Cheesy Baked Chicken Meatballs in Sauce – Tender, juicy meatballs cook to perfection as they gently poach in the tomato sauce, then are topped with melty mozzarella. No need to roll the meatballs—serve with pasta or make a meatball sub!
If you are looking for chicken meatball dishes, try our spaghetti and meatball cups or the chicken veggie meatballs
Why You’ll Love These Baked Chicken Meatballs
Meatballs without all the rolling and shaping? Yes, please! Simply mix the ground chicken, then use an ice cream scoop to portion the mixture directly into marinara sauce and bake. And let the oven do the work! Top with melty mozzarella, and you’ve got an easy chicken dinner with minimal effort.
While the meatballs bake, boil some pasta on the stove and dinner is done. And the texture? The meatballs gently poach in the marinara as they bake, keeping them incredibly juicy and tender. Serve them over pasta, with crusty bread for dipping, or as an easy appetizer!
- maria doss
Jump to:
My favorite part about this recipe? There’s no need to get your hands messy rolling individual meatballs! Just use an ice cream scoop to portion the chicken mixture directly into the marinara. They don’t need to be perfectly round—the sauce will surround them as they bake, keeping them tender and juicy.
Don’t worry about making them look perfect. The whole idea is to make dinner easier, so scoop, space them out in the sauce, and let the oven do the work. Less prep, less mess, and one less tedious step!
Tips for Success
- Turkey – You can use 1 pound of ground turkey instead of ground chicken.
- Marinara sauce – Use your favorite jarred marinara since the meatballs cook directly in the sauce. Choose one you already love the flavor of, because it will make a difference in the finished dish. I personally like to use Prego (tomato, basil & garlic) for all my pasta dishes.
- Cooking time – It will depend on the size of your meatballs. For meatballs that are about 3 to 4 tablespoons each, like the ones used in this recipe, bake for 30 to 35 minutes. They should feel slightly firm to the touch or reach an internal temperature of 165°F when tested with an instant-read thermometer.
FAQ'S
Ground chicken is naturally lean, so it can dry out quickly when exposed to the high heat of an oven or skillet. Baking the meatballs directly in marinara creates a moist cooking environment that gently cooks them, helping them stay incredibly tender and juicy.
And there’s another bonus: as the meatballs cook, they release their flavorful juices into the sauce, making the marinara even richer and more savory. So you end up with tender chicken meatballs and a delicious sauce, all in one dish.
Using an ice cream scoop is an easy way to portion your meatballs evenly, so they’re all about the same size and cook at the same rate.
It also helps keep the meatballs light and tender. The less you handle and compress the ground chicken, the more tender the texture will be. Simply scoop the mixture directly into the marinara without tightly rolling or packing it, and let the sauce and oven do the rest.
More Dinner Ideas Using Ground Chicken
Cheesy Baked Chicken Meatballs in Sauce
Equipment
- 8x8 square baking dish
Ingredients
For the sauce
- 1 ½ cups marinara sauce (I used Prego - tomato, basil & garlic)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ⅛ teaspoon salt or as needed
For the meatballs
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs
- 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella divided
- 2 tablespoon grated parmesan
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Mix sauce. Add 1 ½ cups marinara, 1 tablespoon olive oil, ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes and ⅛ teaspoon salt into an 8-inch square baking dish. Stir well to combine.
- Mix meatball mixture. Combine all ingredients listed under "for the meatballs" in a large bowl, using only ½ cup of mozzarella (save the remaining 1 cup for later). Mix thoroughly until everything is well incorporated.
- Finish. Using a medium-sized ice cream scoop, portion about 3 to 4 tablespoons of the meatball mixture into the sauce, spacing them evenly.
- Bake. Bake (uncovered) for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the meatballs are fully cooked through. Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack (do not turn off the oven). Spoon some of the sauce over the meatballs until they’re fully coated. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of mozzarella evenly on top. For an extra cheesy dish, feel free to add more mozzarella to your liking.👉 Baking time will depend on the size of your meatballs. They’re done when slightly firm to the touch or when the center reaches 165°F on an instant-read thermometer.
- Finish baking and serve. Return the pan to the oven and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove from the oven and let cool for at least 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with chopped basil and serve alongside crusty bread or cooked pasta.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information, based on third-party calculations, should be seen as estimates, not guarantees, as various factors like product types, brands, processing methods, and more can alter the nutritional content in recipes.
How to make baked chicken meatballs in tomato sauce?
You can find the full printable recipe below, but here is a quick overview of the procedure along with step-by-step photos.
Want To Save This Recipe?
Enter your email below, and we’ll send the link straight to your inbox. Plus, you'll get more creative recipe ideas every Sunday!
Step 7 - Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 40 minutes or the chicken meatballs are cooked through.
Jarred marinara sauce works beautifully for oven-baked dishes. No need to make a sauce from scratch—just add your pasta, chicken, and other ingredients right to the sauce and let the oven do the work. Like this chicken and gnocchi recipe, it’s an easy shortcut to a flavorful dinner with minimal effort.
Serving suggestions
These cheesy baked chicken meatballs in sauce can be transformed into a variety of delicious meals.
- Pasta - Spoon some of the meatballs along with sauce over any plain cooked pasta.
- Meatball sandwiches - Turn them into a delicious chicken meatball sandwich by placing the meatballs between two slices of bread or in hot dog buns. Check out air fryer chicken meatballs recipe for a garlic butter meatball sub idea!
- With bread - Spoon over toasted bread slices for an instant meal. Our air fried garlic bread will be delish!
- Appetizer - For entertaining, serve these with toasted baguette slices. For easier serving, I recommend shaping the meatballs smaller.
MADE THIS RECIPE AND LOVED IT? 💚 Please leave a ⭐️STAR rating and COMMENT below - Your feedback makes all the time I spend perfecting recipes completely worth it. Thank you!
Tag me with your creations on Instagram and find me on Facebook.
Hi, I’m Maria! I share easy, flavor-packed dinners, high-protein meals, and irresistible baking ideas. If you’ve ever asked, “Don’t know what to cook tonight?” you’re in the right place. And yes—there’s plenty here for breakfast, snacks, and dessert too. More about maria ->
Kelly @ Kelly Lynns Sweets and Treats
What a neat trick cooking these in a muffin tin! I will have to try that 🙂 and these just look so moist and flavorful. Love the sneaky avocado!!
Shelli
Could you use ground turkey instead?
Maria Doss
I haven't worked with ground turkey, but I'm sure that it will work:)
Ashika | Gardening Foodie
This is such a great lunch box treat Maria...and I love how you used a muffin tin to make these.
Katherine | Love In My Oven
I love these photos, and these meatballs! I like the idea of sneaking avocado in too 🙂