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I don’t know about you, but sometimes I get sick of making the same few proteins over and over again. That’s why I’m so excited to share these magical chicken meatballs. Similar to my popular turkey meatballs, they’re made without breadcrumbs or eggs.
Instead, they use an unexpected binder: hummus!
Using hummus in these chicken meatballs adds fiber, creates a tender meatball texture, and pairs perfectly with Greek seasonings, like oregano, cumin, and garlic. You can stir them together in no time, so it’s perfect for a busy weeknight or meal prep.
Healthy Chicken Meatball Ingredients
- Ground Chicken. You’ll need one pound of ground chicken for this recipe. I don’t buy the kind that’s labeled “ground chicken breast,” but I assume that would work as well.
- Hummus. I’ve tested this recipe with my 5-minute hummus and with store-bought Cedar brand hummus. (I don’t normally like store-bought hummus, but that one isn’t bad.) I’m going to assume that any hummus you enjoy will work in this recipe.
- Pantry Spices. You’ll need salt, cumin, oregano, and garlic powder to help build flavor without excess chopping.
- Lemon Zest. I love adding this for flavor! You can save the lemon for something else; just the zest is needed here.
- Fresh Herbs. You can use chopped dill or flat-leaf parsley in these. Dill has a much more potent flavor, so I’d start with less in that case. A little goes a long way!
How to Bake Greek Chicken Meatballs
Step 1:
Preheat your oven to 400ºF and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. (It’s important that it has a rim, so the juices won’t drip in your oven as these bake.) I use a half-sheet pan, which is 18 by 13 inches.
In a large bowl, combine 1 pound of ground chicken, 1/2 cup of hummus, 3/4 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon each of ground cumin, dried oregano, and garlic powder. Then add the zest from a lemon and 2 to 3 tablespoons of freshly chopped dill or parsley. (I just eyeball this!)
Stir well until the mixture looks relatively uniform and mushy.
Step 2:
Use a cookie scoop to drop the mixture into tablespoon-size balls on the prepared baking sheet. I usually get about 22 small meatballs from this batch.
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If you want the balls to be nicely shaped, wet your hands and roll them between your palms. The water will prevent the balls from sticking to you!
Bake these at 400ºF for 13 to 15 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer reads 165ºF in the center of the meatballs. They will not brown on top in the oven, but the bottom of the meatballs will turn slightly golden.
These are ready to serve warm right away.
Cooking Chicken Meatballs in a Skillet
If you prefer a browned look for the meatballs, you can cook these in a skillet instead. To do that, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the surface is hot, spray the pan with cooking spray and add several meatballs, leaving at least an inch of space between them.
You’ll need to work in batches, as I can only cook 7 to 8 at a time in my skillet.
Let these cook undisturbed for 3 to 4 minutes. Then use a fork or spatula to turn them over so the other side can turn golden. Wait 2 to 3 minutes, then turn them again. You’ll need to keep turning them in the pan so all sides get golden.
Use a meat thermometer to check on them as they cook. You’ll know they’re done when the center reaches 165ºF. I find this method to be much more of a hassle, but the meatballs do turn out prettier this way. Repeat with another batch until all of the meatballs are cooked.
Greek Chicken Meatballs (No Breadcrumbs!)
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground chicken
- ½ cup prepared hummus
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest (optional, but I love this)
- 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh parsley or dill , chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper to bake these. (You can cook them in a skillet if you prefer, but baking is easier to cook them all at once.) The sheet pan I use is 18-by-13-inches in size, and a rim is important so juices won't spill in your oven.
- In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, hummus, cumin, oregano, garlic powder, lemon zest (if using), and chopped herbs. Stir well, until the mixture looks relatively uniform. It will look mushy, and that's okay.
- Use a cookie scoop to scoop the mixture into balls and drop them on the parchment-lined pan. Keep the balls at least 1 inch apart from each other, and repeat until you've filled the pan. Then bake these at 400ºF for 13 to 15 minutes. Use an instant-read thermometer to make sure the center of the meatballs reaches 165°F.
- These are ready to serve right away. I like to enjoy them with a fresh salad and extra hummus, but you can also stuff them into pita bread with crunchy romaine, tomatoes, and tahini dressing.
Notes
Nutrition
More Recipes to Try
- Turkey Meatballs with Sweet Potato
- High-Protein Pizza Beans
- Tuna and Chickpea Salad
- Strawberry Chia Seed Smoothie (high fiber & protein!)
If you try this recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below to let me know how you like it.
