Chicken Meatballs and Spaghetti

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READY IN ABOUT 1¼ hrs

Chicken Meatballs and Spaghetti

Read Reviews (53)

"Chicken meatballs and spaghetti is a great alternative to beef or pork. Now, I love beef and pork, but I wanted to give my family something different. This is a recipe for a family of five, plus a little extra for leftovers." — RealCookingDiva

Directions

Stir together the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, water, and basil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes while preparing meatballs.
Mix together the ground chicken, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, eggs, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Roll into 1 inch balls. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and coat with cooking spray. Brown the meatballs on all sides. Add meatballs to the simmering pasta sauce and cook until internal temperature of meatballs reaches a minimum of 160 degrees F (72 degrees C), about 30 minutes.
Fill a large pot with lightly salted water, and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the spaghetti, and return to a boil. Cook until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 12 minutes. Drain. Serve the meatballs and sauce over the cooked spaghetti.

Kitchen-Friendly View

PREP 20 mins
COOK 45 mins
READY IN 1 hr 5 mins

Reviews More Reviews

Most Helpful Positive Review

Mar 04, 2009

This produced a really fresh tasting sauce, which I definitely appreciate! I added fresh garlic and mushrooms (sauteed in a bit of olive oil) to the sauce just because those are 2 things that are vital to spaghetti sauce in this house! The sauce was very simple, but *really* tasty. The only thing I had a problem with were the meatballs... I think next time I will cut the seasoning in half as the italian seasoning was overwhelming; it kinda ruined the flavor of the meatballs for me. That being said, the meatballs had the BEST texture and consistency. Thank you very much, CookingDiva!

—CookinBug

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Most Helpful Critical Review

Jul 14, 2011

Meatball portion of recipe was great. Sauce needs a lot of other ingredients including onions, garlic, peppers (any colour), oregano and I like mushrooms in my sauce too. I usually add a pinch of brown sugar too...removes the acid from the tomatoes.

—Wen-dee

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68 Ratings

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Mar 19, 2009

First let me say this is a fab website for beginner cooks, I'm new to this site and I've only taken a real interest in cooking for my family 3 years ago when I started staying home full time. Anyway,back to the meatballs not only was it an easy recipe to follow,but the meatballs were really good. You would think my 14 year old was NYC food critic with the way he comments about my food,but he told my husband that he liked these so much he was speechless for once. Great recipe I'm becoming more confident with every meal I cook because if this website.

—Maria

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Jan 30, 2010

This was really good! The sauce was very light and enjoyable. I used the ground chicken in the meatballs and they were fantastic! I did bake them on 350 for about 20 minutes, per the suggestion of another reviewer. I prefer this to browning them in a skillet because it's easier. =) The chicken made such nice meatballs. They were very filling and much better than beef meatballs! The only change I have made (after making this several times, it's such a hit!) was adding sauteed onion, green pepper, and garlic, and putting more seasoning in the sauce. A+!

—prgr2007

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Apr 13, 2009

Absolutely fantastic! I am no a cook nor into cooking - just want to make healthy meals my family will eat. I only made the meatballs and used ground turkey rather than chicken simply because that's what I had on hand. I also used Extra Virgin Olive Oil rather than cooking spray in the skillet, works just as well. It was so very easy. I will use this recipe from now on! Thanks!

—Kelly

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Sep 15, 2009

I loved this recipe. My husband is Italian but gets really bad heartburn from red sauces so he was reluctant to eat this at first, but it didn't give him any heartburn (I did add about 1/4 milk and 1 tbsp. sugar to lessen the acidity). Even my sister who hates pasta and Italian food is asking me on a regular basis to invite her oven again for this dish! The chicken meatballs are amazing...it's like chicken parmesan but in meatball form...so yummy! I prefer this over beef meatballs any day!

—tarapara

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Nov 18, 2010

Inspired by CookingDiva Kim's fun espisode of What's Cooking on Allrecipes tv, I made this for my family last night--rave reviews & clean plates from kids & adults alike! I had no idea that meatballs were that easy to make--and I loved using ground Chicken is a healthier alternative to beef or sausage. My only modification is that I cut the Italian seasoning to 1 Tbs (but Kim is RIGHT, Chicken needs more spices than sausage would) and added some fresh minced garlic and about 1/2 Tsp of sea salt to the meatball mixture. Also, I highly recommend looking for San Marzano canned tomatoes & paste when you make this. San Marzano canned tomatoes have a bright flavor gives the sauce a vine-ripened taste out of the can. Try them, and you'll never go back to regular tomatoes for your spaghetti and pizza sauces. Great recipe--thanks CookingDiva!

—BusySpoons

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Jan 19, 2012

I'm torn with this recipe. The meatballs are excellent! I'm starting to cook more with ground chicken and I'm really liking it. Unfortunately, the sauce brings this recipe down. Even with all of the basil, it still tastes like plain tomato sauce from a can. By the time I finished doctoring it up, it beared no resemblance to the recipe.

—DIZ♥

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Nutrition

Calories
491 kcal
25%

Carbohydrates
65.9 g
21%

Cholesterol
126 mg
42%

Fat
8.3 g
13%

Fiber
11.5 g
46%

Protein
42.4 g
85%

Sodium
973 mg
39%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Chicken Meatballs and Spaghetti

Serving Size: 1/8 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 8
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 491
Calories from Fat: 75

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 8.3g 13 %
** Saturated Fat 2.7g 13 %
Cholesterol 126mg 42 %
Sodium 973mg 39 %
** Potassium 1192mg 33 %
Total Carbohydrates 65.9g 21 %
Dietary Fiber 11.5g 46 %
Protein 42.4g 85 %
** Sugars 10.5g
Vitamin A 36 %
Vitamin C 36 %
Calcium 25 %
Iron 72 %
** Thiamin 47 %
** Niacin 184 %
** Vitamin B6 54 %
** Magnesium 42 %
** Folate 27 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.