Description
These Baked Chicken Pesto Meatballs are a flavorful and healthy twist on traditional meatballs, featuring ground chicken combined with fresh grated zucchini and carrot, aromatic basil pesto, and a hint of parmesan cheese. Baked to perfection until golden brown and juicy, they make a perfect main dish served on their own, with pasta, or alongside a fresh salad.
Ingredients
Scale
Meatball Mixture
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 1 cup grated zucchini
- 1 medium carrot, grated
- 1/4 cup basil pesto
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 cup breadcrumbs
- 2 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Prepare the veggies: Grate the zucchini and carrots using a box grater. Gently pat the zucchini dry with a paper towel to soak up some of the liquid, ensuring the meatballs do not become soggy.
- Mix together the ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine ground chicken, egg, grated carrots and zucchini, basil pesto, breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes. Mix thoroughly using a spatula or your hands until all ingredients are well incorporated.
- Make the meatballs: Using a small to medium cookie scoop (approximately 1.2 tablespoons), form 2-inch sized balls (golf ball size) from the meatball mixture. Place them on a prepared baking sheet lined with parchment paper or sprayed with non-stick spray in a single layer. You should get about 22 meatballs.
- Bake: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Bake the meatballs for 14 minutes until the tops are golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F when checked with a meat thermometer.
- Serve: Serve the pesto meatballs immediately as is or toss them with leftover basil pesto or a simple tomato sauce. They pair perfectly with pasta noodles or a fresh side salad.
Notes
- Patting the zucchini dry is important to prevent excess moisture and soggy meatballs.
- If you don't have breadcrumbs, you can use crushed crackers or oats as a substitute.
- For an extra cheesy flavor, sprinkle additional parmesan on top before baking.
- You can freeze baked meatballs for up to 3 months; reheat thoroughly before serving.
- Using a meat thermometer ensures the meatballs are safely cooked through without drying out.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 220 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 480 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 10 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 22 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg
