These spinach chicken meatballs are so flavorful, thanks to fresh parsley and two types of cheeses. They’re easy to make for a quick, healthy meal. Serve with pasta of choice tossed with olive oil and parmesan cheese or Alfredo sauce.
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Ah, spring! With those warmer temperatures comes ALL the green veggies! Spinach, herbs, lettuce, oh my. There’s so much green goodness to be had in the coming weeks.
Today’s recipe definitely doesn’t use greens and herbs in the ways that I usually do. No, it’s not a salad! Instead, I wanted to make something different for all of you to try that was still fresh, flavorful, and healthy.
These healthy spinach chicken meatballs definitely check all of those boxes. They really have a ton of flavor, thanks to parsley, fresh garlic, and parmesan and feta cheeses. I also love how light and nutritious they feel as part of a meal!
But that’s not all! This recipe is great for meal prep, freezer-friendly, and can be used in numerous ways. Serve your herbed chicken and spinach meatballs over pasta, in a sandwich, on their own with a dipping sauce as a snack or appetizer, or in a bowl or salad.
How to Make Spinach Chicken Meatballs
Here’s a preview of the steps for this recipe. For the full ingredients list and instructions, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the post!
- Prep ingredients. Finely chop spinach, herbs, and red onion, mince or press the garlic, beat the egg, and measure out the breadcrumbs, cheeses, salt, and pepper.
- Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Mix well until everything is incorporated into the ground chicken.
- Roll the batter into meatballs about 1.5 inches in diameter. You should get 15 balls.
- Place them on a lined baking sheet. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes at 350 degrees F. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Possible additions and substitutions: To make this recipe gluten free, try substituting the same amount of ground oats (certified gluten free) for the breadcrumbs. It should work well. You can also use gluten free breadcrumbs if you have them. Feel free to mix up the type of cheese you use, such as subbing mozzarella for one of the cheeses. You can also add other seasonings like basil and oregano.
- Other cooking methods: If you want the meatballs to be a little crispier on the outside, you can pan fry them before baking. Heat oil in a large skillet, add the balls, and cook for a couple minutes on each side until lightly browned. Place them on the lined baking sheet and finish cooking in the oven.
- Freezing instructions: Spinach chicken meatballs freeze beautifully! Cook them fully, let them cool, then transfer to freezer bags or containers. Arrange in single layers, separated by wax or parchment paper if needed, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating or reheat from frozen in sauce of choice in a saucepan with lid until warmed through.
- Leftovers and reheating: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. I really like reheating the meatballs in a skillet with a little olive oil and a lid. They get deliciously crispy with this method!
- Serving ideas: Serve spinach chicken meatballs over pasta of choice tossed in olive oil and shredded parmesan cheese. They would pair really well with my Garlic Lemon Creamy Kale Pasta or Vegetarian Pesto Pasta with Peas! You could also eat them with Alfredo sauce or on a meatball sub topped with melted provolone. I even like them in a grain bowl with rice or quinoa, other veggies, and a dressing. Finally, serve them as a snack or appetizer with a dipping sauce! My homemade Canned San Marzano Tomato Sauce would go well with them.
More Healthy Chicken Recipes
Love these spinach chicken meatballs? Check out my Veggie Chicken Burgers, Southwest Healthy Chicken Lettuce Wraps, One Pan Lemon Artichoke Chicken, and Healthy Chicken Fajita Bowls. For other ball recipes, see the Apple Chicken Meatballs with Fennel, Greek Turkey Meatballs with Veggies, Baked Italian Zucchini Balls, and Vegan Eggplant Meatballs.
I’d love to hear how you like this recipe! Rate/review using the stars on the recipe card or in the comments, and follow the Veg World on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. Looking for something totally different? Browse the recipe library.
📖 Recipe
Healthy Spinach Chicken Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 2 cups finely chopped spinach - measure after chopping, almost a whole 5-ounce container
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 3 cloves garlic - minced
- ¼ cup chopped red onion
- ½ cup Panko breadcrumbs - can sub regular breadcrumbs or gluten free ground oats
- ¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 egg - lightly beaten
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Gather the ingredients. Chop the spinach, parsley, red onion, and garlic. Measure out the breadcrumbs, cheeses, salt, and pepper. Beat the egg.
- Add the ground chicken to a large bowl. Stir in the rest of the ingredients except the egg until everything is incorporated into the chicken. Add the egg and stir so the mixture comes together.
- Scoop out some batter with your hands and roll it into a ball about 1.5-inches in diameter. Repeat with the rest of the batter until you get 15 balls of about the same size.
- Place the balls in a single layer on the lined baking sheet. Bake on the center rack of the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, flipping halfway through, until lightly browned and fully cooked through. If you have a meat thermometor, you can check the meatballs for doneness. They should have an internal temperature of at least 165°F.
- Enjoy the meatballs on their own with a dipping sauce, over pasta tossed with olive oil and parmesan cheese, in a meatball sub, or as part of a grain bowl or salad.
- Leave a rating or review by tapping the stars on this recipe card (above) or in the comments section (at the end of the post)!
Notes
- If you want the meatballs to be a little crispier, consider pan frying them for a few minutes before baking. Warm some olive oil in a skillet, add the meatballs, and cook for a few minutes on each side before placing on the baking sheet. Finish cooking in the oven.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in a skillet, covered with a lid, with a little olive oil. Cook for a few minutes on each side until warmed through.
- To freeze, cook the meatballs completely, let cool, then transfer to freezer bags or containers. Arrange in a single layer(s), separated by parchment paper if needed. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before reheating or reheat from frozen in sauce of choice in a saucepan with lid until warmed through.
Anne
These meatballs are seriously delicious – even cold!. I added 1/2 tsp basil and 3/4 tsp anise seed to good effect. They only took 20 minutes to bake.
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
Hi Anne, I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Your additions sound delicious.
Brenda
This website is called Veg World. I was surprised to see a chicken recipe. I looked through the recipe to see if there was a veggie alternative for the chicken, there was not. I’m disappointed to see this on a Veggie site especially since the author is experience in veggie recipes!! 🙁
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
Hi Brenda, the Veg World is a place for vegetable-forward recipes, meaning vegetables are often the star of the recipe OR they are added to dishes that don’t usually have veggies for flavor, texture, or a nutritional boost. I am transparent about the philosophy of the site, and I have several recipes that use meat and fish but still contain a large amount of vegetables and other plant foods. I even have specific categories set up for recipes that qualify as pescatarian or flexitarian, meaning they contain fish or meat. The purpose of these chicken meatballs was to incorporate spinach and herbs, two vegetables that often go to waste in people’s refrigerators if they can’t use them all before they go bad, in a way that was different than a salad and appealing to those who enjoy meat but want to eat more vegetables. I do not incorporate faux meats in my recipes, as they are often ultra-processed and contain ingredients that may not be health-promoting. If you don’t want to make chicken meatballs, I recommend searching my site for another ball recipe. I have many options, including vegan eggplant meatballs and zucchini balls that do not have any meat. Further, a quick Google search would yield plenty of vegetarian “meat”ball recipes for your choosing.