Baked mini chicken meatballs with tomato cream sauce and orecchiette pasta. This one pot wonder meal is a family favorite!
We love to serve this meal with our 4-Ingredient Roasted Garlic Green Beans and Chopped Greek Salad with Avocado. Both are easy sides that even the little ones love!
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Chicken Meatball Pasta
Everything about this one-pot meal is kid-friendly. It’s one of my kids absolute favorites!
Mini chicken meatballs tossed in tomato cream sauce with orecchiette pasta. Or as my kids call it, “elephant ear pasta.” Because orecchiette pasta does resemble a small ear and what kid wouldn’t find that amusing?
But it’s the perfect pasta dinner for busy weeknights. Fairly easy to make with simple ingredients and easy swaps too. Plus the leftovers store really nicely in the fridge. If that is you have any leftovers.
The star of the recipe just has to be my chicken meatballs. These meatballs are incredibly juicy, tender, and just fall apart good. They’re quickly broiled in the oven and then finished off on the stovetop in tomato cream sauce with the pasta.
Serve these meatballs in cream sauce with some sort of green salad, such as Chopped Autumn Salad with Honey Apple Cider Dressing , Kale Caesar Salad, or Greek Cucumber Salad.
Ingredients for Baked Chicken Meatballs in Cream Sauce
You’ll need the following ingredients to make meatballs in cream sauce with pasta:
Meatballs
- Panko breadcrumbs
- Milk
- Ground chicken
- Egg
- Onion
- Parsley
- Sour cream
Pasta and Sauce
- Orecchiette pasta or sub with other short-cut pasta
- Pasta sauce
- Heavy cream or half and half (see note in recipe card)
- Fresh mozzarella
- Fresh parsley or basil
- Fresh Parmesan, optional
Frequently Asked Substitutions
Even though this recipe is already simple enough, you can make it even more adaptable with some ingredient swaps to suit what you have on hand.
- Panko Breadcrumbs – technically you can swap out the Panko for the regular breadcrumbs. However, the meatballs turn out more dense with regular breadcrumbs than Panko.
- Milk – dairy free milk, like almond milk will work.
- Sour Cream – you can substitute mayo or plain greek yogurt for the sour cream.
- Orecchiette Pasta – just about any short-cut pasta can be used in this recipe.
- Pasta Sauce – I love tomato basil sauce, especially from Rao’s but plain pasta sauce is great too.
- Cream – okay so I’ve made this dish with both heavy cream and half and half and both can totally work. Heavy cream is definitely going to be more rich and creamier whereas half and half a little thinned out but still delicious. I do not recommend plain milk.
- Mozzarella – I like to use the mini mozzarella balls also known as “pearls” for this pasta dish but I understand that they might be hard to find for some.
So you can use the bigger mozzarella balls (known as Ciliegine). Just cut them in half before adding to the pasta. Or buy a fresh ball of mozzarella, chop it up, measure out 1/2 cup and use that.
How to Make Chicken Meatballs in Cream Sauce
Make Baked Mini Meatballs – My secret to moist and tender chicken meatballs is to pack the ground chicken with shredded onion, Panko soaked in milk, and sour cream. They turn out amazing every single time!
- To make the meatballs, you let the Panko soak in milk for few minutes, then add the rest of the meatball ingredients to the Panko. Let stand for 5-10 minutes and roll into 1 1/4-inch meatballs.
- Place on a baking sheet and broil for 4-5 minutes or until lightly golden. Make sure not to cook them all the way through so they can finish cooking in the sauce.
Cook the Pasta – While the meatballs are in the oven, get going on the pasta.
- Follow the directions on the back of the box for cooking the pasta until al dente.
- My biggest tip would be to thoroughly season the water with salt before adding the pasta. Your dish will turn out way more flavorful if the pasta is adequately seasoned from the start.
Prepare the Sauce – Start on the sauce when the meatballs are out of the oven and pasta is cooked. The sauce comes together quickly so it helps to have everything ready before starting.
- But all you do it heat the pasta sauce in a deep skillet. Stir in the cream and bring to a simmer.
- Then add in the meatballs, tossing to coat with the sauce. Simmer for about 5 minutes or until the sauce is thickened and meatballs are cooked through.
- Stir in cooked pasta and some of the reserved pasta water. Give it a couple good stirs and add the mozzarella. Garnish with parsley or basil before serving. I also like to add a sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan cheese but it is optional.
More Recipes with Chicken Meatballs:
- Mini Asian Chicken Meatballs
- Sheet Pan Chicken Parmesan Meatballs
- Garlic Herb Spaghetti with Chicken Meatballs from Pinch of Yum
If you try Orecchiette with Baked Meatballs in Cream Sauce, don’t forget to leave feedback and a rating.
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Orecchiette with Baked Mini Chicken Meatballs in Tomato Cream Sauce
- Prep Time: 25 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 4-5 1x
- Category: Main
- Method: Simmer
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
Baked mini chicken meatballs with tomato cream sauce and orecchiette pasta. This one pot wonder meal is a family favorite!
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1/2 cup plain Panko breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/2 lb. ground chicken
- 1 egg
- 2 Tbsp. grated white onion
- 1 Tbsp. fresh minced parsley
- 1 Tbsp. sour cream
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
Pasta + Sauce
- 6 oz. dry orecchiette pasta, about 2 cups
- 1 cup Tomato Basil pasta sauce (I love Rao’s brand)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream or half and half
- 1/2 cup mini mozzarella balls (“pearls”)
- Fresh chopped parsley or basil
- Freshly grated Parmesan, for garnish, optional
Instructions
Meatballs
- In a bowl, combine Panko with milk. Let stand for about 5 minutes or until milk is absorbed. To the Panko, add the chicken, egg, onion, parsley, sour cream, salt and pepper. Mix the mixture by hand just until combined. The mixture should be quite wet. Let rest for 10 minutes before forming into balls.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. If using aluminum foil, lightly spray with non-stick spray. You’ll also want to turn on your oven broiler so it has time to pre-heat.
- Lightly oil the palm of your hands with olive oil, form the chicken mixture into 1 1/4-inch meatballs and place on the prepared baking sheet.
- Broil the meatballs for 4-5 minutes on the middle rack or until lightly golden on the outside. Keep an eye on them as you don’t want them fully cooked through. Remove from the oven and set aside.
Pasta + Sauce
- Cook pasta al dente in salted water according to package directions. Reserve 1/3 cups of pasta water and drain the rest.
- In a large deep skillet, heat pasta sauce over medium heat until warm and lightly bubbling around the edges. Stir in cream and bring to a light simmer.
- Add meatballs tossing to coat with the sauce. Simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until the sauce has thickened slightly and meatballs are cooked through. Meatballs should be super moist, tender, and white on the inside.
- Stir in cooked pasta to the sauce and the reserved pasta water. Give it couple stirs with a spoon and then add the mozzarella balls.
- Garnish with fresh herbs and Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Notes
- Pasta: You can substitute any short-cut pasta for the orecchiette. The amount is the same.
- Cream: I’ve made this dish with heavy cream and half and half. Heavy cream will give you smooth and velvety sauce. Half and half produces slightly thinned out sauce but tastes just as good.
- Pasta Water: Adding starchy water to the sauce will produce creamy and silky sauce with least amount of oil on the surface, plus it will help sauce adhere to the pasta. Start off with 1/4 cup of reserved pasta water and add more as needed.
- Mozzarella: I usually find the mini mozzarella balls next to where fresh mozzarella is sold. You can substitute Ciliegine, which are slightly bigger mozzarella balls. Just cut them in half before adding to the pasta. Or you can use a ball of fresh mozzarella. Chop it and measure out 1/2 cup.
- For more substitutions, see “frequently asked substitutions” in the body of the post.
Keywords: pasta, one pot, easy, weeknight, family friendly, chicken meatballs in cream sauce
Originally published in April 2015, updated November 2019 with new photos, rewritten post, and additional information. No change to the recipe.
Danielle says
I wouldn’t recommend half and half as is has a tendency to curdle……mine did twice. I would only use heavy cream
★★★★
Katya says
It does curdle over higher heat. I recommend lower heat when adding in half and half.
Lisa B says
I had 1/2 lb of ground chicken to use up and found this recipe. It was a last minute dinner plan so I used what I had on hand. Substituted Ziti for Orechiette, used milk and not cream, didn’t have mozzarella balls so I substituted BabyBell mozzarella snacks, cut up and balled as best I could, and only had dried herbs. For some reason, my meatballs were extremely wet, to the point I couldn’t form balls, so I just sort of mounded them onto the cookie sheet, but they ended up firm enough for the sauce. Even with all of those changes, the end result was really good. Will definitely save this for another try.
★★★★★
Janet says
Can you make ahead? How do you reheat?
Katya says
Reheat on the stovetop over medium/low heat. Add little liquid such as cream or chicken broth if too dry.
Janet says
Can you make this dish ahead and heat? Maybe reheat with mozzarella?
Katya says
You certainly can. It reheats well.
Susan says
Absolutely delicious, quick and easy, so it ticked off all the boxes! My husband loved this. We will definitely be adding this to our dinner rotation!
★★★★★
Katya says
Thank you!!
Shelbi Kowalski says
Just got done eating this for dinner and holy crap!!! One of the most delicious meals I’ve ever made. AND it was done in 30 minutes… score! This will definitely be making its way into our dinner rotation!
★★★★★
Katya says
That’s so great! Thank you Shelbi for feedback. Glad to hear you loved it.
Jessica says
I love this recipe! I was thinking of doubling the batch next time, then freezing half. Would you recommend the freezing part?
Katya says
Yes – it should freeze okay.
Alison says
Hi there. Instead of the grated onion, could I add extra sour cream or something? I really hate onions LOL
Katya says
You could but I wouldn’t do too much so the meatballs don’t fall apart. Also you can’t really taste the onion it’s simply there to tenderize the meatballs.
Kathy says
Like another reviewer commented they always read the reviews, but rarely leave a comment. When I find something so delicious I feel I need to inform others. I’ve made this recipe several times now because it so good. I don’t change a thing except that I bake the meatballs instead of broiling. It’s definitely one of my favorites. Thanks so much for posting.
★★★★★
Katya says
Thank you Kathy! I appreciate you taking the time to leave a review.
Olga says
My kids adore this dish (and so do I) I always double the recipe so we have leftovers 🙂
★★★★★
Nanette Oggiono says
Amazing recipe. Did not change a thing and it turned out perfectly! Thank you so much!!
★★★★★
Sara S says
Made this for dinner tonight and it was a huge hit with my young kids. Instead of ground chicken, I used a half pound of ground beef and half pound of sweet Italian sausage, because it’s what I had on hand. I loved the addition of the heavy cream. It took away some of the acidity from the tomato sauce and made the sauce smooth and velvety. And finally, I put everything in a cast iron skillet and broiled it just until the mozzarella balls browned a bit. This is definitely a family-friendly meal, but also special enough to serve to guests. Delicious!
★★★★★
Katya says
Thank you Sara. So happy to hear you little ones loved it. My kids love this pasta dish too.
Christina says
I ALWAYS read the comments before making a dish but I seldom leave any ! But I felt compelled to just in case someone finds themself in my predicament lol I thought I had all of the ingredients so I picked up a pack of ground chicken. That was like the only ingredient I had lol I had no eggs (and just came from the store) so I subbed mayo (thanks Google) I didn’t have parsley so I threw in a little Italian seasoning. Didn’t have the mozzarella so I used Parmesan and didn’t have the cream so I used whole milk. I did have the onion tho! Oh yea didn’t have the orichette either so I used little pipettes. I was expecting this to be a big fat flop and it still tasted amazing !!! Next time I’ll use the actual ingredients but for my first time ever making chicken meatballs (I’m a turkey meatball gal) I am so pleased !!! And this made a lot of food ! I was skeptical about using only a 1/2 pound of the ground chicken but I gave it a shot and it made 10 (not so mini) meatballs!!
★★★★★
Katya says
Thank you Christina for your thorough feedback. So glad the recipe was a success with all the substitutions!
Serena says
My oven doesn’t have a broiler, can I fry these or bake the meatballs instead?
Katya says
Hi Serena: you can definitely fry them or bake them. You want them half way cooked through as they will finish cooking in the sauce.
Candy Reiter says
My family loved this!!! I added a a package of fresh, baby spinach to the sauce and let it wilt down a bit before adding the meatballs. My daughter commented on how pretty the dish was. It tasted great!!! My husband said it’s a do-over!!!
★★★★★
Katya says
Thank you Candy! So glad you enjoyed it. I appreciate your feedback.
Joy M says
I make this all the time! It is easy and delicious. Some of my common tweaks:
– use lean ground pork instead of ground chicken, or do 1/2 pork and 1/2 chicken (more flavor and fat)
– add a little grated parmesan cheese to the meatball mixture
– I bake the meatballs at 400 for 15-20 minutes instead of broil
– saute a lot of garlic and 1 shallot in olive oil before adding the pasta sauce (I always use Rao’s marinara) for added flavor
– use half and half instead of heavy cream for the sauce (less fat)
– sometimes omit adding cream to the sauce if I want a lighter dish
– usually omit the mozzarella balls in favor of grated parmesan which I usually have on hand
–
★★★★★
Katya says
Thank you for sharing Joy. Your tweaks sound delicious!
Kati says
Love this recipe!! I’m a sucker for a creamy tomato sauce! It is a favorite in this house and on the menu tonight!
★★★★★
Katya says
Thanks so much Kati! Appreciate your feedback.
Krystal says
I’ve made this recipe several times and it is delicious. It is one of my daughters favorite meals, who is sometimes difficult to please being 2 years old and all! I have burned the meatballs a few times as toddlers are very distracting but it still tastes great. Thank you for a wonderful recipe!
Katya says
Thanks so much Krystal! That’s awesome. So happy you all enjoyed it. And I know all about little picky toddlers 🙂
Shannon says
This was really really good. We used turkey instead of chicken, but pretty much followed to recipe to the letter otherwise. My husband and baby both had seconds. Will definitely make again!
★★★★★
Katya says
Thanks so much Shannon! So glad you and the husband loved it!
Shannan says
Ahhh! I just realized I don’t have sour cream. Anything I can use as a substitute??
Katya says
Hi Shannan: Mayonnaise would be a good substitute.
Anna says
Can you use shells in place of the Orecchiette? My local grocery mart doesn’t sell it.
Katya says
Definitely! Any small cut pasta will work.
Karen says
Just finished making this and boy, it is delicious. I had a little trouble with the meatballs, though. The mixture was so gooey, I wasn’t able to roll it into balls. I tried adding more Panko but it didn’t help much. I ended up with chicken blobs (which taste delicious) instead of meatballs. Have you ever had this issue? Maybe it was the ground chicken I bought?
Katya says
Hi Karen: the chicken mixture is supposed to be fairly wet and I find that if you wet your hands first and then roll..they come together a little easier. Also a small melon scooper or measuring spoon is a great way to scoop the meat mixture. Hope that helps!
Danielle says
Can I bake these instead of broil them? What oven temp? Thanks!
Katya says
Hi Danielle: I can’t answer with certainty as I have not tried baking these.You want them raw in the middle but cooked on the outside so I’m assuming higher temperature would work.
Marie says
Just made this for dinner tonight! It was excellent! I liked the idea of broiling the chicken meatballs. Normally, I brown and let simmer in the sauce, but broiling was easier. I did use whole milk instead of cream and I didn’t have fresh parsley. I definitely can see trying different pastas and rotating in our regular menu. Thanks!
Katya says
So happy it worked out and you enjoyed it! And I agree, I love to broil whenever I can…so much easier! Thanks so much for your feedback. Have a great day!
Kim says
This looks delicious! I’m planning on making this tomorrow for dinner, but wanted to know if the nutrition info you provided is based on 4 or 5 servings? Thank you!
Katya says
Hi Kim! It’s based on 5 servings. Let me know how it turns out for you.
Samantha says
I tried this with a few minor alterations. Instead of using jarred sauce, I sauteed two cloves of garlic with one ripe tomato for 3 minutes in olive oil. Then added two cans of tomato sauce and fresh parsley. I used a shake of basil, Rosemary and thyme, salt and pepper.
I then added the meatballs back to the sauce, and cooked for a few minutes. Then added the cream. Covered for a few more minutes. Topped with fresh Parmesan.
★★★★★
Katya says
Your alterations sounds absolutely delicious and I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Chelsea says
I could not for the life of me find the mozzarella pearls at my grocery store. What could I used instead?
Katya says
Hi Chelsea, you can use regular fresh mozzarella. Just chop it up and measure out 1/2 cup. That should do it.
Kimberleigh says
Do the “pearls” melt down, or do they stay in a ball?? I’m trying to picture what it will look like at the end, if they make it extra creamy, or if it is like a bite of cheese…
Katya says
Hi Kimberleigh: the cheese will slightly soften but not melt down completely. Thanks!
Tiffany Till says
I found this on Pintrest and made it last night for my family and some out of town guests. It was my first time making meatballs! I was very happy with how easy it was and how tasty it was! Also, with the shredded cheese and herbs on top, it was very pretty. Thank you for sharing this! I’ll be hosting a 20 person family reunion for a week at my house this summer and I’ll be putting this on the menu for sure!!
★★★★★
Katya says
Aww…Tiffany! Thanks so much for such a sweet comment! So glad you and the family enjoyed this dish. Good luck feeding 20 people! You’re brave 🙂
Martha says
Just finished eating for dinner. What a hit with the family. Thank you for sharing!
★★★★★
Katya says
So happy to hear that Martha! Thank you for your feedback
Barbara says
Why can’t I share this on fbWant to save it.
Katya says
Hi Barbara. I just tried sharing and it worked for me. Maybe try through a different browser?
Crissy says
Mmmmm! My husband and I loved this! The meatballs were super tender and yummy, it was awesome how fast they cooked. I will add fresh garlic next time. I love fresh mozzarella so much! Thanks for this wonderful recipe!
★★★★★
Katya says
Thanks Crissy! So happy you both enjoyed it.
[email protected] says
Katya all I can say is a huge Thank You! My boys love this recipe. I have made it often over the last couple of months.
Katya says
That’s so great to hear! I’m so glad you and your boys loved the recipe.
Jenny says
This was delicious. Both of my boys (16 and 12) LOVED it and it is such a great combination of flavors and textures. This is definitely going into our meal “rotation!” Thank you for a great recipe!
Katya says
I’m so glad to hear that Jenny! Especially that both of your boys loved it. Always a bonus. Yeay!
Kristin says
Have you ever used penne instead? And about how much if I’m making this for 4 people.
Katya says
Hi Kristin. I have not tried penne but you really can’t go wrong with using any type of pasta here. I would probably use around 2 cup of uncooked penne to feed 4. Thanks!
Julia says
Hello! I just recently discovered your site and tried this recipe tonight – huge hit!! My 3 kids and husband loved it. I actually used ground turkey instead of chicken and twirly veggie pasta (couldn’t find the one in the recipe in my store!), but otherwise didn’t change a thing and it was delicious. Very creamy and definitely comfort food. Thanks!
★★★★★
Katya says
Hi Julia! That’s so great! I have one picky 6 year old and somewhat of a picky hubby so I know I appreciate when they’re happy with food I make. So glad they all enjoyed it 🙂 I appreciate your feedback. Have a great weekend.
Natasha says
Made this tonight – it was a huge hit!! Tasted amazing & the meatballs were super juicy and moist. Loved this recipe!
★★★★★
Katya says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Natasha! Those meatballs are my sons absolute favorite 🙂
melissa says
Made this tonight with gluten free pasta and gluten free breadcrumbs. This dish was amazing! It turned out great and makes a lot of food for not using the whole bag of pasta. Will be making this again for sure!!
★★★★★
Katya says
That’s awesome! I’m so happy you enjoyed the dish. It’s one of my families favorite too for that exact reason…(makes a lot of food 🙂 )
Heather says
Found this recipe via Pinterest…thought it might be worth a try…ALL THREE of my kids loved it…and that is truly a thing of wonder! I tweaked the meatball recipe a bit…used half and half in place of the cream, added some grated parm, and some dried oregano and basil…also used a bun ground up to crumbs in place of the panko. Delicious! It’s definitely going in the rotation!
★★★★★
Katya says
I’m so glad you enjoyed these meatballs Heather! They are one of my families favorites. Loving your tweaks to the recipe 🙂
Sammie L says
Katya,
This was super tasty! I was so impressed with the meatballs — they were moist and tender and flavorful. I had no idea chicken meatballs could be so good!
The sauce was a little mild for my taste, but I feel like that makes it perfect for kids and with a little more garlic I myself would be all set! Instead of tweaking the recipe, I made some garlic and lemon broccoli to serve on the side and it was the perfect complement to the mild sauce — loved it!
This dish is also amazing reheated for lunch, which is always a bonus!
Thanks 🙂
Sammie
★★★★★
Katya says
I agree…this is perfect for kids. My little one loves this pasta (esp the meatballs) and I love making it b/c the family does not complain. Thanks for your feedback!
Calie says
Orecchiette with Baked Mini Chicken Meatballs in Tomato Cream Sauce is so awesome. Love your blog so much. I can change my menu regularly for my family. Thank you
★★★★★
Anna says
Katya, you are expecting, how wonderful! When are you due, if I may ask?
Thanks for the recipe, it looks so delicious! I love pasta, but since I try to avoid “whites” (sugar, flour, rice, etc.) as much as possible, I indulge myself with very affordable (compared to quinoa) substitute – brown rice pasta. I buy it at Trader Joes. I think it will work for your recipe as well. Never heard of mozzarella pearls, though – I learned something new today 🙂
Blessings!
★★★★★
Katya says
Only couple more weeks left Anna. Counting down the days at this point. Excited and relieved at the same time 🙂 We don’t do pasta often, it’s a little heavy for me to have on weekly basis and my hubby is not a fan of pasta at all. But love love quinoa anything!!! Will have to check out brown rice pasta as I’m a fan of Trader Joes as well . And yes def check out mozzarella pears. They’re tiny and perfect in salads, pastas, appetizers, etc. Have a great night!
Valya of valyastasteofhome.com says
I love pasta dishes. Yours look creamy and good. How is your pregnancy going Katya?
Katya says
Thanks Valya. We don’t do pasta often so anytime we do have it it’s almost like a treat 🙂 Pregnancy going well. I can’t really complain. Couple more weeks left…I’ll be excited and relieved a bit 🙂
sumiyah says
if we can’t find the mozz pearls, do we just use shredded mozz or the big ball and how much?
Katya says
You can definitely use a big ball of mozzarella. I would just cut it into cubes and measure out 1/2 cup.