled tomatoes, and salt and pepper to taste.

How to Make Chicken Meatballs and Spaghetti (Step-By-Step)

Make the meatballs. Add all the meatball ingredients to a large bowl and use your hands to mix until everything is combined. Do not overwork the meat mixture, otherwise this can make the meatballs tough.

Use a cookie scoop or spoon to scoop up a heaping tablespoon of the meat mixture into the palm of your hands and roll it into a meatball.

You may find it helpful to grease your hands with a little bit of oil to prevent the meat mixture from sticking to your hands. Repeat until you have all the meatballs formed.

Bake the meatballs. Place each meatball on a lined baking sheet and spray each meatball generously with cooking spray (or brush with oil).

Bake in a 350°F preheated oven for about 25 minutes, or until the meatballs are nicely browned, flipping halfway through.

Make the tomato sauce. While the meatballs are baking in the oven, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and garlic. Sauté until the onions are translucent and the carrots are soft, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Add the whole peeled tomatoes, 1½ cups water, dried oregano, dried basil, a pinch of red pepper flakes (if using), salt, baking soda, and balsamic vinegar (or sugar if using). Bring to a boil for 1 minute, then reduce the heat to low and let simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes.

Remove the pot from the heat. Use an immersion blender to puree the sauce or transfer the sauce, in batches, to a blender and puree until smooth.

Bring the sauce back to a low simmer and add the cooked meatballs. Put the lid on the pot and Gently simmer on low for 10 minutes.

Make the spaghetti noodles. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook until al dente.

Drain, then toss with the pasta sauce and meatballs. Serve topped with fresh basil and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese if desired.

How to Store and Rheat Chicken Meatballs and Spaghetti

To store: If you’re planning to have leftovers, I like to keep the pasta sauce and noodles separate. Let the sauce cool to room temperature, then transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the fridge. It will keep up to 3 days.

Can you freeze chicken meatballs and spaghetti? Yes, you can! Transfer the meatballs and sauce to a freezer-safe container and freeze up to six months. I recommend freezing it based on how many people you will be feeding.

To reheat: Warm the meatballs and sauce in a saucepan over medium heat on the stovetop until warmed through. Toss together with the cooked spaghetti noodles.

To reheat from frozen, let everything thaw in the fridge overnight and re-warm on the stovetop.

Please let me know how you like this Chicken Meatball and Spaghetti recipe in the comments below! Your feedback and review encourages me to keep creating new and yummy recipes. I hope you love this spaghetti as much as I do.

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