Description
Succulent chicken ricotta meatballs deliver Italian comfort right to dinner tables. Herb-infused, tender spheres promise a delightful Mediterranean experience you’ll savor with each delectable bite.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound (500 g) ground chicken
- ½ cup (125 g) ricotta cheese
- ½ cup (50 g) grated Parmesan cheese
- Extra Parmesan cheese (for serving)
- ½ cup (60 g) breadcrumbs (use gluten-free if needed)
- 1 large egg
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsps fresh parsley, chopped (plus extra for garnish)
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- Olive oil spray (optional, for extra browning)
- Marinara sauce
- Spaghetti or your favorite pasta
- Fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Preparation: Preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease with olive oil to prevent adherence.
- Mixing: Combine ground chicken, ricotta cheese, breadcrumbs, parsley, garlic, salt, and black pepper in a large mixing bowl, blending ingredients thoroughly until achieving a consistent, well-integrated mixture.
- Forming: Craft uniform meatballs approximately 1.5 inches in diameter, ensuring gentle compression to maintain a delicate, tender texture while creating compact spherical shapes.
- Baking: Arrange meatballs on prepared baking sheet with slight separation to facilitate optimal heat circulation and promote even browning, then roast in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes.
- Monitoring: Midway through cooking, rotate the pan to ensure comprehensive golden-brown coloration and complete internal cooking, using a meat thermometer to confirm internal temperature reaches 74°C (165°F).
- Resting and Serving: Allow meatballs to rest 3-5 minutes post-baking, enabling juice redistribution and maintaining a crisp exterior, then plate and garnish with fresh parsley as desired, accompanying with preferred sauce or as a standalone protein dish.
Notes
- Prevent Moisture Loss: Avoid overmixing the chicken and ricotta to maintain tenderness and prevent dry, dense meatballs.
- Achieve Perfect Texture: Use fresh breadcrumbs for lighter, more delicate meatballs instead of store-bought dried breadcrumbs.
- Ensure Even Cooking: Roll meatballs with slightly damp hands to create smooth surfaces that cook more uniformly and prevent cracking.
- Customize Dietary Needs: Substitute breadcrumbs with gluten-free alternatives like almond flour or crushed gluten-free crackers for those with wheat sensitivities.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Appetizer
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 300
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 500 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 100 mg