This oven-baked chicken pesto meatball recipe is quick and easy, ready in about 30 minutes. Packed with flavor, they’re perfect for meal prep or served over pasta for a delicious weeknight dinner!
If you're in the mood for juicy, tender meatballs smothered in bright, vibrant pesto, you're in the right place. This combines my classic dairy-free and egg-free chicken meatballs with homemade dairy free pesto sauce! There are a few slight variations, but I'm sure you'll love them as much as we do!
These pesto chicken meatballs are a delicious twist on stand meatballs. Packed with herby flavor, they're the perfect balance of savory and aromatic. They're great served on their own, with pasta, stuffed in a pita, or topped on a rice bowl.
Ingredients for chicken pesto meatballs
Traditional meatballs call for eggs and parmesan cheese. You won't find those here! Just straight-forward, simple ingredients you probably already have on hand. Check out my tips and recommended substitutions below.
- Ground chicken: I recommend using 92% ground chicken. Leaner meat lacks the fat needed to keep the meatballs tender. You can also substitute ground turkey or beef using my dairy-free and egg-free meatball recipe as a base.
- Breadcrumbs: Panko breadcrumbs are fantastic for binding everything together. If you want to make paleo pesto meatballs, use almond flour instead!
- Shallot: I usually add onion to my meatball recipes for flavor and moisture, but this time, we’re using diced shallot! Shallots have a mild, sweet taste, like a mix of onion and garlic, adding a unique twist.
- Flax egg: During recipe testing, my husband and I preferred the baked chicken meatballs with a flax egg. When flaxseed meal is mixed with water, it forms a thick, gelatinous mixture that works as an egg substitute. I use it all the time in cooking and baking!
- Seasoning: We're using Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper to season these meatballs. I've also come to love adding a dollop of pesto into the meat mixture. This adds extra flavor and keeps the meatballs super moist!
- Pesto: I love making homemade pesto with fresh basil, pine nuts, olive oil, garlic cloves, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. If you prefer to buy store-bought, I suggest Trader Joe's Vegan Kale, Cashew & Basil Pesto.
Suggested equipment
You'll also need a food processor for blending up your pesto, a large mixing bowl for combining the meatball ingredients, a baking sheet, and meat thermometer to check for doneness.
Hamilton Beach Food Processor & Vegetable Chopper
Nordic Ware Aluminum Baking Pan Set
Pyrex 4-Quart Glass Mixing Bowl
ThermoWorks Thermapen ONE, Instant-Read ThermometerHow to make pesto meatballs
This is a quick overview of the steps for tender chicken meatballs with creamy pesto. Find the measurements and detailed directions in the recipe card.
- Make homemade pesto sauce and transfer to a large bowl.
- In a separate mixing bowl, combine chicken meatball ingredients together.
- Shape into 20 medium-sized meatballs.
- Arrange on a prepared baking sheet.
- Bake at 400F for about 20 minutes, or until fully cooked and golden brown.
- Once cooked, toss cooked meatballs in pesto sauce and serve immediately!
Cooking confidently with Jenna
I've tested these meatballs multiple times in my kitchen so you can easily recreate them in yours! Follow these tips for the best results:
- Wet your hands with water before shaping the meatballs to prevent sticking.
- Alternatively, use a cookie scoop lightly coated with olive oil.
- Mix until just combined. Over mixing can make the meatballs tough.
- Garnish with fresh basil or red pepper flakes for extra flavor.
- Serve pesto meatballs with pasta, couscous, or roasted vegetables.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Want more? Make my buffalo chicken meatballs and teriyaki chicken meatballs next! And if you try this recipe, please leave a star rating and share your experience in the comments below. Thanks for stopping by!
Chicken Pesto Meatballs
Ingredients
For the dairy-free pesto
- 1 cup fresh basil
- 2 tablespoon pine nuts
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- ½ tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
For the chicken meatballs
- 1 pound ground chicken
- ⅓ cup panko bread crumbs
- ¼ cup diced shallot
- 2 tablespoon dairy free pesto
- 1 flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed + 3 tablespoon water)
- 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Start by blending the dairy-free pesto ingredients together in a food processor. Taste and adjust seasoning, if needed, then transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- Preheat oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil coated with cooking spray.
- To a second mixing bowl, add the chicken meatball ingredients. Using wet hands, mix everything together until just combined, being careful not to over mix.
- Roll the mixture into about 20 meatballs. Depending how big/small you shape your meatballs, quantity and cook time may vary.
- Bake meatballs for 20 minutes, until lightly golden brown, and a meat thermometers reads an internal temperature of at least 165F.
- Remove the cooked meatballs from the oven, let cool slightly, then toss with prepared pesto sauce. Serve immediately as is, over your favorite pasta, wrapped in a pita, or in a rice bowl.
Notes
Nutrition
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