Baked Spicy Chicken Parm Meatballs (Printable)

Juicy chicken meatballs with spicy herbs, baked in zesty marinara and topped with melted mozzarella for a fiery Italian-American favorite ready in under an hour.

# What You Need:

→ For the Meatballs

01 - 1 lb ground chicken
02 - 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
03 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
04 - 1 large egg
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
07 - 2 tablespoons hot sauce
08 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
09 - 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
10 - 1 teaspoon kosher salt
11 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

→ For Baking

12 - 2 cups marinara sauce
13 - 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
14 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with olive oil.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, combine ground chicken, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, egg, garlic, parsley, hot sauce, paprika, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. Mix until just combined without overmixing.
03 - Form mixture into 16 meatballs approximately 1 1/2 inches in diameter and arrange evenly in the prepared baking dish.
04 - Spoon marinara sauce evenly over the meatballs, ensuring they are well covered.
05 - Bake uncovered for 20 minutes.
06 - Remove from oven and sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the meatballs. Return to oven and bake for 10 additional minutes until cheese is bubbly and meatballs reach an internal temperature of 165°F.
07 - Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • They're baked, not fried, so you get that golden, tender texture without the guilt or oil splatters.
  • The spice builds naturally from hot sauce and paprika rather than tasting aggressively spicy, letting everyone enjoy them regardless of heat tolerance.
  • One pan, minimal cleanup, and ready in under an hour—perfect for weeknight dinners or feeding unexpected guests.
02 -
  • Don't skip the cooling time after mixing or you'll end up with meatballs that fall apart as they cook because the egg hasn't had time to bind everything properly.
  • If your mozzarella isn't melting into that gorgeous bubbly layer, your oven might run cool—invest in an oven thermometer because it genuinely changes everything about baking.
03 -
  • Use a cookie scoop to portion out meatballs quickly and ensure they're all the same size, which means they cook at the same rate.
  • If you're making these for people with varying spice tolerances, make a smaller batch with less heat and a separate batch with extra hot sauce—the same effort, twice the happy guests.
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