TL;DR: Juicy, cheesy keto chicken meatballs baked in marinara and finished under the broiler for a bubbly top. They pack 25g protein per serving and freeze beautifully for fast weeknight meals. Keep reading for how to store this meal prep, can I freeze this, and the best way to reheat.
If you've been around MPOF for a while, you know we're serious about meatballs. These Cheesy Keto Chicken Meatballs are my answer when you want that saucy, melty, comfort-food vibe without the carbs. Each serving brings 25 grams of protein and a short ingredient list you likely have on hand. They're perfect for Sunday prep, family-style dinners, or stocking the freezer so future-you can win dinner in minutes.
I batch these in 10-20 servings, freeze them, and pull out exactly what I need. If you're building a weekly plan, peek at our High Protein Recipes for more ideas and use our Meal Planning Guide to map out sides and snacks.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- High protein, low carb: 25g protein, just 4g net carbs per serving.
- Meal-prep ready: Scales up easily and freezes like a dream.
- Weeknight easy: Simple pantry ingredients, minimal chopping.
- Versatile: Serve over sautéed greens for keto, or with spaghetti squash, zoodles, or pasta for mixed households.
- Naturally gluten-free: No breadcrumbs needed; cheese + marinara keep things moist and tender.
Ingredients
For the Meatballs (Makes 12 meatballs; 4 servings):
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 2 tablespoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt (or to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup no-salt, no-sugar-added marinara sauce
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese (plus more below)
For the Pan + Topping:
- ¼ cup no-salt, no-sugar-added marinara (for the baking dish)
- 4 tablespoon marinara (to top meatballs after baking)
- ¼-½ cup shredded mozzarella, for broiling
- Dried parsley, for garnish
Yield: 12 meatballs (about 3 per serving) | Pan: 8×8-inch baking dish
How to Make
Step 1: Prep
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread ¼ cup marinara in the bottom of an 8×8-inch baking dish to prevent sticking and add flavor.
Step 2: Mix
In a large bowl, combine ground chicken, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, ¼ cup marinara, and ½ cup mozzarella. Mix gently until just combined (overmixing can make meatballs tough).
Step 3: Shape
Roll into 12 even meatballs (about golf-ball size) and nestle them into the sauced baking dish in four rows of three.
Step 4: Bake
Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes, or until the centers reach 165°F.
Step 5: Broil With Cheese
Remove dish, switch oven to low broil. Spoon about 1 teaspoon marinara on each meatball (from the 4 tablespoon reserved) and sprinkle with mozzarella. Broil ~5 minutes, until cheese is melted and lightly golden.
Step 6: Serve
Garnish with dried parsley. For keto, serve over a quick salad of spinach + bell pepper, buttery sautéed zucchini, roasted broccoli, or spaghetti squash.
How to Store (Fridge + Freezer)
- Fridge: Cool completely. Portion 3 meatballs + sauce into airtight containers. Store up to 4 days.
- Freezer (best for big batches): Place the dish in the fridge to cool, then transfer meatballs and sauce to freezer-safe containers or bags. Freeze up to 3 months. For the easiest single-serve option, freeze on a parchment-lined sheet pan until firm, then bag.
- Thawing: Move portions from freezer to fridge the day before you plan to eat. Or reheat directly from frozen (see below).
Best Way to Reheat
- Microwave (fastest): From chilled, cover and microwave 60-90 seconds per 3 meatballs, stirring sauce halfway. From frozen, 2-3 minutes, pausing to stir until hot.
- Oven (best texture): Place in a small oven-safe dish, cover with foil, and bake at 350°F for 10-15 minutes (chilled) or 20-25 minutes (frozen) until warmed through and bubbly. If you like extra browning, uncover and broil 1-2 minutes.
Helpful Tips + Ingredient Swaps
- Keep them moist: The small amount of marinara mixed in ensures juicy meatballs-don't skip it.
- Swap the protein: Ground turkey, beef, or pork all work. If using lean turkey, add 1 tablespoon olive oil for tenderness.
- Cheese options: Mozzarella keeps it classic, but provolone or fontina melt beautifully too.
- Keto-friendly sauces: Look for marinara labeled no sugar added and low sodium to keep macros tight.
- Vegetarian riff: Try well-drained, mashed white beans or lentils + finely grated Parmesan-style vegan cheese for structure, then bake as directed.
- Scale it up: Double or triple the recipe and use two dishes. Same temps and times-just avoid overcrowding.
For more week-smoothing ideas, browse our Keto Recipes and the full Recipe Index. And if you're tracking, our Macro Calculator can help you plan sides that keep your day balanced.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground chicken can sub ground turkey or beef
- 2 tablespoon Minced Garlic
- ½ teaspoon italian seasoning
- ½ cup mozzarella cheese shredded
- ¼ cup no salt or sugar added marinara sauce
- 2 tablespoon no salt or sugar added marinara sauce for topping
- Salt to taste
- dried parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare an 8x8" baking dish by place a thin layer of marinara sauce on the bottom.
- In a large mixing bowl, combined the ground chicken, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and marinara sauce.
- Roll the mixture into 12 meatballs and place them on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes.
- Remove from the oven then turn the oven to a low broil.
- Place remaining marinara sauce on top of each meatball and cheese on top.
- Cook 5 minutes at a low broil or until cheese is melted.
- Serve over a salad of spinach and bell pepper.
Sharon Heininger says
Looks yummy, but you have inadvertently forgotten the "calories" per serving. Leaving me to reverse engineer the ingredients. Looking forward to more of your recipes With Calorie Count included.
Sarah Kesseli says
Hi Sharon,
Thank you for your feedback. Since this recipe, we have actually started including the calorie count on our recipes. However, since we do not advocate focusing only on calories, but on the macros instead, we did not include them previously.
RonnieDale says
Sooooo...what are the calories per serving?
Much thanks!
Meal Prep on Fleek says
About 250 calories per serving.
Elizabeth says
I'm confused, 2 Tbsp of sauce reserved to go on top (doesn't seem like much) and then the whole 1/4 cup in the meatball mixture (it seems it should be the other way around)? Mine were very soft so I had to add some mozarella and almond flour to the meat mixture so I could shape them...