Description

All the flavors of classic breaded chicken parmesan, baked right in the oven. These Chicken Parmesan Meatballs cook in marinara sauce, topped with plenty of mozzarella and a crispy breadcrumb topping. Serve with garlic bread or pasta!

Ingredients

Units Scale

2 large eggs
1 cup panko breadcrumbs, divided
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning, divided
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt, plus more for seasoning breadcrumbs (see note)
1 1/2 pounds ground chicken
3 cups marinara sauce, divided
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced (see note)
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
2 tablespoons olive oil
Ground black pepper
Chopped fresh basil, for serving

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400ºF and place one rack in the lower part of the oven and one in the upper-middle part of the oven.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, ½ cup breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. Add in the ground chicken and mix until fully combined.
Add 2-1/2 cups of the marinara sauce to a large baking dish (approximately 9x13 inches).
Scoop ¼ cup portions of the meatball mixture and nestle them into the marinara in the baking dish (you should have 12-14 meatballs). Spoon the remaining 1/2 cup marinara on top of the meatballs. Add the sliced fresh mozzarella on top of the meatballs. Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella over the top.
In a small bowl, mix together the remaining ½ cup breadcrumbs, remaining 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, olive oil, and a big pinch of salt and pepper. Sprinkle the breadcrumb topping evenly over the meatballs.
Bake in the preheated oven on the bottom rack for 15 minutes, then move up to the top rack for another 15 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through to a temperature of 165ºF.
Sprinkle with the fresh basil and serve with garlic bread and salad, or over pasta.

Notes

This recipe was tested using Diamond Crystal coarse kosher salt. If you use Morton's kosher salt or fine salt, decrease the volume by half.

You can use just one type of mozzarella for this dish, but if you have both fresh and pre-shredded, the combination offers a mix of creaminess inside and crispy browning on top.

Why move the baking dish to the top rack? The heat from the top of the oven will bounce down and help crisp up those breadcrumbs.