These Chicken Meatballs are a light, low-carb recipe made with lean ground chicken, seasonings, and cheese. They are easy to make and can be served in many ways, making them a great meal to add to your dinner rotation. They are also great for meal prep.
I like homemade meatballs, but when I try to eat low-carb, I don’t always make them because many recipes call for breadcrumbs. Then I started making ground chicken meatballs without breadcrumbs, making them low-carb and a good choice when I’m trying to eat lighter.
You don’t have to be on a low-carb diet to enjoy these meatballs – they definitely don’t taste low-carb. You can use them in all of the same recipes you would for traditional meatballs – they’re just lighter in calories, carbs, and fat.
Instead of breadcrumbs, they are mixed with egg whites and Parmesan cheese, which act as a binder and also give the meatballs a lot of flavor. I like to sear them on the stove to get a nice crust and then finish them in the oven, so they stay nice and juicy.
Table of Contents
Ingredients
- Grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Ground chicken – I like to use 96% lean
- Egg whites
- Cooking spray
How to Make Chicken Meatballs
Mix the cheese and all of the seasonings in a bowl.
In a large bowl, mix the chicken with the egg whites. Add the cheese mixture and mix it in gently. The easiest way to mix is with your hands.
Form the meatballs into meatballs approximately 1.5 ounces big. This should give you 20 meatballs total.
Spray a large oven-safe skillet with cooking spray and heat it over medium-high heat. Place the meatballs in an even layer in the pan and brown them on all sides for a couple of minutes.
Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake the meatballs at 400°F for six to eight minutes or until they are cooked through.
What to Serve with Chicken Meatballs
What I love about this chicken meatball recipe is that it pairs with many sauces and side dishes. Here are a few different ways to serve them:
- Keeping with the low-carb theme, pair them with a low-carb marinara sauce along with vegetables like broccoli, zucchini, asparagus, cauliflower, or cooked spinach.
- Or, pile them on top of cauliflower rice or cauliflower mash.
- If you’re not following a low-carb diet, serve them with your favorite pasta sauce and pasta or with cooked rice.
- You can also use them to make chicken Parmesan meatball sub sandwiches with marinara, melted cheese, and soft rolls.
- Or, serve them as an appetizer or snack with a side of tomato sauce, ranch dressing, BBQ sauce, or blue cheese dressing as a dip.
Cooking Tips
You can also use lean ground turkey, beef, or pork to make these meatballs to switch up the flavor.
When you make meatballs, it’s important not to overmix. Using your hands makes it easy to thoroughly mix the ingredients without overmixing.
When you form the meatballs, use a light hand. You don’t need to pack the meat tightly – it needs to hold together but not so tight that your meatballs end up dense. Just lightly pat them into a ball with your hands.
Be sure to use an oven-safe skillet, so you don’t have to transfer the meatballs to another pan before you bake them.
They are a good option for meal prep if you like to make things ahead. You can make a batch and keep them in the refrigerator for three to four days. If you want to try a lighter low-carb meatball recipe, these ground chicken meatballs are a great recipe to try. It’s easy, and they turn out delicious every time. Enjoy!
More Low Carb Options You’ll Enjoy
Low Carb Parmesan Meatballs Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground chicken 96% lean
- 2 egg whites
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese grated (store bought Kraft is what we used)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- Cooking spray
Instructions
- In a small bowl mix salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and parmesan cheese.
- In a large bowl add ground chicken and egg whites. Mix gently. Add the spice mix and combine using your hands to mix together.
- Form the ground chicken mixture into approximately 20 meatballs. About 1.5 ounces per meatball. It doesn’t have to be perfect.
- Pre-heat oven to 400°F. Heat cooking spray in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add meatballs and sear for about 2 minutes per side.
- Put skillet in oven and bake the meatballs for 6-8 minutes. Check after 5 minutes. Internal temperature should be 165° F. Serve!
Recipe Notes
- Serve as an appetizer with dipping sauces like marinara sauce, mustard sauce, teriyaki sauce or any favorite.
- You can also serve with pasta or rice.
Recipe Nutrition
These Low Carb Parmesan Meatballs are made with ground chicken, egg whites, parmesan cheese and seasonings. If you’re looking for a lighter low-carb meatball, try these!
These were good! Held together way better than I thought and were super moist. I added chopped white onion and spinach just for extra fiber, and paired them with ravioli and a spinach cream sauce. Really good and fit my macros !