These easy Baked Chicken Meatballs are juicy and flavorful with sauteéd shallot, garlic and healing spices. Served over creamy spiced coconut rice with baby spinach for comforting, healthy meal in just 30 minutes. Dairy-free and perfect for meal prep!
How to make the best oven-baked chicken meatballs
I love cooking meatballs in the oven. It’s so much easier and cleaner than pan-frying, especially for low fat proteins which have a tendency to fall apart in the pan. For this recipe, you can use ground chicken or ground turkey. Whichever you choose, aim for something with about at least a 7% fat content. This will ensure the meatballs don’t dry out in the oven.
To make these Baked Chicken Meatballs, start by sautéing a shallot, a few garlic cloves and spices in olive oil. Cooking the aromatics before adding them to the meat mixture helps unlock their flavor.
Once the aromatics are cooked, transfer half to a large mixing bowl. The other half that’s left in the pan will become the base for the rice later on.
Add in some fresh chopped cilantro, panko breadcrumbs and a generous amount of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Drizzle a little olive oil on your hands and form the mixture into balls.
Bake the meatballs on a sheet pan until they’re golden brown and no longer pink in the center. You can also air fry the meatballs! See the recipe card at the end of the page for air fryer instructions.
My favorite creamy golden rice
While the meatballs bake, return to the stove where you left half of the sautéed shallot mixture in the pan. Bring the heat back up and add in the basmati rice. Toast for a couple minutes before pouring in low-sodium chicken stock, full-fat coconut milk and seasoning with kosher salt. Bring everything up to a boil, cover with a tight-fitting lid and reduce the heat to low.
Cook the rice for about 15 minutes or so, until almost all of the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender. It’s okay if you slightly overcook the rice. We’re going for more of a creamy, porridge consistency as opposed to fluffy grains.
If the rice looks a little dry or undercooked, simply add more chicken stock until it becomes tender and creamy. Turn off the heat, stir in the some chopped baby spinach and allow it to wilt into the rice. Remember to taste the rice, it will probably need more salt!
Serve up the creamy golden rice in shallow bowls with a few chicken meatballs. Garnish with fresh cilantro and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to really make the flavors pop. I highly recommend a pinch of flaky sea salt if you’re feeling fancy.
If you end up with leftovers, these Baked Chicken Meatballs taste delicious the next day! Everything should last in the fridge for about 4-5 days when sealed in an airtight container. To reheat, I like to place the meatballs and rice in a microwave safe dish covered with a wet paper towel. Microwave at 70% power on 30 second increments until heated through.
Add another squeeze of lemon juice and some chopped cilantro and you won’t even be able to tell you’re eating leftovers!
More easy dinner recipes
- Sheet Pan Chicken Burrito Bowls
- One Pot Tuscan Pasta
- Lemon Risotto with Herb Roasted Chickpeas
- Miso Blackened Salmon
- Harissa Meatballs with Fregola and Lemong Yogurt
Made this Recipe? Tag @wandering_chickpea on Instagram and follow along on Pinterest for more delicious recipes!
Baked Meatballs with Creamy Golden Rice
These easy Baked Chicken Meatballs are juicy and flavorful with sauteéd shallot, garlic and turmeric. Served over creamy spiced coconut rice with baby spinach for comforting, healthy meal in just 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large shallot, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 lb ground chicken or turkey
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped, plus more for serving
- 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 3/4 cup white basmati rice
- 1 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 cup full-fat unsweetened coconut milk
- A big handful baby spinach, roughly chopped
- Fresh lemon juice for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400° F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. (see notes for airfryer instructions)
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot to which you have a tight-fitting lid. When shimmering, add the shallot and cook for 2-3 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic, turmeric and ginger. Cook for another 1-2 minutes or until fragrant. Turn off the heat and transfer half the mixture to a large mixing bowl, leaving the rest in the pan.
- Once the shallot mixture has cooled, add the ground chicken, cilantro, breadcrumbs and 1/2 tsp kosher salt. Mix to combine. Use well-oiled hands to roll into 10-12 meatballs. Place on the baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes or until no longer pink in the center.
- While the meatballs bake, finish cooking the rice. Return the pot to medium heat and add the rice. Toast for 2-3 minutes or until fragrant. Stir in the chicken stock and coconut milk. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 15-17 minutes or until the rice is tender and almost all the liquid is absorbed.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the spinach so it wilts. Taste and add more salt if needed. Serve the rice and meatballs with a squeeze of lemon juice and more black pepper.
Notes
Airfryer: Preheat the airfryer to 400° F. Spray the basket with cooking oil and place the meatballs in an even layer. Airfry for 8-10 minutes or until no longer pink in the center.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 468Total Fat: 23gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 163mgSodium: 701mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 2gSugar: 4gProtein: 43g
All nutritional info is an estimation
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