Chef John's Chicken Meatballs
Chef John's Chicken Meatballs are tender and juicy, blending chicken thighs with a touch of pork fat, herbs, and warm spices for a delicate, springy bite. Baked to a light golden finish, they’re delicious served straight from the oven or gently simmered in tomato sauce to soak up extra flavor. Ideal for a cozy dinner with pasta, polenta, or crusty bread.
- Prep40 mins
- Cook20 mins
- Serves4
- DifficultyMedium
easyChef Pro health score
Calculated from USDA-referenced nutrient data for the ingredients in Chef John's Chicken Meatballs, not estimated by an AI model. The same recipe returns the same score every time.
- Glycemic ImpactFair
- 49 / 100
- Carb quality, not quantity. Higher is better.
- Nutritional DensityPoor
- 17 / 100
- Nutrients per calorie. Higher is better.
- Energy DensityGood
- 91 / 100
- Calories by weight. Higher means more food for fewer calories.
- NOVA Processed Culinary Ingredients
- 2 / 4
- Processing level, 1 (whole) to 4 (ultra-processed). Lower is better.
How it scores for each health goal
The same recipe scores differently against different goals, because the goal changes the calculation rather than filtering a list. Set your goal in easyChef Pro and every recipe is scored against it.
- 31
- Heart Health
- 67
- Metabolic
- 40
- Digestive
- 46
- Inflammatory
- 65
- Performance
- 49
- General Wellness
- 1
Combine the chicken and pork on a plate or tray, then place in the freezer for about 15 minutes, or until firm and very cold. Partially frozen is fine.
- 2
Put the breadcrumbs into the bowl of a food processor (use the inside of a fresh or day-old French bread loaf—no crust). Add the sautéed onions, egg, white wine, garlic, parsley, salt, pepper, chili flakes, and crushed fennel seeds. Add the chilled chicken mixture on top.
- 3
Pulse the food processor on and off as shown until the mixture looks like ground meat. It is recommended to stop occasionally and scrape down the bowl of the food processor during processing.
- 4
Move the mixture to the fridge and chill for 1 hour before shaping.
- 5
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly grease it with olive oil.
- 6
Divide the mixture into 12 portions and place them on the prepared baking sheet. With damp hands, roll each portion into a smooth ball.
- 7
Bake in the preheated oven until the meatballs are cooked through, about 18 minutes. For extra browning, switch the broiler to high and broil the meatballs for 1 to 2 minutes.
- 8
Serve the meatballs right away, or transfer them into tomato sauce set over low heat. Simmer gently for about 20 minutes to flavor the sauce.
- Calories 488.51 kcal High 24%
- Protein 34.48 g Good Source 69%
- Carbohydrate 52.74 g 19%
- Total Fat 13.86 g Moderate 18%
- Saturated Fat 4.08 g High 20%
- Trans Fat 0.0 g Low Source 0%
- Cholesterol 161.48 mg High 54%
- Sodium 1116.25 mg High 49%
- Dietary Fiber 5.35 g Moderate 19%
- Total Sugars 11.33 g --
- Added Sugars 0.63 g Low Source 1%
- Calcium 51.24 mg Low Source 4%
- Iron 5.71 mg Good Source 32%
- Potassium 815.23 mg Moderate 17%
- Vitamin A 198.22 mcg Good Source 22%
- Vitamin C 19.89 mg Good Source 22%
- Vitamin D 0.27 mcg Low Source 1%
Values are per serving. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet.
- Eggs 🥚
- Wheat 🌾
- Gluten
- Tomatoes 🍅
- Garlic 🧄
- Onions 🧅
- Alcohol 🚫🍷
About This Recipe
Chef John's Chicken Meatballs is made with 14 ingredients and serves 4. It takes about 1 hr and is rated medium. Key ingredients include Bacon Fat, Black Pepper, Boneless Chicken Thigh, and Bread Crumbs. Each serving provides about 488.51 kcal, and is a good source of protein.
Recipe Questions
- What is Chef John's Chicken Meatballs made of?
- The main ingredients are Bacon Fat, Black Pepper, Boneless Chicken Thigh, Bread Crumbs, Diced Onion. The full list of 14 is above.
- How long does it take to make Chef John's Chicken Meatballs?
- About 1 hr in total: 40 mins to prepare and 20 mins to cook.
- How many calories are in one serving?
- One serving provides about 488.51 kcal. The full nutrition breakdown is above.
- Is Chef John's Chicken Meatballs easy to make?
- This recipe is rated medium, with 14 ingredients and 8 steps.
- Is Chef John's Chicken Meatballs healthy?
- Chef John's Chicken Meatballs has an easyChef Pro health score of 48/100. Per serving, it provides 488.51 calories and 34.48 g of protein, or 69% of the Daily Value. It is a good source of iron, vitamin A and vitamin C. Worth noting per serving: sodium at 1116.25 mg (49% of the Daily Value) and saturated fat at 4.08 g (20% of the Daily Value). It contains Eggs, Wheat, Gluten, Tomatoes, Garlic, Onions and Alcohol, so it may not be suitable for people with those allergies or dietary restrictions. Whether it fits your goals depends on your complete meal plan and nutritional needs. Remix it in easyChef Pro to adjust the ingredients and generate fresh nutrition and scores.
How easyChef Pro scores recipes and products
easyChef Pro analyzes up to 41 nutrients using data sourced from USDA and other verified food databases. Its scoring method uses the nutrients relevant to nutrition quality, calorie density, processing level, and your selected health goal. Recipes and food products get a health score from 0 to 100, calculated using consistent rules instead of being estimated by AI. The same nutrition data, serving size and health goal will produce the same result.
The calculation evaluates nutrients, calorie density, processing level, and how well the food supports your selected health goal. Protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals and other beneficial nutrients can strengthen the score. High amounts of sodium, saturated fat, added sugar and other nutrients may lower it.
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