Chicken Parmesan Meatball Skillet

Name: Chicken Parmesan Meatball Skillet
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Cuisine: Italian-American
Ingredients: 1 pound ground chicken; 1/2 cup Italian-style breadcrumbs; 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving; 1 large egg; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 jar (24 ounces) marinara sauce; 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, for garnish

Published by Fork Around & Find Out Kitchen — presented in the Lila editorial voice. Editorial standards

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Chicken Parmesan Meatball Skillet takes everything people like about chicken parm—garlic, Parmesan, marinara, mozzarella, basil—and removes the part where you bread individual cutlets while flour slowly colonizes the kitchen. Ground chicken gets mixed gently with breadcrumbs, Parmesan, egg, garlic, and Italian seasoning, then formed into meatballs and browned before they finish cooking in marinara.

Gentle is the useful word here. Ground chicken is lean and turns rubbery when overworked, so mix only until everything holds together. Browning gives the outside color and flavor, but the 165°F internal temperature is what confirms the centers are safely cooked. Once they reach that point, mozzarella goes over the top and the oven takes five to seven minutes to melt it into the sauce.

Make sure the skillet is actually oven-safe before that last step. Plastic handles have a very firm position on 400°F, and their position is “absolutely not.” Finish with basil and more Parmesan, then serve with pasta or bread for catching the marinara. It is chicken parm energy in meatball form, with considerably less countertop debris.

Prep20 minutes

Cook25 minutes

Total45 minutes

Serves4 servings

DifficultyEasy

Ingredients

Servings

1 pound ground chicken
1/2 cup Italian-style breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
1 large egg
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 jar (24 ounces) marinara sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, for garnish

Instructions

1In a large bowl, combine ground chicken, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, egg, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Mix gently just until combined -- overmixing makes the meatballs dense. Shape into 16 meatballs, about 1 1/2 tablespoons each.
2Heat olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add the meatballs in a single layer, working in batches if needed, and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, 6 to 8 minutes. They don't need to be fully cooked through yet.
3Preheat oven to 400°F. Pour the marinara sauce over and around the browned meatballs in the skillet, spooning some sauce over the tops.
4Cover and simmer on the stove over medium-low heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until the meatballs reach an internal temperature of 165°F.
5Sprinkle the mozzarella evenly over the top. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 5 to 7 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbling.
6Garnish with fresh basil and extra Parmesan, and serve with pasta or crusty bread.

Nutrition Information

Estimated per serving: 1 of 4 servings.

540Calories

43 gProtein

25 gCarbohydrates

29 gTotal Fat

10 gSaturated Fat

3 gFiber

10 gTotal Sugars

1540 mgSodium

175 mgCholesterol

Estimated from the ingredients and quantities in this recipe using standard food-composition values. Brand choices, trimming, cooking loss, optional ingredients, and actual portion size can change the numbers. How we calculate nutrition estimates.

Pro Tips

Check for doneness with a thermometer, not just color -- ground chicken meatballs should reach 165°F internally since visual cues alone aren't reliable for poultry.
Mix the meatball mixture gently. Overworking ground chicken makes the meatballs tough and rubbery instead of tender.
Make sure your skillet is oven-safe, with no plastic handles, before transferring it to the oven for the final melt.

Substitutions

ground chicken → ground turkey Use the same quantity and follow the same 165°F doneness temperature.

marinara sauce → homemade tomato sauce or arrabbiata for heat Use about 3 cups either way.

mozzarella → provolone or a mozzarella-Parmesan blend Any good melting Italian cheese works.

Storage Instructions

Refrigerate the meatballs and tomato sauce together in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat them gently in the sauce so the chicken meatballs stay moist, then refresh the cheese at serving if needed.