Published on: August 17, 2023

Last Updated on: April 24, 2025

Calabrian Chicken Meatballs

Made with ground chicken, spicy Calabrian chili peppers, garlic, fresh basil, and two types of cheese, these Calabrian Chicken Meatballs are loaded with flavor! Great with your favorite pasta, or serve with toothpicks for an easy appetizer.

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I have started making a lot of chicken recipes in the last couple years. Not only is chicken healthier than beef and pork, have you seen how inexpensive ground chicken is?

Because chicken isn’t usually super flavorful by itself, I’m incorporating some fresh garlic, fresh and dried herbs, crushed Calabrian chili peppers, and both mozzarella and parmesan cheese.

The result: flavorful meatballs that are good enough to eat by themselves, but absolutely wonderful on pasta or hoagie rolls for chicken parmesan meatballs subs!

Calabrian chili peppers are also the star of the show in Calabrian Chili Butter Ditalini Pasta!

Ingredients needed to make this recipe (scroll down to recipe card for complete recipe):

Ground chicken – not extra lean
Egg
Breadcrumbs – Italian or panko
Garlic
Crushed Calabrian chili peppers
Mozzarella cheese
Parmesan cheese
Dried oregano
Fresh basil
Sea salt

📍The full recipe with exact ingredient amounts and instructions is on the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

What are crushed Calabrian chili peppers?

Crushed Calabrian chili peppers are whole Calabrian chili peppers that have been crushed and combined with oil, basil, salt, and vinegar.

These flavorful peppers add a spicy, piquant flavor to whatever you add them to.

Crushed Calabrian chili peppers come as a chunky, thick paste in a jar, which makes it easy to incorporate them into recipes.

How to serve Calabrian Chicken Meatballs

These delicious chicken meatballs are very versatile! Here are some different ways to serve them:

Pasta and your favorite sauce is always a good idea!
They make a perfect appetizer. Just serve with toothpicks!
Make meatball sub sandwiches with marinara and mozzarella or provolone cheese, then bake them to get the cheese nice & melty.
Serve them as part of a low-carb meal with roasted veggies and a salad.
Sliders – place one meatball on a slider roll with some sauce and cheese then bake them for a fun dinner idea.

What else can I make with Calabrian chili peppers?

If you buy that jar of crushed Calabrian chili peppers and wonder what else you can make with it, we love:

Calabrian Chili Garlic Bread (shown below) and Cheesy Baked Spicy Italian Dip!

How long do chicken meatballs last? Can you freeze them?

The baked meatballs can be kept in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.

Chicken meatballs can be frozen in freezer-safe containers. Use within 2 months for the best quality.

To reheat, defrost them overnight in the refrigerator, then microwave them or bake them at 300° until heated through.

Looking for more meatball recipes? Here are some favorites:

NOTES:

Ground chicken is inherently lean, so for moist, flavorful meatballs, I recommend not getting the extra lean variety.

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