We love all kinds of meatballs. Fried, baked, doused in sauces or just stand alone bombs straight to your mouth. Only one rule applies to the meatball, it must be juicy, tender and packed with flavors. We will tell you all the tips and tricks on how to make them tender and juicy, and of course there is never a shortage of flavors when it comes to GypsyPlate… 🙂 Today we are making these meatballs, not by the traditional frying, but baking them in the oven. This just helps in a lot of ways…
Tips to make the BEST juicy and delicious meatballs
So once we figured that out, here is what you need for these creamy parmesan chicken meatballs
For the meatballs
Ground chicken Parmesan cheese Parsley, chopped finely Eggs Garlic, chopped finely Onion powder Salt and pepper Binder – Breadcrumbs or bread slices soaked in milk. For low carb options use almond meal or ground pork rinds.
For the sauce
Mushrooms Garlic Chicken stock Worcestershire sauce Cream cheese Parmesan cheese Parsley
From here, it’s an extremely easy affair, cooking these cheesy chicken meatballs.
Mix all meatball ingredients in a bowl and roll them into the desired size meatballs. Place them on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake them at 400°F 15-18 minutes. You can broil them for the last couple of minutes if you want some color. Always use a meat thermometer to check that they have reached an internal temperature of 165°F at the center of the balls.
While meatballs are baking, make a quick cheese sauce
Heat up butter in a pan and sauté mushrooms till soft and brown. Add in garlic and sauté for a couple of minutes. Stir in chicken stock and Worcestershire sauce. Make small pieces of cream cheese and stir those in and whisk till the cream cheese gets dissolved. Time to add parmesan and cook till it turns into a creamy homogenous sauce. Stir in chopped parsley. If the sauce is too thick, you can add a dash more chicken stock. If it’s too thin, simmer it longer. Add in cooked meatballs and cook for 4-5 minutes. Serve it with some more fresh parsley. Everybody will love this flavor jammed meal packed with fresh flavors coming from parsley and garlic, and ultimately marrying with the creamiest delicious cheese sauce. Ground chicken doesn’t have to be boring and bland.
Crockpot method
Combine all the ingredients for the meatballs and roll them into balls. Add chicken stock along with Worcestershire sauce to the crockpot. Spread the cut mushrooms and garlic in crock. Arrange cream cheese cut into cubes and sprinkle parmesan cheese and parsley all over. Layer the meatballs on top. Cook 3-4 hours on High or 6-7 hours on Low till meatballs are cooked and reach internal temp. 165°F. Remove meatballs to a plate and mix the sauce well with a spoon. Return the meatballs back in and garnish with parsley.
Instant pot method
Combine all meatballs ingredients and roll them in balls. Start instant pot and select SAUTE mode Add in butter and sauté mushrooms till soft. Add in garlic and sauté for a minute. Add in chicken stalk along, Worcestershire sauce, cubed cream cheese, parmesan cheese and parsley. Place the meatballs on top and secure the lid. Select MANUAL and cook on high pressure for 6-7 minutes. Select CANCEL to turn off device. Allow pressure to natural release. Once pressure pin drops, open the lid. Remove the meatballs and whisk the sauce till smooth. Return the meatballs back in and garnish with parsley.
What to serve these chicken meatballs with
Some storing and meal prep ideas
These chicken meatballs are a great meal prep option. You can prep the meatballs two ways. The first is to freeze them uncooked. Make the meatballs and place them on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and freeze them. Once frozen, freeze in freezer rated ziploc bags up to 2-3 months. To cook, simply defrost and bake for 15-18 minutes at 400°F. You can also cook the meatballs completely, then freeze them in freezer bags. You can divide them into smaller portions and individually store them in smaller bags for future meals if making a huge batch. When reheating, place them on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes at 350°F. We would advise to make a fresh sauce every time, as the cheeses and creamy sauce might not freeze well. As a ready made meal in sauce, they can be refrigerated for up to 3-4 days in an airtight container. When life is demanding and busy, make your evenings a little easy with this simple yet delicious chicken meatball meal. Pin or bookmark this recipe so it’s always there to rescue you from that dilemma of what to cook tonight. While you’re here, check out my collections of the best ground chicken recipes and best meatball recipes! See ya very soon with one more cracking recipe…
Creamy Parmesan Chicken Meatballs, on my Gypsy Plate… enjoy!
Try these other quick and easy weeknight dinners!Salmon with Mango SalsaFlank Steak FajitasCreamy Chicken SkilletCajun Shrimp and GritsThai Basil ChickenBlack Bean ChiliHawaiian Fried RiceKöttbullar (Swedish Meatballs) Be sure to check out my roundup of the 30+ BEST Ground Chicken Recipes! 2. Add chicken stock along with Worcestershire sauce to the crockpot, spread the cut mushrooms and garlic in crock. Arrange cream cheese cut into cubes and sprinkle parmesan cheese and parsley all over. Layer the meatballs on top. 3. Cook 3-4 hours on High or 6-7 hours on Low till meatballs are cooked and reach internal temperature 165°F. Remove meatballs to a plate and mix the sauce well with spoon. Return the meatballs back in. Garnish with parsley.
Instant Pot Method
- Combine all meatballs ingredients and roll them into balls.
- Start instant pot and select SAUTE mode. Add in butter and sauté mushrooms till soft. Add in garlic and sauté for a minute. Add in chicken stock along with Worcestershire sauce, cubed cream cheese, parmesan cheese, and parsley. Place in the meatballs. Secure the lid. Select MANUAL and cook on high pressure for 6-7 minutes.
- Select CANCEL to turn off device. Allow pressure to natural release. Once pressure pin drops, open lid. Remove the meatballs and whisk the sauce till smooth. Return the meatballs back in and garnish with parsley.
- You can use binders like breadcrumbs or bread slices soaked in milk. For low carb options, use almond meal or ground pork rinds.
- Keep the meatballs in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or so before baking if you have time so they set well.
- If the sauce becomes too thick, you can always add little more chicken stock. If it’s too thin, you can simmer it a little longer.
