These easy baked chicken meatballs are tender, juicy, and packed with warm spices. Made with ground chicken, almond flour, egg, garlic, and simple pantry spices, they come together quickly and bake in the oven instead of being fried.
Once baked, the chicken meatballs are finished in a skillet with toasted walnuts, fresh cilantro, and honey. The result is a delicious combination of savory, nutty, herby, and subtly sweet flavors.
Serve these baked chicken meatballs with hummus, fresh salad, and warm pita bread for an easy Mediterranean-inspired dinner that feels a little more special than an ordinary weeknight meal.
Why You Will Love This Baked Chicken Meatball Recipe
If you are looking for an easy chicken dinner that doesn't require a lot of prep, these meatballs are a great option.
- Easy to make: The meatball mixture comes together in one bowl.
- Baked instead of fried: There is no need to stand over a skillet frying individual meatballs.
- Made with almond flour: Almond flour replaces breadcrumbs and gives the meatballs a tender texture and subtle nutty flavor.
- Packed with flavor: Cumin, coriander, garlic, and black pepper give the chicken a warm, aromatic flavor.
- A complete meal: Serve with hummus, salad, and pita for an easy dinner.
- Great for meal prep: The baked chicken meatballs can be made ahead and reheated when needed.
Ingredients for Baked Chicken Meatballs
Ground chicken - It is the base of this recipe. I prefer using ground chicken that has a little fat because it produces more tender and juicy meatballs.
Almond flour - Almond flour works as the binder in place of breadcrumbs. It also adds a subtle nutty flavor that works particularly well with the toasted walnuts used to finish the meatballs.
Eggs - The egg helps bind everything together and keeps the chicken meatballs tender.
Spices - A simple combination of ground cumin, coriander, black pepper, and salt gives these meatballs their warm, aromatic flavor.
Garlic - Fresh garlic adds another layer of savory flavor.
Walnuts, Cilantro and Honey - This is what makes these chicken meatballs different from a typical baked meatball recipe.
The walnuts are toasted until fragrant, then tossed with the baked meatballs, fresh cilantro leaves, and honey. The honey adds a touch of sweetness while the walnuts provide a wonderful crunch.
How to Make Baked Chicken Meatballs
1 - Using a chopper, finely chop the onion, garlic, ginger and green chili.
2 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground chicken, with grated onion mixture. followed by spices, salt, 1 egg, finely chopped herbs and almond flour. Gently mix everything together until just combined.
Avoid overmixing the chicken mixture. Overworking ground chicken can result in dense meatballs.
3 - Using a spoon or a cookie scooper, scoop the mixture and put it on the baking sheet layered with baking mat or parchment paper. Then oil your hand and shape these into tiny balls.
4 - Once the chicken meatballs are baked, heat a heavy bottom skillet and toast some walnut in little oil. Once it's toasted, add some finely chopped cilantro leaves too.
5 - Add the baked chicken meatballs, drizzle some honey and toss it around to coat everything evenly.
6 - Plate the chicken meatballs with some hummus, salad, garlic yogurt and warm pita bread.
Tips
Don't overmix the meat. Combine the ingredients just until everything comes together.
Keep the meatballs the same size. This helps them cook evenly.
Oil your hands before shaping. The chicken mixture can be sticky, and lightly greasing your hands makes shaping much easier.
Use an instant-read thermometer. Chicken should reach 165°F in the center.
Toast the walnuts. This small step makes a noticeable difference in flavor.
Add the honey at the end. Honey can burn at high temperatures, so adding it during the final step keeps its flavor sweet and aromatic.
How to Store
Store leftover chicken meatballs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days.
For longer storage, freeze the baked meatballs in a freezer-safe container or bag. Allow them to cool completely before freezing.
Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat thoroughly before serving
What to Serve with
These baked chicken meatballs are especially good when served as a platter with a few simple sides.
Creamy hummus is an excellent pairing. The cool, smooth texture works beautifully with the warm spices and crunchy walnuts.
A simple salad adds freshness and acidity to the meal. Try chopped cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, parsley or cilantro, and crumbly feta cheese
Warm pita bread turns this into a satisfying, hands-on meal. Tear off a piece of pita, spread it with hummus, add a chicken meatball and some salad, and enjoy.
You can also serve these meatballs with rice, couscous, quinoa, roasted vegetables, or a simple yogurt sauce.
I love recipes that can turn a handful of simple ingredients into a complete meal, and these baked chicken meatballs do exactly that.
The chicken is tender and warmly spiced, the almond flour adds a subtle nuttiness, and the toasted walnuts provide crunch. Fresh cilantro brightens everything up, while honey adds just enough sweetness to bring the flavors together.
Add creamy hummus, a fresh salad, and warm pita, and you have an easy dinner that works for a busy weeknight but is also beautiful enough to serve when friends and family come over.
Frequently Asked Questions
The key is to avoid overmixing the ground chicken and not overbake the meatballs. The egg and almond flour help retain moisture, while using ground chicken with some fat will give you juicier meatballs. Cook the meatballs until they reach 165°F in the center.
Yes. Allow the baked meatballs to cool completely, then transfer them to a freezer-safe container or bag. For the best texture, freeze them before adding the honey, cilantro, and toasted walnuts. Add those fresh when reheating and serving.
Cooked chicken meatballs can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days. Reheat them thoroughly before serving.
Yes. These meatballs can be cooked in an air fryer instead of the oven. Arrange them in a single layer without overcrowding the basket and cook until they reach 165°F in the center. Cooking time will depend on the size of the meatballs and your particular air fryer.
More ground chicken recipes to try
Turkey Smash Tacos, Easy 20 Minute Dinner Everyone Loves
If you are looking for an easy baked chicken recipe, healthy chicken dinner, or gluten-free chicken meatball recipe, put these meatballs on your list. They are simple to make, easy to customize, and incredibly satisfying.
Esy baked chicken meatballs with Almonds
Ingredients
- 1 lb Ground chicken
- 1 Onion
- ½ cup Chopped herbs (cilantro and parsley)
- 2 Garlic cloves
- 1 inch Ginger
- 1 Egg
- ⅓ cup Almond flour
- 1 tablespoon Oil
Spices
- 1 tablespoon Cumin powder
- ½ tablespoon Coriander powder
- 1 tablespoon Chili powder
- 1 tablespoon Salt
For the glaze
- ¼ cup Walnuts
- 2 tablespoon chopped cilantro leaves
- 2 tablespoon honey
Instructions
- Roughly chop the garlic, ginger and onion. Put it in a chopper and chop finely.
- To a mixing bowl, add the ground chicken, chopped onion, garlic and ginger along with 1 egg, almond flour, spices and oil
- Mix it combine everything. Do not over mix.
- Preheat the oven to 400 F
- Line a baking pan with parchment paper or baking mat. Rub little oil on your hand, scoop a small portion of the mixture using a spoon or a cookie scooper and shape it to a ball.
- Bake for 20 minutes.
- Once the chicken meatballs are baked. Keep it aside and heat a heavy bottom skillet. Pour 1 tablespoon oil and add the roughly chopped walnuts. Let it toast for a minute, and then add teh chopped herb followed by the baked chicken meatballs.
- Drizzle the honey and toss to coat the chicken meatballs evenly.
- Serve warm!
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