Chicken Zucchini Meatballs
Chicken Zucchini Meatballs with feta are a speedy, delicious dinner ready in just 30 minutes. Served with a cucumber-avocado salad, tzatziki, and rice, this recipe will be weeknight favorite!
Prep Time20 minutes mins
Cook Time10 minutes mins
Total Time30 minutes mins
Course: Entree
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4 to 5
Mixing bowls
Large skillet
- 1 lb. ground chicken
- 1 medium zucchini, grated on a box grater (no need to press out excess moisture)
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1/3 cup minced yellow onion (or shallots)
- 2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh dill (or parsley)
- 2 Tbsp. minced fresh jalapeño
- 1 tsp. lemon zest
- 3/4 tsp. kosher salt
- 3/4 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- Extra-virgin olive oil for cooking
- Suggested for serving: cooked white rice and tzatziki (homemade or store-bought)
Cucumber-Avocado Salad (optional)
- 1 English cucumber, diced
- 1 large avocado, cut into chunks
- 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil, dill, or mint
- 1 to 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Combine all meatballs ingredients (ground chicken through black pepper) in a large bowl. Use your hands to thoroughly mix and mash the mixture together. Scoop and roll into 24 mini meatballs. (If the meatballs are sticking while rolling, moisten your hands with a little water or olive oil.)
Heat 1 to 2 Tbsp. of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add half of meatballs and cook until golden, rotating to brown all sides, about 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate and repeat with second batch, adding more oil as needed.
Meanwhile, prepare Cucumber-Avocado Salad by combining all ingredients in a large bowl; mix well.
Serve meatballs over white rice with Cucumber-Avocado Salad and a big scoop of tzatziki. Drizzle components with a little olive oil and garnish with extra fresh dill (optional) and cracked black pepper.
- To bake the meatballs, place on a greased baking sheet and bake at 425°F for 10 to 15 minutes.
- To air fry the meatballs, lightly coat meatballs and tray with cooking spray, and air fry at 400ºF for 12 to 14 minutes.
- Make-Ahead. You can mix the meatball mixture and form it into balls up to 24 hours in advance. Just keep covered and refrigerated until ready to bake.
- Store. Refrigerate leftover meatballs in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Reheat. You can rewarm the meatballs in the oven, air fryer, or microwave.
- IF reheating frozen meatballs, preheat your oven to 350ºF (if the meatballs are fully cooked) or 400ºF (if not fully cooked). Arrange the meatballs in a baking dish coated with nonstick spray. Then, bake directly from frozen until hot, 20 to 30 minutes for cooked meatballs or 25 to 30 minutes for uncooked meatballs (until meatballs reach an internal temperature of 160ºF).
Freeze. Let cooked meatballs cool completely. Then arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until the meatballs are firm; about 1 to 2 hours. Transfer the frozen chicken meatballs to a zip-top bag and tightly seal. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Serving: 6meatballs (without rice, salad, or tzatziki) | Calories: 307kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 26.5g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Sodium: 780mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g