½cupPanko breadcrumbs, seasonedany type including gluten-free
1cupMozzarella Cheeseshredded
½cupParmesan Cheesegrated
¼cupfresh basil, chopped or 1 Tablespoon dried
24ouncesmarinara saucedivided; ⅓ cup for meatball mixture and the remaining sauce for serving
1poundground chicken breast
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 °F.
Add egg, breadcrumbs, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, basil, and ⅓ cup of marinara sauce to a large bowl and thoroughly combine.
Add ground chicken and combine with the base ingredients. Don't overmix, or the meatballs will become tough.
Shape the mixture into tablespoon-sized balls.
Pour the remaining marinara sauce into the bottom of a glass baking dish and place formed meatballs on top. Spoon some sauce from the baking dish over each meatball.Optional: Top with additional cheese.Note: Meatballs may also be cooked without additional sauce on a greased baking sheet.
Bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink and reaches an internal temperature of 165 °F
Notes
Meatballs can be made ahead of time and frozen raw. Or cook and freeze.
Meatballs can be made larger. However, the cook time will be longer. Internal temperature should reach 165 °F.
They can also be baked on a cookie sheet coated with cooking spray.
If desired, brown meatballs in a skillet before baking. Add about 1 Tablespoon of oil to a pan and brown on all sides.
Make this recipe lower-carb by using low-sugar marinara.
Note: The meatballs use ⅓ cup of marinara. The rest of the jar is used for dipping or on the side. The nutritional estimate assumes all marinara is consumed.