Chicken Spinach Meatballs
How to Make Chicken Spinach Meatballs
Ingredients
- Ground chicken
- Frozen Spinach
- Basil
- Garlic and onion
- Eggs
- Breadcrumbs
- Parmesan cheese
- Salt and Pepper
All you do is combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl. I like to make meatballs about golf-ball sized.
Line them up on a baking sheet and bake them for 25 to 30 minutes at 350°F.
Recipe Tips and FAQs
Can I cook the meatballs on the stove?
Yes, you can cook them on the stove instead of baking them. Brown the meatballs in a pan with olive over medium heat until they are cooked through, about ten minutes. Or, you can brown them first and then add your sauce and simmer them in the sauce until they are cooked through.
Can I use fresh spinach instead of frozen spinach?
Readers have tried using fresh spinach with success! One reader finely chopped the fresh spinach and just mixed it up with the ground chicken mixture.
If you want to cook the spinach first, you will need approximately 1 pound of fresh spinach so you end up with about 10 ounces cooked, which is the same amount that is in a box of frozen spinach. Just cook the fresh spinach in a large pot with some olive oil (a few teaspoons should be enough). As the spinach cooks it will release its moisture. Once it’s cooked down, let it cool and then add it to your chicken meatball mixture.
Can I make these chicken spinach meatballs ahead?
Yes, you can make a batch of these meatballs ahead and keep them in the refrigerator or freezer.
- Refridgerator: store the meatballs in an airtight container. They should keep well in the refrigerator for up to three or four days.
- Freezer: cool the meatballs completely and place them in an airtight container or freezer bag. They should keep well for three to four months in the freezer.
Happy meatball-making!
More Dinner Recipes
- Citrus-Glazed Chicken Meatballs
- Skillet Chicken Lasagna
- Zucchini Turkey Meatballs with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
- One-Pan Creamy Chicken and Rice
Chicken & Spinach Meatballs
These chicken meatballs are easy to make and full of flavor!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 10-ounce box frozen spinach, thawed, drained and chopped*
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1/4 cup plain breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large bowl mix all the ingredients together until just combined. Form the mixture into golf ball sized balls (I made 18 meatballs) and place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray or lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes.
Notes
For the spinach: Be sure to thaw completely and then wrap it in a clean dish towel to wring out all the excess moisture before chopping.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3 meatballs
- Calories: 206
- Sugar: 1.3g
- Sodium: 461.2mg
- Fat: 10.6g
- Saturated Fat: 3.9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4.1g
- Trans Fat: 0.1g
- Carbohydrates: 7.3g
- Fiber: 1.9g
- Protein: 21.1g
- Cholesterol: 132.7mg
Sounds fabulous, just curious could I salute the onion first, col it down and add to meatballs? We have a “picky” onion eater, if she even thinks it is not a soft cooked onion she puts her nose up…Thanks going to make this with my san marzano marinara
I haven’t tried cooking the onions first, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work!
Hi,
Have you ever made these meatballs without breadcrumbs? or with a substitution?
Hi Erin – I haven’t made these without breadcrumbs, so not sure how they would turn out. You could leave them out, but the meatballs might not be as tender.
could these be cooked in the sauce instead of baked? I cannot bring myself to bake meatballs the thought makes me cringe!
Hi Sheena – you may want to brown them first in the pan and then finish them in the sauce. I’ve haven’t tried it with this recipe, but sure it will work fine!
How would I reheat them the best if they’re frozen!?
You can warm them in the microwave or on the stove. If you’re serving them with a sauce you can simmer them in it until they are warmed through.
I have been making these for my lunch for the week and subbing egg whites for the eggs, they are SO good and everyone that comes in my office always comments that it smells SO good! Thinking of subbing panko breadcrumbs this week!
I’m so glad you like them! Thanks for sharing your adjustments – the panko will be great!
Made them for dinner and they’re great, no leftovers!
Great recipe! I follow the recipe (except y breadcrumbs have Italian seasoning) and my skeptical family really liked them. Plus the meatballs freeze/defrost nicely.
It is a decent twist, but make sure you have enough breadcrumbs to offset the liquids. I suggest if you use frozen spinach that you squeeze the liquid out as much as possible and you might get away with only one egg. Minced chicken is not as firm as beef or even pork.
I used canned spinach, squeezed dry, and they were a big hit! The spinach and eggs added a nice amount of moisture, so they weren’t dry at all. I’ll definitely make these again!