Pesto Chicken Meatballs

Chicken pesto meatballs are simple but super flavorful, and come together in only 30 minutes. Made with prepared basil pesto, panko breadcrumbs, and lean ground chicken, these flavorful meatballs are perfect served over your favorite pasta for an easy weeknight meal.

Course Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine Italian

Recipe Type Camping, Chicken, Fall, Healthy Choices, Healthy Dinner, Meal Prep, Meatballs, Pasta, Rainy Day, Served Hot

Skill Level Easy

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Total Time 30

Servings Servings

Calories 275kcal

Author Angela G.

Equipment

Ingredients

1 lb ground chicken
¼ cup white onion grated
1 teaspoon garlic paste
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
½ cup Panko bread crumbs store-bought or homemade
⅓ cup pesto
1 egg
1 tablespoon olive oil

Serve with

2 cups cooked pasta
1 cup grape tomatoes
3 tablespoon Parmesan cheese more or less, to taste

Instructions

Add ground chicken to a large mixing bowl with grated onion, minced garlic, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. Stir well to season the meat.
Add Panko bread crumbs, pesto and egg to seasoned meat mixture. Mix until everything is well combined.
Scoop meatball mixture with a medium cookie scoop. With clean hands, roll meatballs into tight balls.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place meatballs in a single layer in the skillet.
Cook meatballs for 10-12 minutes, flipping them frequently so that they brown on all sides. Meatballs are done when the internal temperature reaches 165ºF.
Serve meatballs with cooked pasta and fresh tomatoes, topped with Parmesan cheese and enjoy!

Notes

Make sure to use a big enough pan so that the meatballs are not crowded. They should be able to sit in the pan in a single layer with some space between them. If you are using a smaller pan, I recommend cooking the meatballs in two batches.
You can also bake these meatballs. Simply place the meatballs on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake them in a 425ºF oven for 12-15 minutes.
Use a cookie scoop to ensure meatballs are the same size and cook evenly.
Use homemade basil pesto or store-bought pesto in this recipe. Use a high-quality pesto, since that is the main flavor component in the meatballs. I have used Kirkland brand basil pesto (Costco) and Rao’s basil pesto or make my own using this spinach-basil pesto recipe.

Nutrition