Italian Chicken Meatball Bites

Our delicious Italian meatballs come together so quickly and are the perfect appetizer! Make them a bit smaller than a normal meatball and serve marinara on the side for a crowd pleasing dish!

Makes 2 dozen

Ingredients:

2 pounds ground chicken⁣ (if available, some brands have seasoned chicken like Italian)

1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs⁣

1 finely diced shallot

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley⁣

1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage

1/2 cup Pecorino (or Parmesan)⁣

1 cup shredded mozzarella

1 tsp kosher salt 

1/2 tsp black pepper 

4 cloves garlic, minced⁣

1 egg, whisked⁣

Zest of 1 lemon⁣

28 oz jar favorite marinara

To Serve:

Fresh basil

Grated Parmesan

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine all ingredients for meatballs (ground chicken through lemon zest) in a large bowl. Mix well.

Like a baking sheet with parchment. Use a small ice cream scoop or your hands and form meatballs. They should be roughly 3/4-1” in diameter. Line the baking sheet with meatballs.

Refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Bake meatballs for 20-25 minutes, using tongs to turn midway through. Meatballs should have a nice light brown coloring. Ensure they are cooked through but not over cooked so they don’t dry out.

While meatballs are cooking, heat marinara sauce.

Serve meatballs on platter with marinara sauce on side for dipping. Cute toothpicks make this great for entertaining and quick bites. Garnish with fresh basil and grated Parmesan.