Chicken Meatballs with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

Name: Chicken Meatballs with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 pound lean ground chicken (or lean ground turkey); 1 egg, beaten; 3/4 cup Panko bread crumbs (sub: gluten-free bread crumbs); 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic; 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves; 2 tablespoons minced fresh chives (sub: fresh basil or thyme leaves); 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice; 3/4 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; 1 batch Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

★★★★★ 5 /5

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By: Rachel TiemeyerPosted: 10/25/23Updated: 10/26/23

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This baked chicken meatballs recipe comes together in just minutes and is filled with bright, fresh flavors like lemon, chives, parsley, and garlic. These healthy, tender meatballs are an absolute treat when paired with the Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce! Perfect for a light meal or appetizer.

A fork holding a chicken meatball that is dripping with honey mustard sauce.

Table of Contents

Why I Love These Chicken Meatballs

These little orbs of goodness were inspired by a family-favorite recipe called Mini Chicken Burgers with Herbs. My kids love those things, so I decided to make them into dippable finger food.

Not only are these chicken meatballs fun to eat for kids, but they’re lower in calories and fat than traditional meatballs, dairy-free, and totally freezer-friendly.

Most importantly, they are moist, filled with bright flavors, and absolutely delicious when dipped in the sauce! Polly and I “oo-ed and ahh-ed” over them while popping them in our mouths during the photoshoot.

A fork holding a chicken meatball upright.

Ingredients

Here are the items you’ll need for these fast and tasty ground chicken meatballs…

Notes:

Lemon juice – Please use fresh. The bottled stuff tastes off. If you really love lemon, you could also add a little lemon zest.
Fresh herbs – While you can use small amounts of dried herbs in their place (see cooking notes in the recipe), the fresh herbs add beautiful color and fresh, bright notes. I use parsley and chives and sometimes add in basil or thyme. Be sure to chop them very finely!
Bread crumbs – We tested these with whole wheat bread crumbs and they turned out drier and denser. So, I landed on using Panko bread crumbs because the meatballs turned out moister, lighter, and looked more appetizing.

How to Make Chicken Meatballs

Make Chicken Mixture

In a large mixing bowl, add the ground chicken, beaten egg, bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, chives, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Use a fork or your clean hands to gently combine.

Ingredients for chicken meatballs recipe in a mixing bowl.

Meatball meat mixture combined in a bowl with a fork.

Form Meatballs

Scoop one heaping tablespoon of the mixture at a time and shape into 1 1/2-inch diameter meatballs. Place meatballs in rows on the baking sheet, making sure to leave a little room between each one.

Bake

Bake for about 15 minutes. The meatballs are done when there is no more pink in the middle when cut open or the internal temperature is 160-165°F*.

(Note: If you want the meatballs to have a crispier exterior, remove the meatballs after 11 minutes of baking. Turn on the broiler and place the pan on the top oven rack. Broil for 2-4 minutes, until golden on top and cooked through.)

Chicken meatballs with herbs next to a bowl of honey mustard dipping sauce.

Serve

Serve warm with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce. These would pair well with Creamy Lemon Pasta or Butter Noodles and Oven Roasted Asparagus.

How to Freeze Chicken Meatballs

Oh yeah, you’re going to want to go ahead and double the batch and freeze some Chicken Meatballs for another meal, another day. Here’s how:

Freeze For Later: Label and open a gallon-sized freezer bag and lay it on the counter. Follow Steps 2 and 3. Place rolled meatballs in a single layer in the freezer bag. Seal, squeezing out excess air, and freeze flat. Freeze the Dipping Sauce in a small freezer bag or container along with the meatballs, if desired, but you may want to leave out the cayenne since it will get spicier in the freezer.

Prepare From Frozen: Thaw the meatballs and sauce. Follow Step 1 and then Steps 4-5 to cook the meatballs.

Frozen chicken meatballs in a freezer bag.

FAQs

Can I use ground turkey instead of ground chicken?

Yes, either one will work. Chicken has a little lighter flavor, though.

Can I use dried herbs instead of fresh?

Yes, you can but the fresh will taste better. If subbing dried herbs, use about 2 tablespoons dried parsley, crushed in hand. Use about 1 teaspoon dried chives.

Can I pan-fry these instead?

Yes, before I updated this recipe in October 2023, that was the method I used. It works to cook them in a little oil in a pan over medium heat, but it’s messy. Cook for several minutes until there’s no longer any pink in the middle.

More Meatballs You’ll Love

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Gluten Free Meatballs

This easy, healthy, kid-friendly Chicken Meatballs recipe takes minutes to pull together and just minutes to cook. Enjoy!

Rachel Tiemeyer

As co-founder of Thriving Home, Rachel dreams about creating recipes (literally) and uses her husband, her 3 kids, and even the neighbors as guinea pigs several nights a week. She believes that good food has the power to bring families and friends closer together and continues to wake up excited about her job each day, even after 10+ years!