Packed with flavor, these Ground Chicken Meatballs come complete with peppers and onions! They're baked to juicy perfection for a comforting and savory homemade meatball with amazing flavor in every bite.
Simple and easy to make, these are great for meal prepping! Make them for easy weeknight dinners or serve with your favorite sauce and your pasta of choice.
Jump to:
- 🩵 About This Recipe
- What readers are saying...
- 🧂 Gather Your Ingredients
- 🔪 Let's Make Ground Chicken Meatballs!
- 💡 Expert Tips and Tricks
- ❔ FAQs
- 📝 Substitutions and Variations
- 🥡 Storage and Reheating
- ⏳ Make Ahead Instructions
- 🍴 What To Serve With This Dish
- 😋 More Easy Chicken Recipes You'll Love
- 📋 Recipe Card
- 💬 Reviews and Comments
🩵 About This Recipe
Even though they're made from chicken instead of beef, these meatballs are packed with savory flavor! Perfect to pair with your favorite sauce and serve over pasta, you'll feel like a pro chef putting these chicken cacciatore meatballs together.
With simple prep and hands-off baking, these meatballs come together in minutes and require very little time and effort. They're perfect for meal prepping or for a big Sunday dinner!
And if you love these, try some Keto Pumpkin Meatballs, Air Fryer Chicken Meatballs, or these easy Slow Cooker Hawaiian Meatballs!
What readers are saying...
Yuuuum! What a nice little twist on a classic. You can never go wrong with a heaping portion of pasta and meatballs!
- Karly
🧂 Gather Your Ingredients
- green pepper - any color of bell pepper works fine.
- sweet onion - you can use any kind of onion, but I like the subtle hint of sweetness paired with all the savory flavors.
- egg - helps to bind the ingredients together.
- ground chicken - lighter than ground beef, chicken is still a flavorful and hearty base for delicious meatballs!
- seasoned bread crumbs - help keep the meatballs together and add some flavor.
- Italian seasoning - adds a savory and slightly earthy taste.
- salt and black pepper - enhances the flavors.
🔪 Let's Make Ground Chicken Meatballs!
(Or click here to jump right to the recipe card with measurements!)
Prep Ingredients
Finely dice the onion and pepper and beat the egg.
Combine Ingredients
Add pepper, onion, beaten egg, seasoning, breadcrumbs, and ground chicken to a large mixing bowl.
Mix Well
Combine thoroughly.
Form and Bake
Make approximately 1-inch balls and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake at 450 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes.
💡 Expert Tips and Tricks
- Be sure to dice the pepper and onion really finely so the pieces incorprate with the meat mixture.
- If you lightly oil your hands, it will help prevent the mixture from sticking to your palms as you roll your meatballs.
- Chill the mixture for about 15 minutes in the fridge if it's too wet or sticky to work with.
❔ FAQs
This classic Italian dish typically features chicken simmered in a tomato sauce with peppers, onions, and other veggies. These meatballs channel those flavors, especially when paired with a pasta sauce!
If the meatballs have too much liquid, they're likely to fall apart. Add some more breadcrumbs to soak up the additional liquid. If there's any excess liquid after dicing the veggies, be sure to drain and dry them.
Check the meatballs for an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees F. You can typically take them out of the oven at 160 degrees F and the residual heat will finish cooking them.
Love to try different kinds of meatballs? Check out these tasty Tsukune Japanese Meatballs!
📝 Substitutions and Variations
- Swap the chicken for ground turkey or super lean ground beef to achieve a similar result.
- Add some crushed red pepper flakes or chili powder for a kick of heat.
- For some extra flavor and heartiness, mix grated Parmesan cheese into the meatball mixture.
- Feel free to use gluten-free breadcrumbs for a no gluten option.
Kristin's Kitchen Tip
Buy your ground chicken in bulk, and use the extra to make these homemade chicken nuggets with ground chicken. Delicious and so much better for you than storebought!
🥡 Storage and Reheating
Leftover ground chicken meatballs can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. You can also freeze them in a single layer and then transfer to a freezer bag once fully frozen. I recommend eating them within 2 months or so.
To reheat, pop them in the microwave or simmer in your favorite sauce and add to pasta. From frozen, thaw chicken cacciatore meatballs overnight first. You could also reheat them right from frozen, though you'll need to add more time.
Check out this handy article on storing frozen food to get some great tips on saving the leftovers for another quick dinner.
⏳ Make Ahead Instructions
Dice the pepper and onion the night before and store in airtight containers in the fridge. Be sure to drain any excess liquid that gathers!
Keep It Handy
Don't have time for this ground chicken meatballs recipe right now? Click on or tap the heart icon on the BOTTOM RIGHT of the screen to save it for later!
🍴 What To Serve With This Dish
Simmer the meatballs in your favorite pasta sauce and serve over noodles, quinoa, rice, or couscous. You could also serve with a side of garlic bread, or load these meatballs up onto hearty rolls to make meatball subs!
😋 More Easy Chicken Recipes You'll Love
- Slow Cooker Butter Chicken - A two-ingredient dinner that's budget friendly and full of flavor!
- Crock Pot Chicken Cacciatore - Only 10 minutes of prep are needed for this classic comfort dinner.
- One Pan Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs - This dish has veggies built right in so you don't have to prepare a side.
- Sheet Pan Chicken Nachos - You'll love this incredible appetizer recipe from Once Upon a Chef featuring rotisserie chicken and melty cheese!
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Chicken Cacciatore Meatballs
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📋 Recipe Card
Ground Chicken Meatballs with Peppers and Onions
Ingredients
- 1 medium green pepper
- 1 sweet onion
- 1 egg
- 1 pound ground chicken
- ½ cup dry Italian seasoned bread crumbs
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (crushed)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
- Finely dice the green pepper and the onion and set aside. Beat the egg.1 medium green pepper, 1 sweet onion, 1 egg
- Place the ground chicken in a large mixing bowl. Add the chopped green pepper, onion, egg, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Mix thoroughly.1 pound ground chicken, ½ cup dry Italian seasoned bread crumbs, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Take portions of the ground chicken mixture and shape into approximately 1 inch balls (tip: use a small cookie scoop if you have one). Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone liner (for easy cleanup).
- Bake meatballs for 15-20 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked.
Notes
Prep Tips:
- Dice the peppers and onions as finely as possible so they mix evenly and don't cause the meatballs to fall apart.
- Lightly oil your hands to shape the meatballs with less mess and more consistency.
- If the mixture feels too wet or sticky to shape, chill it in the fridge for 15 minutes before forming the meatballs.
Variation Suggestions:
- If desired, you can swap ground chicken for ground turkey or lean ground beef.
- For a spicy kick, add a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes or a dash of hot sauce.
- Mix in a little grated Parmesan cheese for extra flavor and richness.
- Make the meatballs gluten-free by using gluten-free breadcrumbs.
Serving Suggestions:
- Simmer in your favorite sauce and serve over rice, pasta, or couscous.
- Pair with a simple tomato sauce or a drizzle of garlic aioli.
- Make meatball subs by layering in a hoagie roll with melted cheese.
- Add to a salad or grain bowl for a protein-packed lunch.
Storage Info for Leftovers:
- Store leftover meatballs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Reheat in the microwave or oven until heated through, or simmer in a sauce on the stovetop until hot.
- Freeze cooked meatballs in a single layer on a baking sheet, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container. Use within 2 months for best quality.
- Thaw frozen meatballs in the refrigerator overnight. For a quicker thaw, simmer in a sauce on the stovetop or place them in the oven at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes.
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate. The nutritional values for your final dish may vary based on measuring differences and products used.
Update Notes: This post was originally published in October 2016, and was republished with tips, step by step photos, and a recipe change in July 2025.
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Mother of 3 says
Oh wow! Those sound amazing!! Pinned.
Amanda says
Yum! Thanks for joining this weeks Creative K Kids' Tasty Tuesday. I look forward to seeing what you share next week!
Jake Tyler says
I love meatballs! The dish looks so yummy, Kristin! Gonna try this recipe!!!
Kristin King says
Thanks! I hope you like it!
frugal hausfrau says
I can't wait to try these, myself, and how cool is that these are going to be featured at the New York City Wine and Food Festival Grand Tasting - of course, I think it's even cooler they're featured this week at Throwback Thursday, lol!!! Seriously, what a great makeover of a tired old classic!
Mollie
cakespy says
This is awfully clever. I love chicken cacciatore but I love the cleverness and concise form of making it a meatball dish! I can only imagine how good this is, until I make it of course!
Crystal says
Yummy, I'm sure this would be a hit with my family. Thanks for sharing #homemattersparty
Theresa says
My family loves meatballs I'd love to try making chicken ones. Can't wait to try this one Kristin. Thanks for sharing at the #InspirationSpotlight party. Pinned & shared.
Maria says
Okay I'm a big fan of meatballs and even bigger fan of Chicken Cacciatore, so this is definitely a must-try recipe for me! Thank you so much for sharing this on #shinebloghop, Kristin! So glad you were able to join us.
Karly says
Yuuuum! What a nice little twist on a classic. You can never go wrong with a heaping portion of pasta and meatballs! 🙂
Helen at the Lazy Gastronome says
What a great and unique idea! Thanks for sharing on the What's for Dinner link up!!