Baked Spicy Chicken Parm Meatballs (Printable Version)

Juicy spicy chicken meatballs baked in marinara with melted mozzarella cheese for a comforting Italian-American favorite.

# Ingredient List:

→ 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

# Directions:

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

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Spicy, cheesy, and completely craveable without the guilt of deep frying.
  • The meatballs stay juicy because chicken needs that hot sauce and egg to keep things tender and flavorful.
  • Baking in the sauce means everything melds together, no dry spots, just pure comfort.
  • Works equally well over pasta, stuffed in a sandwich roll, or served with crusty bread for soaking up sauce.
02 -
  • Overmixing the meatball mixture is the fastest way to ruin them—mix just until combined, even if it looks slightly rough.
  • Browning the meatballs first creates a flavorful crust that tastes deeper and more developed than skipping this step.
  • Check the internal temperature with a thermometer; chicken can look cooked on the outside while still being undercooked inside.
03 -
  • Wet your hands before forming meatballs so the mixture doesn't stick and you get more uniform sizes that cook at the same rate.
  • Let the mozzarella melt a full 10 to 12 minutes so it becomes bubbly and the top edges turn slightly golden—this is where the magic happens.
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