Who doesn’t love a good meatball? They’re a favorite of many with endless ways to make them! This version is everything you love about classic chicken parm but formed into a meatball.
The outside is crispy, similar to the way you would fry up your chicken cutlet. They’re topped with a nice marinara sauce, some melted cheese, basil with a surprise center.
When you bite into them they still hold on to that crunch because they’re not simmered in sauce as you would traditional Italian meatballs.
After the balls are formed you’re going to bread them as you would when making chicken cutlets, first a light dusting of flour, then egg, then into breadcrumbs. You’ll brown them first until that crispy coating sets, then they’re finished off in the oven.
Depending on the size you make you can serve them as a main with a nice green vegetable or salad on the side, place them on top of pasta or you might simply want to stuff them into a crunchy baguette for a delicious sandwich.
Your family will love the fact that you turned the classic chicken parm into a meatball, how can they resist! Crispy on the outside with melted mozzarella oozing on the inside, every bite is amazing!
I hope you make this fun spin on the classic chicken parm!
- FOR THE MEATBALL MIXTURE
- 2 lbs. ground chicken
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1 large egg
- ½ medium onion, small dice
- 2 heaping tablespoons each, parsley and basil
- ¾ cup of grated parmesan cheese
- ¾ cup panko bread crumbs
- salt and pepper to taste
- FOR THE BREADING MIX
- 2 large beaten eggs
- flour for dredging
- panko breadcrumbs enough to coat your meatballs
- *****
- ½ lb. of dry mozzarella in a block so you can cut into ½ inch cubes
- ½ lb. of fresh mozzarella, just so you can top each cooked meatball, you'll probably have some leftover
- marinara sauce, enough for a dollop on each meatball and some warmed up to serve on your plate.
- additional basil for garnish as well as extra marinara
- Note: you do not simmer these meatballs in a pot of sauce like traditional ones, you want to keep them crispy
- Mix up the meatballs with ingredients listed.
- Form them into size the meatballs you like then push the cubed mozzarella into each one, making sure the meat covers the cheese.
- I got 10 meatballs with the 2lbs.
- Have your breading station set up with the flour, egg and panko.
- Lightly dredge each meatball into the flour dusting off excess, then into the egg, then finally the panko, making sure to coat the whole meatball all around.
- In a nonstick heated fry pan drizzle in some olive oil, fry the meatballs making sure to get all sides golden and crispy.
- Transfer them to a casserole dish and into a 400 degree oven for around 10 minutes, then pull them out, top with a dollop of marinara on each as well as a piece of the fresh mozzarella, then back into the oven for an additional 5 or so minutes so they can finish cooking on the inside and the cheese melts on top.
- Garnish with chopped basil.
- Serve with some warm marinara on the side.
This past weekend the weather finally felt like spring so it was time to clean the grill and fire it up for the first time since winter.
I decided I was going to try grilling meatballs, I’ve been wanting to try it, something different. I mixed them up the way I always make them minus the breadcrumbs. I cubed up some Fontina cheese and placed a hunk right in the middle. For my grilled meatballs I used ground turkey because that’s what I had, but you could use any ground meat mixture that you like.
Just make sure your grill is nice and clean, rub some oil on the grates and because I used ground turkey I sprayed my meatballs beforehand with olive oil. I had no fancy gadgets I just plopped them right onto the grill, but here’s the thing, don’t get anxious and start moving them, let them form a crust on the bottom. For extra precaution I checked the bottom using a sharp edged spatula before I flipped them over.
I made a roasted tomato and garlic sauce to serve with my meatballs, a great combination that enhanced all the flavors of the entire dish. We loved how they tasted! The slightly smokey flavor the grill added was a plus along with the nice crispy outer crust that formed. Moist and flavorful inside with gooey Fontina cheese oozing out. This would be great for a party, you could even make them as kabobs!
And now for my exciting news! I wrote an ebook/cookbook! I can hardly believe it myself but I really did! Within a couple of days I will be releasing it here on my blog. So please come back and read all about it, I can’t wait to share it with you!
I’m Marie, a wife, mother, mother-in-law, and gramma of two beautiful girls. My passion is food, clear and simple but especially Italian food, hence the name of my blog, Proud Italian Cook. I want you to feel right at home here so grab a cup of coffee, I’ll get the pastries, take a look around and enjoy your visit! {
