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Chicken Pesto Meatballs

By Dan Pelosi

Published May 22, 2024

Chicken Pesto Meatballs
Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Rebecca Jurkevich.
Total Time
25 minutes
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Rating
5(2,594)
Comments
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Simply adding pesto to chicken meatballs is a quick, easy way to infuse them with complex flavor while providing enough fat to ensure they are moist and juicy. With few ingredients, these meatballs come together fast and work well with any kind of pesto, whether homemade or store-bought. These meatballs can be eaten on their own, make a great addition to any plate and are the perfect companion to pesto pasta, of course.

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Ingredients

Yield:15 Meatballs
  • ¾cup homemade or store-bought pesto, plus more for serving
  • ½cup panko bread crumbs 
  • 1large egg
  • Salt and black pepper 
  • Red-pepper flakes 
  • 1pound ground chicken 
  • ½cup grated Parmesan 
Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven to 400 degrees.

  2. Step 2

    Add pesto, panko, egg, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper and a pinch of red pepper to a bowl and mix to combine, ensuring the panko is fully moistened. Add chicken and cheese and mix until just combined, being careful not to overmix.

  3. Step 3

    Form the meat mixture into 15 small balls (about 2 tablespoons each) and place onto a baking sheet. Bake meatballs for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes.

  4. Step 4

    Serve with extra pesto sauce on the side or with pesto-coated pasta.

Tip
  • Alternatively, pan-fry meatballs over medium heat on the stovetop in a little oil until golden brown.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
2,594 user ratings
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Comments

CJ

Just coming back to let you know that I made a double batch last week and froze them raw on a cookie sheet before adding to freezer bags. Last night I removed 4 and cooked them from frozen in the air fryer for 15 min and they were perfect!

Cbederka

Absolutely delicious and so easy. Used ground turkey because that is what we always have on hand. If ever there was a use for Costco pesto, this is it. Served on a spinach salad with tomato and fresh mozzarella with a little drizzle of pesto thinned with a bit of olive oil (also Costco brand). Will definitely make again.

Coriander

These were delicious! I’m thinking of flattening them out a bit next time and using them for chicken caprese sliders, or maybe burgers if I make them bigger - has anyone tried making them as burgers? Any tips?

AH

Just a quick note: the metric measurements suggest 40 grams of pesto, but 1/2 cup of the pesto I used was 110g. I went with the 1/2 cup, and they were fantastic. Baking a patty variation for dinner as I type this.

DotDoc

Delicious way to enjoy late summer basil from the garden. Really flavorful; the pesto, egg panade results in very tender meatballs. I added 1 tsp of Diamond Kosher salt per the directions and it was a bit salty for our taste. Will make again!

Annie

These are the 1st chicken meatballs that I liked. Delicious and great texture. My garden produced a bumper crop of basil plants and beautiful garlic this year. Just made a large batch of pesto for this dinner and to have in the freezer. Now I'm inspired to go into pesto production for winter meals. The caprese burger sounds great as well as vegan versions. So many possibilities. Quick and easy recipe. I agree, no extra salt and cook longer. Can halve the pesto or not. This is a winner.

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Credits

By Dan Pelosi

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