Healthy Mini Chicken & Broccoli Meatballs
One of our favorite weeknight recipes. I also love to prep these on a Sunday. Great for baby-led weaning, toddler meals, and family dinners!
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground chicken
- ¾ cup broccoli florets (fresh or frozen)
- 1 large egg
- ⅓ cup plain breadcrumbs (sub almond flour for gluten-free)
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- salt, pepper, garlic powder, Italian seasoning (to taste)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 F
- Line a sheet pan with parchment paper
- Add ground chicken, Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs (or almond flour), seasonings, and olive oil to a mixing bowl
- If using fresh broccoli, use kitchen scissors to cut the green part of the florets into tiny pieces and discard the stems
- If using frozen broccoli, slightly defrost first and pat dry before cutting with the scissors (you can also chop it finely)
- Mix all of the ingredients together until just combined
- Using a mini cookie scoop, place meatballs on the parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving a little space between each one
- Drizzle olive oil over the top or use olive oil spray
- Bake for 20 minutes until cooked through and brown on top
Notes
How to serve for baby-led weaning:
- Depending on what stage you’re in (handheld food or pincer grasp), you may want to cut up the meatball into tiny bites, or leave it whole for your baby to hold in their fist
- If you’re concerned about the shape or size of the meatball, try making them a little more flat like a patty, which will make it easier to slice
- Leave out the salt, but feel free to keep the other seasonings
- My go-to breadcrumbs for BLW are Whole Foods 365 brand as they have very little added ingredients
Equipment
1 Mini cookie scoop for making perfect-sized meatballs
The nutrition facts provided are calculated using a third-party tool and are estimates only. Actual nutritional content may vary based on the ingredients and brands you use, as well as portion sizes. For accurate results, please consult a registered dietitian or nutritionist.