One of the easiest comfort foods to make are meatballs! I adore meatballs, you can literally turn anything into a meatball!! These Chicken & Bacon Meatballs are a nice change from the typical.
I LOVE a meatball! They are pure comfort food to me. On a roll, over pasta or all by themselves on a plate. A good meatball makes me happy!
I adore making meatballs for a few reasons; they are easy, economical, fun and the variations are endless! Plus you ALWAYS get a couple of meals out of them!
You can turn almost anything into a meatball! Beef, pork, poultry, lamb, seafood, vegetable or even lentils. If there was a symbol for the perfect comfort food, my pick would be a meatball!
Table of Contents
What kind of chicken do I use for chicken meatballs?
- Purchasing pre-ground chicken is the easiest but you can of course always grind your own. It really will only take 2 minutes. The time consuming part is cleaning your grinder lol!
- Use all white meat ground chicken, all dark meat ground chicken or a blend of both white and dark. Whichever you enjoy most.
Ingredients Chicken Meatballs With Bacon
- raw bacon
- fresh garlic
- onion
- ground chicken
- milk
- eggs
- kosher salt & black pepper
- Italian herbs (see notes)
- bread crumbs
The addition of bacon gives these chicken meatballs added flavor. These chicken meatballs are delicious on their own and even better as a sandwich.
I serve these in a simple tomato sauce that my 10 year old daughter is usually in charge of making. She makes the tomato sauce, I make the meatballs OR she does both.
Making meatballs, sauces and stocks are our favorite things to cook together, And as I always say, cooking with your kids early and often is super important. It teaches them a dozen different things simultaneously. Math, science, planning, follow through reading etc. PLUS they talk and talk and will at least taste what they helped make or make independently. It's wonderful!
Tips for meatballs
- The bacon itself has saltiness, so go easy using additional salt.
- I always make a small bite sized patty and cook it off real quick, so I can taste and make sure seasoning is on point. You can't fix an unseasoned meatball after its cooked, even with sauce! Plus its a snack!!
- Personally, I feel pan frying meatballs is the way to go, the crisp bits have the best flavor. You can always finish cooking them through in the sauce gently.
- When forming meatballs press hard, like when you form a snowball.
- IF you have extra time, allowing mixtures for meatballs and meatloaves to hang out, tightly covered, in the fridge a bit deepens flavors.
Sometimes I put the glaze from these Pork Meatballs onto these chicken & bacon meatballs as shown below. It's a delish change to typical tomato and tasty on a nice roll as well.
What is your favorite meatball?? I am always on the hunt for a new type of meatball to try!
Meatball recipes to try
Chicken & Bacon Meatballs
Ingredients
- 6 slices of uncooked bacon chopped as small as you can get it
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- ⅓ cup minced raw onion
- 1 pound ground chicken white meat
- ½ pound ground chicken dark meat
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 large/extra large egg
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- 1-2 TBS Italian herbs see notes
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Cook your bacon pieces in a pan for a few minutes, as they begin to crisp up add in the onion and garlic and sauté until the bacon is done.
- Quickly remove bacon, onion and garlic with a slotted spoon and place them in a work bowl.
- Add in your ground chicken and work it through
- Add in your egg, milk, salt, pepper herbs and breadcrumbs and gently mix until it comes together.
- TIP I always make a small bit sized patty and cook it off real quick, so I can taste and make sure seasoning is on point. You can't fix an unseasoned meatball after its cooked, even with sauce! Plus its a snack!!
- Form meatball mixture into balls and place on your lightly greased baking sheet (grease sheet with some of the bacon fat left over from cooking your bacon pieces) and bake meatballs for 20 minutes at 350 degrees Or use a little of the bacon grease and pan fry your meatballs. I prefer to pan fry for best flavor.
- Place meatballs in a pot of your favorite tomato sauce, simmer for 15 minutes on low and serve. OR try my Ginger Honey Glaze recipe on them for something different. Link to recipe in notes below.
Carol at Wild Goose Tea says
Mmmm, you got me thinking----What would be the two things I would have to have on that desert island? I love both the items you chose, but they wouldn't be the two I would have to have. I will have to think about that. I am a meatball nut, however. Wonderful version of a meatball. My daughter in law has the same allergy!
The Food Hunter says
now I am craving meatballs!
Lana says
Oh yeah. This is just my kind of recipe! I'd eat this in a sandwich, over pasta, heck even over mashed potatoes! Yum.
claire @ the realistic nutritionist says
You had me at bacon.
Paula Jones says
Can you just pass the whole pan to me please ; )
Erin Dee says
That's awesome that you came up with an alternative that your daughter can eat. This is the second ground chicken recipe I've seen today. I didn't even know ground chicken was a thing before today! We definitely don't have that over here in Germany. Weird! Sounds good, though. 🙂
Brenda@SugarFreeMom says
I love bacon too and love that you added them into these meatballs! Winning!
Kim (Feed Me, Seymour) says
Oh my goodness. Those meatballs. That photo.
Kellie Hemmerly says
I LOOOOOVE meatballs! I'm always looking for variations on the regular italian recipes and this looks just incredible.
Ashley @ Wishes and Dishes says
Loving all the meatball recipes I'm seeing today! You had me at "bacon" with these - brilliant!
Melanie says
Bacon in meatballs? Brilliant. Never though to do that. I'll give it a try.
Marjory @ Dinner-Mom says
Yep. Bacon makes the meatball!
Kim Bee says
Bacon makes everything better if you ask me. I love this recipe. Bacon all the things. xx
Nutmeg Nanny says
Hello there little happy meatballs!
Anne M Leslin says
I used mild Italian ground chicken sausage (removed casings) mixed with a pound of ground turkey. Then your recipe the rest the way. My husband almost fell down in the kitchen after trying one. He stole the recipe and is presenting them at my mom's easter dinner today. He's so excited! Thank you for the inspiration. I couldn't find the red sauce recipe so we are just bringing naked Ballzz.
Colleen says
Lol! love that!! Hope your hubby wasn't hurt in the almost-fall! I could have sworn I posted our homemade sauce (my daughter makes it for us since she was about 7) I will have to fix that!