Description
Delicious and healthy Baked Chicken Meatballs served with spaghetti in a homemade tomato basil sauce. These meatballs are tender, juicy, and baked to perfection, making this a lighter, oven-baked alternative to traditional fried meatballs. The dish combines ground chicken with Parmesan, fresh herbs, and a flavorful tomato sauce, perfect for a comforting family meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Meatballs
- 500 g/1 lb chicken mince (ground chicken, or turkey or pork)
- 1/4 small white onion, grated
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley (or 2 tsp dried parsley or basil)
- 1 egg
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- Olive oil spray or olive oil, for spraying
Tomato Sauce
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 3/4 small onion, finely chopped
- 800 g / 28 oz crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup / 250 ml water (to swirl and clean out the tomato can)
- Handful basil leaves, torn (or 1 tsp dried herbs such as Italian mix, oregano, thyme, basil)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
To Serve
- 250 g / 1/2 lb spaghetti or other long strand pasta, cooked according to packet instructions
- Fresh basil leaves (optional, for garnish)
- Grated Parmesan cheese (for garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Set your oven to 200°C (390°F) for a standard oven or 180°C (350°F) if using a fan/convection oven to prepare for baking the meatballs.
- Prepare the baking rack: Place a rack on a baking tray and spray it with olive oil to prevent the meatballs from sticking during baking.
- Mix the meatball ingredients: In a large bowl, combine ground chicken, grated onion, panko breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan, minced garlic, chopped parsley, egg, salt, and pepper. Mix everything thoroughly until well combined.
- Form the meatballs: Using a heaped tablespoon, scoop the mixture and roll into balls (about 25-30 meatballs). Spray your hands with olive oil or wet them slightly with water to make rolling easier, then place each meatball on the prepared rack.
- Oil and bake the meatballs: Spray each meatball lightly with olive oil spray to help achieve a golden crust. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. The meatballs should be soft to the touch when done.
- Prepare the tomato sauce: Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add finely chopped garlic and onion, sauté for 2-3 minutes until the onion becomes translucent.
- Simmer the sauce: Add the crushed tomatoes and water to the skillet, stir well. Reduce heat to medium and let the sauce simmer gently for 5-10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and stir in the torn fresh basil or dried herbs.
- Cook the pasta: While the sauce simmers, cook the spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water following the package instructions. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot.
- Toss pasta with sauce and meatballs: Add the sauce and baked meatballs to the pasta in the pot. Gently toss to combine everything evenly.
- Serve: Plate the pasta and meatballs, garnish with fresh basil leaves and grated Parmesan cheese if desired. Serve immediately and enjoy your meal!
Notes
- You can substitute ground chicken with turkey or pork if preferred.
- Shooting for about 25-30 small meatballs helps ensure even cooking and the right portion size.
- Shooting your hands with oil while forming meatballs prevents sticking and keeps the process clean.
- Using panko breadcrumbs gives the meatballs a lighter texture compared to regular breadcrumbs.
- If dried herbs are used in the sauce, add about 1 teaspoon total to maintain flavor intensity.
- To keep the meatballs moist, avoid overbaking; they should be just cooked through and tender when pressed.
- Leftover meatballs and sauce can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: baked chicken meatballs, spaghetti, Italian meatballs, healthy meatballs, chicken pasta recipe, homemade tomato sauce
