Sheet Pan Greek Chicken Meatballs With Chickpeas and Vegetables

Sheet Pan Greek Chicken Meatballs With Chickpeas and Vegetables mains This easy sheet pan Baked Chicken Meatballs with Chickpeas and vegetables is the perfect one pan meal. sheet pan meals, easy protein packed recipes Sheet Pan Greek Chicken Meatballs With Chickpeas and Vegetables one pot meals, Greek

This easy sheet pan Baked Chicken Meatballs with Chickpeas and vegetables is the perfect one pan meal. The meatballs are made with ground chicken, breadcrumbs, eggs, garlic, red onion, fresh herbs, spices, feta and ricotta cheese (my fav secret ingredient for an extra-juicy meatball recipe), every bite is tender and packed with Greek-inspired flavor. The veggies and chickpeas bake first then the meatballs are added and baked over the veggies and chickpeas and finished under the broiler for a golden-brown crust—just as good as pan-fried, with none of the mess or skillet needed - plus you have a full meal on one sheet pan loaded with Mediterranean flavor!

Sheet Pan Greek Chicken Meatballs With Chickpeas and Vegetables

Greek Chicken Meatball Recipe With Chickpeas & Vegetables Ingredients


For the Meatballs

  • GROUND CHICKEN: This recipe is meant for ground chicken - around 93% lean is best. But it could easily be made with ground turkey or ground beef as well.
  • EGG: One egg helps to bind the meat mixture together.
  • BREAD CRUMBS: Breadcrumbs help to bind the meatballs together. I use plain breadcrumbs. Feel free to use gluten-free breadcrumbs if needed. I have not tested this recipe with panko breadcrumbs but you could sub if needed.
  • HERBS & SPICES: I love to use fresh parsley and fresh mint for the fresh herbs and for spices I add ground cumin, dried oregano and dried thyme along with salt and pepper.
  • FETA CHEESE & RICOTTA CHEESE: These not only add flavor to the meatballs but really add loads of moisture to them.
  • RED WINE VINEGAR: For flavor and moisture.
  • SHALLOT & GARLIC: Many recipes call for sautéing these ingredients, but I personally find that so long as these aromatics are finely chopped or grated, they blend in just perfectly to the mixture.

For the Vegetables & Chickpeas

  • POTATOES: I use Yukon gold potatoes or any waxy potatoes work well for this recipe.
  • CHICKPEAS: Chickpeas add extra protein to this sheet pan meal but also add to the different textures of the dish.
  • BELL PEPPERS: I like to use different color bell peppers.
  • TOMATOES: I usually use cherry tomatoes for my sheet pan recipes but grape tomatoes work well too. They burst and add so much flavor to the pan juices.
  • SHALLOTS: They roast up sweet and delicious. If you prefer to use red onion you can instead.
  • OLIVE OIL: It’s used to toss the veggies with. Adds richness to the pan juices as well.
  • LEMON JUICE: Freshly squeezed is what I use and it adds really nice flavour to the dish. I like to serve with extra lemon juice as well.
  • MUSTARD: I use regular yellow mustard or dijon mustard to toss the veggies in. It adds a nice brightness to everything.
  • SPICES: I like to toss the veggies with dried oregano, garlic powder and salt and pepper. Adjust amounts to taste.
  • OLIVES: I use pitted Kalamata olives and I toss them in with the veggies right before adding the meatballs. They add delicious flavor to the overall dish. Use any olive variety you prefer or omit if you are not a fan.

Sheet Pan Greek Chicken Meatballs With Chickpeas and Vegetables

How to Make This simple Greek Meatballs & Veggie Sheet Pan Meal (detailed instructions in recipe below)

  1. TOSS the veggies (potatoes, shallots, sweet peppers, chickpeas and tomato) with the olive oil, lemon juice, mustard and spices. Raost off for the potatoes to get a head start.
  2. COMBINE ingredients for the meatballs in a large bowl (I like to use a food processor or mini chopper to really finely chop the herbs, shallot and garlic).
  3. SCOOP & SHAPE meatballs - I usually use a cookie scoop
  4. REMOVE pan from oven carefully toss the veggies with the olives and then place formed meatballs over veggies and continue to roast until cooked through.
  5. SERVE hot with tzatziki (or any Greek yogurt herb sauce) extra lemon juice and fresh chopped herbs for garnish like more parsley mint or some fresh dill. For extra flavor feel free to garnish with lemon zest as well

Sheet Pan Greek Chicken Meatballs With Chickpeas and Vegetables

Sheet Pan Greek Chicken Meatballs With Chickpeas and Vegetables

Greek Chicken Meatballs Recipe Make Ahead Storage & Freezing

  • Refrigerate RAW meatball mixture: You can refrigerate raw meatball mixture overnight in an airtight container and shape meatballs and cook the next day.
  • Freeze RAW meatball mixture: You can freeze the raw mixture for up to 3 months. To do this, form the meatballs and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Flash freeze the meatballs until they are firm. Then, transfer the frozen meatballs to an airtight, freezer-safe container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw slowly in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature then use in your favorite recipe.
  • COOKED meatballs will last up to 3-5 days in the refrigerator when stored in an airtight container or frozen for up to 3 months in an airtight, freezer-safe container. Reheat stove-top or in the microwave.

Sheet Pan Greek Chicken Meatballs With Chickpeas and Vegetables

Can I Make These Meatballs On Their Own?

Yes you definitely can. Simply Preheat the oven and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Make them as recommended in the recipe then lightly spritz the chicken meatballs with cooking spray or brush with olive oil for a golden finish, then transfer the baking sheet to the oven. Bake 12-14 minutes, until nearly cooked through, switch to broil and broil for 2-4 more minutes until they are cooked through and golden. Feel free to serve them in a pita sandwich or as an appetizer.

Sheet Pan Greek Chicken Meatballs With Chickpeas and Vegetables

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Recipe

Servings: 4
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 45 mins
Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

For the Greek Meatballs

  • 1 pound lean ground chicken (around 93% lean is best)
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ cup plain breadcrumbs
  • ⅓ cup ricotta
  • ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • ½ a small red onion or a shallot, peeled and rough chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, peeled and rough chopped
  • 1 cup fresh herbs (I like to do mint and parsley), rough chopped
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

For the Veggies and Chickpeas

  • 2 cups diced yukon gold potatoes, ½ inch dice (2-3 medium potatoes)
  • 2 bell pepper sliced
  • 1 small red onion sliced into wedges
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes
  • one 15 oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Juice of one lemon
  • 1 tablespoon Mustard
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • ½ cup pitted olives

For Serving

  • Tzatziki
  • Feta cheese
  • Fresh herbs
  • Lemon juice

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a large sheet pan with parchment paper.
  2. Add the potatoes, chickpeas, onions, tomatoes, and peppers to prepare pan then toss with olive oil, mustard and lemon juice and spices. Spread in one even layer. Bake until fork tender and slightly crisp on the outsides, 24 to 26 minutes.
  3. In the meantime make meatballs: Place the herbs onion and garlic in mini chopped and mince or use knife to mince.
  4. In a large mixing bowl whisk together the bread crumbs, ricotta, feta, vinegar and egg.
  5. To that add the ground chicken, herb mixture and spices. Use your hands to mix everything together until evenly combined. (meatball mixture can be made a day ahead and stored in and airtight container in the fridge)
  6. Use a cookie scoop and scoop out meatballs and roll them (I like to spray the cookie scoop with a little cooking spray). You want the meatballs to be on the smaller size, about 1” in diameter.
  7. Take the sheet pan out of the oven and add the olives to the vegetables then toss everything gently.
  8. Place the meatballs over the vegetables evenly throughout the sheet pan. Spray the meatballs or brush with olive oil.
  9. Return pan to oven and continue to bake for an additional 10- 14 minutes, or until the meatballs have cooked through to 165ºF. Broil for 2-4 minuted until golden.
  10. Remove pan from oven, garnish with more fresh herbs and lemon wedges. Serve with homemade tzatziki sauce or store-bought for dipping.

Recipe Notes

  • Leftovers can keep up to 3-5 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
  • This is a complete meal but that doesn’t need to stop you from serving this up with pita bread, rice or greek salad with cucumber and tomatoes.

Sheet Pan Greek Chicken Meatballs With Chickpeas and Vegetables