Description
These Baked Chicken Ricotta Meatballs with Spinach are a delightful twist on traditional meatballs, combining lean ground chicken with creamy ricotta and nutritious spinach, all baked to perfection and served in a flavorful marinara sauce.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Meatballs:
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup fresh spinach, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
For Serving:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cups marinara sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and brush with olive oil.
- Mix the ingredients: In a large bowl, combine ground chicken, ricotta, egg, spinach, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Mix gently.
- Form the meatballs: Shape the mixture into 1 1/2-inch meatballs and place them on the baking sheet.
- Bake: Bake for 18-20 minutes until golden and cooked through.
- Heat the marinara: Warm the marinara sauce in a skillet.
- Simmer: Transfer the cooked meatballs to the sauce and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Serve: Serve hot with pasta, zucchini noodles, or bread.
Notes
- You can use ground turkey instead of chicken.
- Opt for part-skim ricotta for a lighter option.
- Meatballs can be frozen for up to 2 months in an airtight container.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3 meatballs with sauce
- Calories: 290
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 620mg
- Fat: 16g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 12g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 25g
- Cholesterol: 95mg
