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Chicken zucchini meatballs with feta are a great way to use up any surplus zucchini in your fridge, and they’re pretty healthy too. They’re absolutely packed with delicious flavor from the chicken mince, with plenty of aroma and flavor thanks to the inclusion of garlic, quinoa, feta cheese, parmesan, and seasonings.
Baked Chicken Zucchini Meatballs with Feta
We’ll be baking these tasty meatballs until they’re perfectly juicy and tender before serving. You can serve these up with a decadent tomato sauce, some pesto, pasta or even on a seasonal meatball sub.
This recipe is quick. It’s versatile. It’s easy to make and easy to love. If you’ve any picky eaters in the house, it’s a great way to sneak some extra veggies into the kids’ diets. What’s not to like?
Why You’ll Love Chicken Zucchini Meatballs
You’re going to absolutely love these meatballs. Wondering why? That’s because…
- Veggie-loaded and packed with flavor. By including grated zucchini and cooked red quinoa in our meatball mix, we’ve made these very healthy.
- They’re tender and juicy. These baked chicken zucchini meatballs retain so much moisture and flavor. That’s the benefit of being mindful of your ingredients and preparation.
- They’re quick to make. It takes less than an hour to prepare this excellent zucchini meatballs recipe. It’s almost as easy to make these meatballs as it is to eat them!
Imagine being able to eat your veggies in the form of a meatball! What a wonderful way to stay healthy and keep your vegetable intake up.
Zucchini Meatball Ingredients
To make these delicious chicken zucchini meatballs, we’re including a few key ingredients.
- Zucchini – These beautiful green vegetables grow really well in the summer. You might have some in your own garden, or you can pick them up from the grocery store or your local farmers’ market. We recommend using a small to medium sized zucchini for this recipe.
- Ground chicken or turkey – It’s really up to you. Both chicken and turkey meatballs are pretty tasty. We recommend using about 93% lean meat so your meatballs have enough fat to remain juicy and tender throughout the cooking process.
- Aromatics – We’re using the combo of onion powder, grated garlic, Italian seasoning, lemon zest, parsley and pepper. This guarantees that the zucchini meatballs are super fragrant, and of course the freshly grated parmesan and crumbled feta add plenty of savor and depth of flavor to every single bite.
- Quinoa– These meatballs are completely gluten free because they are made with quinoa instead of bread crumbs. It also helps to make more meatballs for less money.
How to Make Chicken Zucchini Meatballs with Feta
- Preheat your oven to 400°F | 200°C. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl combine the zucchini, chicken, quinoa, garlic, lemon zest, parsley, Italian seasoning, onion powder, salt and pepper. Mix until combined. Don’t overmix!
- Fold in feta cheese and Parmesan cheese. Mix until just combined.
- Roll the mixture into balls ( about 2 tablespoons per ball), place on the prepared baking sheets, brush with oil and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.
Tips and Tricks For Chicken Zucchini Meatballs
- Be sure to choose the right ingredients. Quality ingredients make such a huge difference to how your food turns out. Use 93% lean ground chicken or turkey for the best flavor. Use fresh basil to garnish, rather than dried, for a fresher flavor. All your aromatics, including the garlic, should be fresh, not dried, for the best flavor.
- You’ll want to mince your garlic. This not only helps maximize its flavor in the meatball, but it helps prevent the dreaded moment where you bite into a solid chunk within your tender, juicy meatball. We recommend using a microplane for your garlic.
- Be careful not to overmix. Overmixing your meatballs will give you tougher, chewier meatballs. You want to minimize the amount of time you spend handling your meatball mixture.
- Bake your meatballs. Although pan frying is a popular cooking method, they sometimes get tougher than you want. Baked meatballs taste great and don’t toughen up as much. They also cook more evenly, staying tender throughout. You can try broiling for a nice golden brown sear if you like.
Best Sauce for Chicken Zucchini Meatballs
So you’ve made your meatballs, but now you’re wondering what to serve them with. Well, we’ve got the answer for you! Meatballs are so delicious that they can be the star of the show. Accordingly, a simple, flavorful sauce is all you need to serve your meatballs. You can always use store bought sauce, but we really encourage you to try making your own.
Since these chicken zucchini meatballs are such a summery dish, why not try pairing them with a delicious pesto sauce? Homemade pesto is pretty easy to make, even more so if you have a food processor. A simply basil pesto, maybe with a touch of lemon zest, can really bring out the best in your chicken zucchini meatballs.
You might also want to try a simple, rustic tomato sauce. A good tomato sauce should be nicely bright and sweet, with plenty of flavor and punch. Best of all, tomato sauces don’t take that long to cook. While you can give them the authentic low-and-slow treatment, some tomato sauces will cook in under twenty minutes.
More Delicious Ground Chicken Recipes
If you make this recipe be sure to leave a comment or give this recipe a rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐! I will be happy to hear from you!
Chicken Zucchini Meatballs
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups coarsely grated zucchini, about 2 medium zucchinis
- 1 pound 500 grams ground chicken or turkey
- 2 cups cooked red or white quinoa
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- Salt and cracked pepper, as needed
- 5 ounces 150 grams feta cheese, crumbled
- 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- Vegetable oil, for brushing
Serving
- Basil Pesto
- Basil leaves to garnish
- Tomato sauce
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F | 200°C. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl combine the zucchini, chicken, quinoa, garlic, lemon zest, parsley, Italian seasoning, onion powder, salt and pepper. Mix until combined. Don’t overmix!
- Fold in feta cheese and Parmesan cheese. Mix until just combined.
- Roll the mixture into balls ( about 2 tablespoons per ball), place on the prepared baking sheets, brush with oil and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.
- Garnish with basil leaves. Serve with basil pesto, tomato sauce or pasta of your choice.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Be sure to choose the right ingredients. Quality ingredients make such a huge difference to how your food turns out. Use 93% lean ground chicken or turkey for the best flavor. Use fresh basil to garnish, rather than dried, for a fresher flavor. All your aromatics, including the garlic, should be fresh, not dried, for the best flavor.
- You’ll want to mince your garlic. This not only helps maximize its flavor in the meatball, but it helps prevent the dreaded moment where you bite into a solid chunk within your tender, juicy meatball. We recommend using a microplane for your garlic.
- Be careful not to overmix. Overmixing your meatballs will give you tougher, chewier meatballs. You want to mimize the amount of time you spend handling your meatball mixture.
- Bake your meatballs. Although pan frying is a popular cooking method, they sometimes get tougher than you want. Baked meatballs taste great and don’t toughen up as much. They also cook more evenly, staying tender throughout. You can try broiling for a nice golden brown sear if you like.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Loved these meatballs! The zucchini kept them super juicy, and they had so much flavor. Even my picky eaters devoured them!
That’s a huge win, Sophia! Love that they were a hit with the whole family. Thanks for sharing!