Combine four simple ingredients to make Healthy Chicken Meatballs with a veggie tucked right inside! These pair well with marinara, pesto, or cheese sauce, are super moist, and are perfect to make ahead.
I love making easy meatballs for kids since they are easy for them to eat and chew, and since they are so simple to make healthier! For these Chicken Meatballs, I combine Italian chicken sausage and roasted sweet potato for flavorful, yet mellow meatballs that pair well with a variety of sauces.
These are a great baby-led weaning food or protein for 1-year-old recipes, though they’re really delicious for any age.
We love them with pasta or another grain, either on their own or tossed with a simple marinara sauce for lunch, dinner, or as a make-ahead meal.
(You can find my basic Baked Chicken Meatball recipe and Teriyaki Meatballs, too. And check out my Cheesy Rice!)
Table of Contents
Your toddler won’t eat? Help is here!
Sign up for our email updates to get tips and ideas sent to your inbox.
Ingredients You Need
To make these Healthy Chicken Meatballs, you’ll need to have the following ingredients on hand and ready to go.
- Ground Italian Chicken Sausage: Using chicken sausage as the base adds loads of flavor. You can also use plain ground chicken and add Italian seasoning if you prefer.
- Roasted Mashed Sweet Potato: This is a step you can do ahead of time so that it’s quick to make the meatballs. You can also use canned sweet potato puree or butternut squash puree.
- Cornmeal or breadcrumbs: This helps the meatballs have a great texture. You can use either one.
- Parmesan cheese: I often add a little grated Parmesan for additional flavor, but it is optional here.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s a look at the simple ingredients used in these Healthy Chicken Meatballs so you know what to expect from the process.
Step 1. Mix all of the ingredients together evenly in a medium bowl.
Step 2. Use a tablespoon measuring spoon to portion out meatballs.
Step 3. Bake on a prepared pan until just golden brown on the bottoms and fully cooked through. Serve, or toss with sauce and serve.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can use plain ground chicken, sure. You’ll just want to add a pinch of salt and maybe 1/2-1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning to make sure they have plenty of yummy flavor.
Sure! Simply use cornmeal or gluten-free breadcrumbs. You can use plain or Italian-flavored breadcrumbs.
I love these chicken meatballs with my Cauliflower Cheese Sauce as a dipping sauce, or tossed in Marinara Sauce. You could also toss them in spinach pesto. We love these with pasta or rice, or even sliced and served as meatball sandwiches. I tend to keep our sides simple and include a vegetable recipe for kids or a fruit for kids, depending on the day.
How to Store
Store any leftover Healthy Chicken Meatballs, once fully cooled, in an airtight container for 3-5 days. Warm briefly in the microwave for 15-30 seconds, or in the oven at 375 degrees F for 6-8 minutes. You could even serve cold if packing as a lunch for kindergarten.
Best Tips for Success
- I prefer to use Italian chicken sausage (I like the 365 store brand from Whole Foods) since it’s lean and has nice flavor.
- Use plain ground chicken if you prefer.
- If you use pork sausage, you may want to drain on paper towels after baking.
- To make these gluten-free, use cornmeal or gluten-free breadcrumbs.
- You can use plain or Italian-flavored breadcrumbs. Start with the lower amount of ½ cup and add a little bit more at a time until the mixture holds together. They will be sticky, but will hold together. Wash your hands halfway through if needed.
- Plan to cook your sweet potato ahead of time. You can roast it in the oven—wash and poke with a fork and place into a baking dish. Bake for 45-60 minutes at 400 degrees F for about an hour or until very soft. You can also cook it in your slow cooker.
- Serve with Marinara Sauce, Cauliflower Cheese Sauce, ketchup, or another favorite sauce.
Related Recipes
I’d love to hear what your family thinks of this recipe if you try it, so please comment below to share!
Healthy Chicken Meatballs (with Sweet Potato)
Ingredients
- 1 pound bulk sweet Italian chicken sausage
- 1 cup mashed roasted sweet potato
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan
- ¼-½ cup cornmeal (or plain breadcrumbs)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Spray with nonstick spray or wipe down with canola oil and a paper towel. Set aside.
- Mix all ingredients well in a medium bowl with clean hands. Start with ¼ cup cornmeal and add more as needed to create a mixture that holds together in a ball shape. They will be sticky.
- Form into golf ball size balls and place onto the prepared baking rack.
- Bake for 22-25 minutes or until cooked through and starting to brown.
- Drain on a paper towel lined plate if desired. Serve with Marinara Sauce, Cauliflower Cheese Sauce, ketchup, or another favorite sauce.
Equipment
Notes
- I prefer to use Italian chicken sausage (the 365 store brand from Whole Foods) since it’s lean and has nice flavor.
- If you use pork sausage, you may want to drain on paper towels after baking.
- To make these gluten-free, use cornmeal or gluten-free breadcrumbs.
- You can use plain or Italian-flavored breadcrumbs. Start with the lower amount of ½ cup and add a little bit more at a time until the mixture holds together easily.
- Plan to cook your sweet potato ahead of time. You can roast it in the oven—wash and poke with a fork and place into a baking dish. Bake for 45-60 minutes for about an hour or until very soft. You can also cook it in your slow cooker.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container for 3-5 days. Warm briefly in the microwave for 15-30 seconds, or in the oven at 375 degrees F for 6-8 minutes. Or you could even serve cold if packing in a lunchbox.
- Serve with Marinara Sauce, Cauliflower Cheese Sauce, ketchup, or another favorite sauce.
Nutrition
This post was first published October 2019.
How do you reheat them after freezing them? Do you let them defrost and microwave?
You can microwave from frozen without defrosting first (or defrost and microwave)