Baked Chicken Meatballs With Broccoli Pesto Pasta

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(13) Baked Chicken Meatballs with Broccoli Pesto Pasta

Updated September 20, 2025 / By Holly Erickson & Natalie Mortimer

With just five ingredients, these parmesan-loaded baked chicken meatballs are good any way you serve them. But, paired with a hearty roasted broccoli pesto sauce, they make for a lovable feast. Categories

• Lunch
• Dinner
• Kid Friendly

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Italian Meatballs You Could Eat Every Night (If You Wanted To)

We’re not saying you’re going to eat baked chicken meatballs for dinner every single night, but these healthier-than-beef meatballs are juicy, lean protein bombs that you really can feel good about eating and sharing with your family. Simple, Italian chicken meatballs don’t have to be complicated—banish your worries about them being dry. Our healthy chicken meatball recipe relies on just a few flavor-giving, moisture-inducing ingredients:

• Ground chicken
• Breadcrumbs
• Eggs
• Parmesan cheese
• Lots of fresh garlic

How to Make Chicken Meatballs

Chicken meatballs are supposed to be three things: easy, practical, and delicious. Baked on a sheet pan, they leave room on your stove for a pot of boiling pasta water, so the “easy” part starts there. Here’s how to make baked chicken meatballs:

1. Combine all of the meatball ingredients in a big bowl. Tip: grate the parmesan cheese directly into the bowl! Freshly-grated parm always tastes a zillion times better than pre-grated parmesan.
2. Mix! Use your hands to gently fold the parmesan, garlic, beaten eggs and breadcrumbs into the ground chicken meat. The most important thing to remember about making moist meatballs—and this is true whether you’re making classic beef or chicken meatballs—is that if you overmix the meatball mixture, your meatballs might be tough or dry instead of moist and tender. So, have a light hand, and don’t mix for more than a minute or two.
3. Form the ground chicken meatballs! You can use a teaspoon to measure if you’re worried about uniformity—one meatball is usually about two tablespoons worth of the ground chicken mixture—but we usually just eyeball it. If you’re new to chicken meatballs, try measuring out at least the first meatball so that the cook time we suggest in this recipe works for you and your meatballs come out perfectly browned and crisp on the outside, and moist and tender on the inside.
4. Bake! If you’re really feeling organized—or if you’re pressed for time—bake the chicken meatballs while you roast the broccoli for the Roasted Broccoli Pesto. As for how long to bake chicken meatballs, the timing will vary a little bit—if you roast them with the broccoli, just remember to crank the oven when you put the meatballs in. If you bake the meatballs alone, the bake time will probably be a little shorter. Watch for signs of doneness—like a gorgeous golden-brown crust—and when in doubt, check a meatball with your trusty meat thermometer. You’re looking for a reading of 165°F—that’s the official USDA ground poultry done temp!
5. Eat! Toss the beautifully baked meatballs with a big bowl of pesto pasta, and dig in!
6. For more meatball recipe ideas, check out our favorite Meatball Recipes!

Broccoli Pesto and Chicken Meatballs—a Perfect Pair.

Now that you’ve mastered these chicken parmesan meatballs, you’ve got to decide what to serve with chicken meatballs! We love a tomato-based sauce or basic Pesto Spaghetti as much as the next guy, but the lightness of chicken meatballs pairs especially well with pesto, a combo that appears in our Stuffed Chicken Breast recipe. Something about all that green reminds us that we’re eating a healthier dinner, and so as we twirl fat strands of broccoli pesto-coated bucatini around our fork, we get to feel a little smug, which (let’s be honest) feels pretty good.

Meatball Maniacs—Unite!

We’re crazy for meatballs and we don’t care who knows it! Everyone loves them and they’re pretty easy to make, too. What’s not to love? Here are four of our most beloved, easy meatball recipes:

• Italian Baked Chicken Meatballs
• Baked Teriyaki Meatballs with Roasted Broccoli
• Turkey Meatballs in a Creamy Red Curry Sauce
• Swedish Meatballs

Tools You’ll Need:

• A baking sheet.
• Parchment paper is helpful.
• A big bowl for mixing the chicken meatball mixture.
• A good set of measuring spoons.

How Did They React When You Said We’re Having Chicken Parm Meatballs for Dinner?

And how did they like that first, herby, garlicky, savory bite?! We really want to know how our Baked Chicken Meatballs with Broccoli Pesto Pasta went over in your home. Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram using@themodernproper and #themodernproper so we can share in your triumph!

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Baked Chicken Meatballs with Broccoli Pesto Pasta Recipe

Updated September 20, 2025

By Holly Erickson & Natalie Mortimer

• Serves: 8
• Prep Time: 15 min
• Cook Time: 25 min
• Calories: 442

Description

With just five ingredients, these parmesan-loaded baked chicken meatballs are good any way you serve them. But, paired with a hearty roasted broccoli pesto sauce, they make for a lovable feast. Print Recipe Pin Recipe

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Ingredients

• 2 pounds ground chicken
• 3/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
• 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 pound long thin pasta such as bucatini or spaghetti
• 1 batch Roasted Broccoli Pesto, room temperature
• Extra-virgin olive oil, if needed
• Freshly cracked black pepper, for serving

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F with a rack in the center position.

2. Make the meatballs. In a large bowl, combine the chicken, bread crumbs, eggs, fennel seeds, parmesan, garlic and salt. Mix well, then with wet hands, form golf ball–size meatballs (about 2 tablespoons each) and place on a large rimmed sheet pan. You should have about 25 meatballs.

3. Bake the meatballs for about 20 minutes, or until browned and the internal temperature reaches 165°F on an instant read thermometor.

4. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat and salt it. Cook the pasta until al dente according to the package instructions. Turn off the heat. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water. Drain.

5. Transfer the pasta back to the large pot and add as much broccoli pesto as desired and toss to combine. Use the pasta water (1 tablespoon at a time) or a little olive oil to thin the sauce to desired consistence. Divide the pasta into bowls, top with meatballs. Serve with additional parmesan and freshly cracked black pepper.

Related Recipes

• Mediterranean Pasta Salad
• Stuffed Shells
• Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce

Nutrition Info

• Per Serving
• Amount

• Calories 442
• Protein 30 g
• Carbohydrates 28 g
• Total Fat 24 g
• Dietary Fiber 3 g
• Cholesterol 180 mg
• Sodium 1104 mg
• Total Sugars 2 g

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Baked Chicken Meatballs with Broccoli Pesto Pasta

Questions & Reviews

Rated 5 stars by 13 readers

Ask a Question or Write a Review Name* Email* Comment Rating 5 4 3 2 1 Submit

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Questions 12 Reviews 12 Avg: 5 / 5

• Emily

  Can you prepare the meatballs earlier in the day and then store in fridge until ready to be cooked?

  Sure! Enjoy!

• Trisha

  How many people does this recipe feed? Thanks

  Serves 8. Hope you enjoy Trisha!

• Melissa

  Do you cook them for 15 minutes or 25? The recipe has two different times.

  25! Thanks for bringing this to our attention Melissa!

• Bekah

  These are delicious but stuck to my baking sheet like crazy (I oiled it well). Has this happened to you??

  You could lay parchment paper on the sheet before to help with sticking.

• Janet

  Can u freeze the meatballs uncooked?

  Sure!

• Emma

  The ingredient list calls for eggs yet they’re never mentioned in the instructions. I’ve already formed my (eggless) meatballs and just realized. Will this now mess up the finished product or am I missing something?

  They should still be fine Emma, sorry for the mix up! We have corrected our mistake, thanks so much for letting us know!

• laura

  have you ever made them with turkey? i already have some and would like to use it up!

  It would probably be delicious! Hope you enjoy Laura!

• Winnaa

  Is it best to use ground chicken breast or ground dark meat chicken?

  Hi Winna, you could use either! Most ground chicken from the store is a mixture of both.

• Danielle

  what kind of breadcrumbs are best? panko?

  Look for the Progresso brand or s generic version.

• Jenny

  Once cooked, can the chicken meatballs be frozen?

  Yes!

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• Emily

  5-star rating

  Absolutely love this recipe! I was curious if you could prepare the meatballs earlier in the day and store in fridge until ready to cook them? Not sure if the breadcrumbs would get messed up and change the texture sitting in the fridge.

  That would work fine! Glad you enjoyed them Emily!

• Liz

  5-star rating

  These meatballs are delicious! I was concerned about the amount of fennel seed, but its perfect. I bought pesto because I was feeling lazy, but next time Ill try the roasted broccoli pesto.

  Thanks Liz, so happy you loved it!

• Holly

  5-star rating

  Great recipe. Really enjoyed the flavor, texture and ease of the meatball recipe. I threw some leftover broccoli into the air fryer and after roasting it I blended it with my homemade pesto. What a great to use roasted broccoli both to add veg and stretch your fresh basil if it's winter. I did save out pasta cooking water to mix in and I do think that was important for the texture of my pesto. The question is do I serve/share it again for dinner or use it for my lunches this week!

  HAHA! We vote lunches. So happy you loved it Holly!

• Lisa

  5-star rating

  So easy and flavorful!! The fennel is delicious! Definitely making again!

  YAY! Thanks Lisa, so glad you love it!

• Court

  5-star rating

  Amazing!! We’ve made these several times and they’re my go to meatball recipe. Love the fennel. My husband and kids love it with marinara but I prefer the pesto. Thanks so much for all your yummy recipes!

  Thanks Court we are so happy you love our recipes! LOVE to hear this one has become your go to meatball recipe! Thanks for sharing!

• Lily

  5-star rating

  This our #1 meatball recipe right now!We’ve made this recipe 3 times in the last couple months. I’m even thinking about making a batch to freeze for quick lunches in the future.

  This is so great to hear! Thanks Lily, so glad you love these!

• Esther

  5-star rating

  Another family hit, you two are never wrong

  That is so sweet, thank you Esther! We are so happy the whole family enjoyed it!

• Courtney

  5-star rating

  This is so delicious. I'm making again tonight. My go to recipe for meatballs! Thank you.

  This is so great to hear! Thank you Courtney, we are so happy you love them and have become your go to!

• Aurora

  5-star rating

  SO GOOD!! The whole family love these meatballs! They're perfectly tender. I've made them 3 times already. First time was my favorite way I had them, just using what I had on hand -flash fried brussels sprouts, sautéed onions, spaghetti, basil pesto, a little cream and parsley. I've also substituted half parmesan with grated mozzarella when I ran out, with much success. Thanks so much for a fast and easy recipe! This is going to be my go-to.

  Thanks Aurora, we love to hear this! Way to make it work with what you have on hand each time!

• Jen

  5-star rating

  Our family loves these meatballs. I swap out the fennel for Italian seasoning and usually cook it for five additional minutes and/or broil the tops for browning. It’s enough for two nights for the 3 of us. We serve them with roasted broccoli and cauliflower and a side dish of marinara sauce for dipping. Love them!

  Love hearing this! So glad you enjoyed it!

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