Chicken Parmesan Meatball Skillet Recipe
There's nothing like a little culinary competition to get the creative juices flowing, and that's exactly what inspired this chicken Parmesan meatball skillet recipe. What started as an innocent enough meatball-making challenge with my brother-in-law years ago (one that I won, by the way) has led me to crafting the perfect meatball recipe — or at the very least, as close as it gets. This chicken Parmesan meatball skillet is the ground-chicken version of my mastered meatball recipe, and it yields delightfully succulent results.
These are some flavorful meatballs. Garlicky and umami/Parmesan-y with a hint of savory herbs and pepper. They are moist and meaty with just enough binder (panko and egg) to hold 'em all together and keep them juicy-tender. For all of my chicken Parmesan-related feats, I prefer pizza sauce (over marinara) for its thicker, less chunky consistency and saucy coat-ability — no sauce-soggy meatballs on my watch. This is also why we sear the meatballs before we sauce them, which traps the juices inside and adds to the perfect tenderness and also allows them to hold their shape once they're coated in all that sauce and melty provolone and mozzarella.
Gather the ingredients for this chicken Parmesan meatball skillet
For the meatballs themselves, start with ground chicken, minced garlic, minced yellow onion, fresh parsley, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, grated Parmesan cheese, panko breadcrumbs, and an egg. Then, to sear the meatballs and assemble the skillet, you'll need olive oil, jarred pizza sauce, grated mozzarella cheese, and grated provolone cheese.
Step 1: Add the meatball ingredients to a bowl
Make the meatballs by placing the ground chicken, garlic, onion, 1 tablespoon parsley, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, Parmesan, breadcrumbs, and egg in a large bowl.
Step 2: Combine the chicken meatball ingredients
Using your hands, work the ingredients together until cohesive and combined.
Step 3: Portion out the meatball mixture
Divide the mixture into 2 tablespoon-sized portions.
Step 4: Roll the portions into meatballs
Wet your hands with a little water and roll the portions into balls.
Step 5: Preheat the oven
Preheat the oven to 400 F.
Step 6: Heat olive oil in oven-proof skillet
Heat the olive oil in a large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat.
Step 7: Place the meatballs in a hot skillet
Once hot, add the meatballs to the skillet, working in batches if necessary.
Step 8: Sear the meatballs
Sear the meatballs on all sides until brown.
Step 9: Pour pizza sauce over the meatballs
Once the meatballs are seared, pour the pizza sauce over them. Wiggle the skillet slightly to ensure an even saucing.
Step 10: Add the cheese and transfer to the oven
Sprinkle the sauced meatballs with both cheeses and place the skillet in the oven.
Step 11: Bake the meatballs
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through and the cheese is bubbly and slightly golden.
Step 12: Garnish the chicken Parmesan meatballs with parsley before serving
Remove the skillet from the oven and garnish with the remaining parsley before serving.
What pairs well with chicken Parmesan meatballs?
Chicken Parmesan Meatball Skillet Recipe
In our easy skillet, a quick sear seals in the juices in tender garlick-y chicken meatballs, which are smothered in pizza sauce and 3 melty cheeses.
Ingredients
- For the chicken meatballs
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- ¼ cup minced yellow onion
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley, divided
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- ⅔ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 egg
- To serve
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 (14-ounce) jar pizza sauce
- ½ cup grated mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup grated provolone cheese
Directions
- Make the meatballs by placing the ground chicken, garlic, onion, 1 tablespoon parsley, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, Parmesan, breadcrumbs, and egg in a large bowl.
- Using your hands, work the ingredients together until cohesive and combined.
- Divide the mixture into 2 tablespoon-sized portions.
- Wet your hands with a little water and roll the portions into balls.
- Preheat the oven to 400 F.
- Heat the olive oil in a large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat.
- Once hot, add the meatballs to the skillet, working in batches if necessary.
- Sear the meatballs on all sides until brown.
- Once the meatballs are seared, pour the pizza sauce over them. Wiggle the skillet slightly to ensure an even saucing.
- Sprinkle the sauced meatballs with both cheeses and place the skillet in the oven.
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through and the cheese is bubbly and slightly golden.
- Remove the skillet from the oven and garnish with the remaining parsley before serving.
Nutrition
| Calories per Serving | 522 |
| Total Fat | 32.6 g |
| Saturated Fat | 13.3 g |
| Trans Fat | 0.1 g |
| Cholesterol | 182.5 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 18.9 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2.7 g |
| Total Sugars | 5.0 g |
| Sodium | 877.8 mg |
| Protein | 38.2 g |
What's the difference between marinara and pizza sauce?
Pizza sauce and marinara sauce are sometimes used interchangeably, and they are quite similar both in appearance and flavor. Both tomato-based sauces, a key difference between the two is that pizza sauce is often uncooked (since it will cook atop your pie in the oven) and pretty minimal in ingredients. Marinara, on the other hand, is typically already cooked and may feature more ingredients, ranging from garlic and onion to herbs and spices. Perhaps the biggest distinction between the two sauces simply comes down to how they're used, with pizza sauce being pretty apparent with the name (though it's also often used for calzones) and marinara being more of a pasta sauce.
I specifically gravitated to pizza sauce for this recipe because it tends to be thicker than marinara, which was helpful in preventing sogginess in the meatballs. If you'd prefer to use marinara, I'd recommend adding in a few dollops of tomato paste and simmering it on the stovetop for a few minutes to thicken it up. You can, of course, use either jarred or homemade sauce in this recipe; just make sure it has a spoon-coating thickness before adding it to the meatballs.
Can I sear meatballs in the oven instead of on the stovetop?
Considering that the bulk of the cooking in this recipe happens in the oven, you may wonder if the stovetop sear is necessary. I do recommend searing the meatballs, as it helps lock in all that savory, juicy flavor and maintain the balls' shape. However, you don't necessarily need to turn on a burner at all, and you can simply sear the meatballs in the oven instead.
To do an oven-sear, preheat your appliance to 400 to 425 F. Place the freshly rolled meatballs onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and pop them in the oven for an initial 10 minutes. At that point, flip the meatballs (which should have a nice sear on the initial cooking side) and cook for an additional 10 minutes, until they're generously browned all around. Keep in mind that the meatballs don't need to be fully cooked at this point, as you'll transfer them to the skillet and finish baking them with the sauce and cheese. As a little make-ahead tip, after you finish searing the meatballs (be it on the stovetop or in the oven), you can let them cool to room temperature, transfer them to a zip-top plastic bag, and freeze them until ready to use them. This way, you can have seared meatballs ready to go; just make sure to completely thaw the meatballs (overnight in the fridge is the best bet) before proceeding with this recipe.