skinny girl chicken meatballs

One bowl. One skillet. And, these skinny girl chicken meatballs are being served up in no time at all! Full of nutrition & flavor! Super EZ!

How to Make Meatballs

No need for a lesson in how to make meatballs because you know that you’re going to be rolling meatballs once you get that meat mixture prepared. And, the meat mixture ingredients are going to make the big difference in whether this is a good or great meatball. My secret ingredient to making these meatballs great? Pancetta!

What is Pancetta

Pancetta and bacon are similar but not just alike. Pancetta, a very Italian meat, is salt cured and dried while bacon is smoked. Pancetta can be eaten both cooked or uncooked. I’ve always cooked my diced pancetta as it becomes a perfect crispy crumbly topping for dishes. But, in this recipe, we’re not going to cook the pancetta. 

Meatballs for Spaghetti

Here’s another meatball recipe that I love with spaghetti or any type of pasta, pesto meatballs and marinara sauce.

Italian Meatballs

Looking for Italian meatballs and meatballs from around the globe? Well, I’ve got them. Mexican, Moroccoan and Italian! 

Chicken Meatball Recipes

Ground chicken while healthy and good for a different type of meatball doesn’t have much flavor. So in order to make this chicken meatball recipe tastier, I’m adding the pancetta, which has the fat that will give us flavor in these meatballs. It’s just enough to let  you know your meatball is juicy and delicious. 

Another super easy, delicious and healthy recipe, and, ohhhhh, it’s in the ‘skinny girl’ series. Pork Chops! xoxo ~ally

Eating at Home

Someday we’ll look back on these horrific chaotic pandemic 2020 CoronaVirus experience as something that brought out the best in all of us. We’ve all probably discovered things that we never knew about ourselves. Some of us might be eating at home a heckuva whole lot more!

And, while we think it’s been hard, we have to keep it in perspective knowing that people have survived much more throughout history. That’s the unique thing about us, the human race. We are bulldogs. We find ways to make it, survive and come out of mammoth adversity as, hopefully, a better human being.

Cooking at Home Benefits

One thing I think that’s a blessing from all that is happening with the #stayhome #inthistogether movement to curb and control the spread of Covid19 is the fact that more people are using their kitchens. Yes, cooking at home has big benefits.

Chicken Meatballs In Oven

Some people are discovering the joys and love of cooking for the very first time! There’s not easier way to start loving your kitchen than with these chicken meatballs in the oven!

While it’s a travesty that it took something this catastrophic to create this movement, it happened, and we all might just continue to cook at home, maybe institute Sunday afternoon dinners and more in the breaking of bread in our homes.

Healthy Chicken Meatballs

Healthy chicken meatballs like this recipe have that extra flavor of the pancetta to offset the ground chicken, which sometimes can be ‘dry’ and less flavorful than a ground meat with more fat content. Plus, you’ve got greens in these meatballs, spinach! If you prefer something like arugula, microgreens or finely chopped European greens, there’s no problem with swapping! 

Giada Meatballs

While the famous Giada meatballs of Food Network are great, Ally has quite an inventory of delicious meatballs! 

Country Style Meatballs with Gravy

Mediterranean Meatballs with Red Gravy

Tropical Meatballs

Mexican Style Meatballs

Ground Chicken Chorizo Meatballs

Turkish Lamb Asiago Meatballs

French Onion Lamb Meatballs

skinny girl chicken meatballs

Yield: About 10-12 large meatballs

One bowl. One skillet. And, these skinny girl chicken meatballs are being served up in no time at all! Full of nutrition & flavor! Super EZ!

Print

Ingredients

• Preheat oven to 400
• 1.25 lbs. ground chicken
• 4 oz. pancetta, diced
• 1 Tbl. Nutritional Yeast
• 3 tsp. Cajun seasoning
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• 1 tsp. pepper
• 2 eggs
• 1 ½ cup Italian bread crumbs
• 2 cups fresh spinach, finely chopped
• 2 Tbl. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 jar (25 oz.) marinara sauce
• 1 container (about 8 oz.) garden vegetable cream cheese
• SERVING OPTIONS:
• Olives, black and/or green
• Parmesan Cheese
• Fresh basil leaves
• Mozzarella Balls
• Ricotta Cheese
• Fresh arugula

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground chicken and pancetta. Blend together. nutritional yeast, Cajun seasoning, salt and pepper. Blend together well.
2. Add the eggs, bread crumbs and spinach. Blend together well.
3. Make into meatballs (size is your choice). Place in a skillet with the olive oil. Bake in a preheated 400 oven for 20 minutes. Remove lid. Turn to broil for 5 minutes. Remove meatballs to stovetop.
4. Blend the cream cheese with the marinara sauce. Pour over the meatballs. Cover with a lid and let the meatballs simmer on medium low heat for about 45 minutes.
5. Ready to serve!

Notes

You can certainly make your meatballs to the size you prefer! Mine are 'dinner' meatballs!

Your sharing is GOLDEN! Thank you!

Your sharing and comments help me stay in business! Share a photo if you make the recipe #allyskitchen Thank you! xo Ally

skinny girl chicken meatballs

Yield: About 10-12 large meatballs

One bowl. One skillet. And, these skinny girl chicken meatballs are being served up in no time at all! Full of nutrition & flavor! Super EZ!

Print

Ingredients

• Preheat oven to 400
• 1.25 lbs. ground chicken
• 4 oz. pancetta, diced
• 1 Tbl. Nutritional Yeast
• 3 tsp. Cajun seasoning
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• 1 tsp. pepper
• 2 eggs
• 1 ½ cup Italian bread crumbs
• 2 cups fresh spinach, finely chopped
• 2 Tbl. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 jar (25 oz.) marinara sauce
• 1 container (about 8 oz.) garden vegetable cream cheese
• SERVING OPTIONS:
• Olives, black and/or green
• Parmesan Cheese
• Fresh basil leaves
• Mozzarella Balls
• Ricotta Cheese
• Fresh arugula

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground chicken and pancetta. Blend together. nutritional yeast, Cajun seasoning, salt and pepper. Blend together well.
2. Add the eggs, bread crumbs and spinach. Blend together well.
3. Make into meatballs (size is your choice). Place in a skillet with the olive oil. Bake in a preheated 400 oven for 20 minutes. Remove lid. Turn to broil for 5 minutes. Remove meatballs to stovetop.
4. Blend the cream cheese with the marinara sauce. Pour over the meatballs. Cover with a lid and let the meatballs simmer on medium low heat for about 45 minutes.
5. Ready to serve!

Notes

You can certainly make your meatballs to the size you prefer! Mine are 'dinner' meatballs!

Your sharing is GOLDEN! Thank you!

Your sharing and comments help me stay in business! Share a photo if you make the recipe #allyskitchen Thank you! xo Ally