Chicken
$1.65per plate
Prep
15 min
Chicken · Ground Chicken
Ground Chicken Meatballs
Ground chicken meatballs are the lighter, cheaper cousin of the classic beef version, and they feed four for about $1.67 a plate. Ground chicken is leaner and wetter than beef, so a little breadcrumb and an egg are what hold the meatballs together and keep them tender instead of dense. Bake them on a sheet pan while the pasta boils, simmer them in a jar of marinara, and you have a pot of saucy chicken meatballs for less than a pound of ground beef would cost. They freeze well too, which makes a double batch worth the ten extra minutes of rolling.
$1.67per plate
Estimated recipe total
$6.68 · serves 4
Cook
20 min
Total
35 min
Serves
4
1 How to make it
1
Mix the meatballs
Heat the oven to 400 F and put a pot of salted water on for the pasta. In a bowl, combine the ground chicken, breadcrumbs, egg, parmesan, and Italian herbs, salt, and pepper. Mix with a fork or your hands just until it comes together; overmixing makes tough meatballs.
2
Roll and bake
With damp hands, roll the mixture into about 16 meatballs, a heaping tablespoon each, and set them on a foil-lined sheet. Ground chicken is sticky, so wet hands keep it from gluing to your fingers. Bake 18 to 20 minutes, until golden and cooked through to 165 F.
3
Simmer in marinara
While the meatballs bake, warm the marinara in a wide skillet or pot over medium heat. Slide the baked meatballs into the sauce and simmer 5 minutes so they soak up the flavor and finish tender.
4
Serve over pasta
Cook the pasta while the meatballs simmer, drain, and pile it into bowls. Spoon the meatballs and plenty of sauce over the top and finish with a little more parmesan. Garlic bread on the side is never a bad idea.
2 Cheaper ingredient swaps
- Ground turkey for chicken. Ground turkey behaves almost identically and swaps in one for one. Both are lean, so keep the egg and breadcrumb to hold the meatballs together and keep them moist.
- Serve as subs or appetizers. Pile the saucy meatballs into hoagie rolls with melted cheese for meatball subs, or serve them straight from the sauce with toothpicks as a cheap party appetizer.
- Add garlic and onion to the mix. A little minced garlic or grated onion in the meatball mixture adds flavor for pennies. Grate the onion so it melts in rather than leaving raw chunks.
- Crushed crackers for breadcrumbs. Out of breadcrumbs? A handful of crushed crackers, panko, or even quick oats does the same binding job with whatever is in the pantry.
3 Budget tips
- Ground chicken is often cheaper than ground beef and turns into meatballs just as easily, so this is one of the lowest-cost ways to get a saucy, satisfying pasta dinner on the table.
- One jar of marinara sauces the whole batch. Buy the store brand, since a couple dollars of jarred sauce does the same job over meatballs and pasta as one that costs twice as much.
- Roll a double batch and freeze half of the baked meatballs. A bag of cooked chicken meatballs in the freezer turns into dinner with just a jar of sauce and a pot of pasta.
4 Storage, freezing & reheating
Fridge
Refrigerate the meatballs in their sauce for up to 4 days, pasta kept separate so it does not soak up all the sauce. They reheat beautifully and taste even better the next day.
Freezer
Freeze the baked meatballs, with or without sauce, for up to 3 months. Cooked and frozen, they reheat straight into a pot of marinara for a fast weeknight dinner.
Reheating
Reheat the meatballs gently in sauce on the stovetop over medium-low, or in the microwave in short bursts, until hot through. Cook fresh pasta to serve so it does not turn gummy.
5 Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
470
Protein
30g
Fat
13g
Carbs
56g
Estimates per serving with pasta and sauce, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not a substitute for medical advice.
6 Frequently asked questions
How do you keep ground chicken meatballs from falling apart?
The egg and breadcrumb are the binders, so do not skip them. Ground chicken is wetter than beef, so if the mix feels too loose to roll, add another spoon of breadcrumbs. Baking the meatballs rather than pan-frying also helps them hold their shape.
Should you bake or fry chicken meatballs?
Baking is easier, cleaner, and hands-off: they cook evenly on a sheet pan at 400 F while you boil the pasta, with no splattering. Pan-frying gives a little more browning if you want it, but baking is the better call for a cheap weeknight batch.
What do you serve with ground chicken meatballs?
Over pasta with marinara is the classic. They are also great as meatball subs, over rice or polenta, tucked into a wrap, or served on their own with toothpicks as an appetizer. The lean chicken takes any sauce you like.
How is the price per plate figured?
About $6.68 for a pound of ground chicken, the breadcrumb and egg binder, parmesan, a jar of marinara, and pasta to serve, split across four servings, which comes to roughly $1.67 each. Ground chicken and store-brand sauce are what keep it cheap.
Helpful Tools for This Recipe
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- 9x13 baking dish. A 9x13 dish is the standard size for casseroles and baked pasta, so one dish feeds the whole table. Best for casseroles, baked pasta, stuffed peppers, and baked oatmeal.
- Mixing bowls set. A set of nesting bowls handles prep, mixing, and marinades without dirtying every dish in the house. Best for mixing meatball and patty mixtures, tossing ingredients, and holding prepped components.
- Measuring cups and spoons set. A basic set of measuring cups and spoons keeps amounts consistent, which keeps budget recipes reliable. Best for rice, liquids, and any recipe where the ratio matters.
- Instant-read meat thermometer. An instant-read thermometer takes the guesswork out of doneness, so lean or cheap cuts stay juicy instead of overcooking. Best for chicken, pork, and meatloaf, where a few degrees decides juicy or dry.
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