Baked Spicy Chicken Parm Meatballs (Printable)

Juicy spicy chicken meatballs baked in marinara with melted mozzarella cheese.

# What you need:

→ For the Meatballs

01 - 1 lb ground chicken
02 - 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
03 - 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
04 - 1 large egg
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
07 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
08 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
09 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
10 - 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
11 - 1 teaspoon onion powder
12 - 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
13 - 2 tablespoons hot sauce

→ For Baking

14 - 2 cups marinara sauce
15 - 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
16 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

# How to make it:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
02 - In a large bowl, combine ground chicken, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, egg, garlic, parsley, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, cayenne, onion powder, oregano, and hot sauce. Mix until just combined without overmixing.
03 - With damp hands, form the mixture into 1 1/2-inch meatballs and place on a plate. Mixture yields approximately 16 meatballs.
04 - Heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add meatballs and brown for 2-3 minutes per side, working in batches as needed. Meatballs do not need to be fully cooked at this stage.
05 - Spread half the marinara sauce in the prepared baking dish. Arrange browned meatballs on top and spoon remaining sauce over them.
06 - Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes.
07 - Remove from oven, sprinkle mozzarella cheese evenly over meatballs, and return to oven. Bake for 10-12 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly and internal temperature reaches 165°F.
08 - Let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with additional fresh parsley if desired.

# Helpful Hints:

01 -
  • These meatballs deliver all the comfort of chicken parm without the breading mess or precision timing that intimidates home cooks.
  • The hot sauce stirred into the mixture keeps them impossibly juicy while the cayenne gives a subtle burn that builds as you eat.
  • Everything bakes together in one dish, turning your oven into the real workhorse while you stay out of the kitchen's chaos.
02 -
  • The hot sauce mixed into the raw meat makes all the difference between meatballs that taste like plain chicken and ones with character, so don't reduce it thinking it'll be too spicy—it mellows beautifully.
  • Browning the meatballs before baking creates a protective exterior that keeps them from turning rubbery, and this step takes just 5 minutes but transforms the final texture completely.
03 -
  • Damp hands make forming meatballs infinitely easier and prevent the mixture from sticking, so keep a bowl of water nearby while you roll.
  • Shredding your own mozzarella from a block melts more smoothly than pre-shredded cheese because it lacks the cellulose coating designed to prevent clumping.
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