Free Dinner Recipes E-book!   Download Now

  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

The Almond Eater logo

  • Browse Recipes
    • Recipes by Course
      • Breakfast
      • Lunch
      • Dinner
      • Desserts
      • Drinks
      • Snacks
      • Sides
      • The Almond Eater Monthly Cooking Challenge
    • Recipes by Diet
      • Vegetarian
      • Dairy Free
      • Gluten Free
      • Vegan
      • Mediterranean Diet
      • Paleo
      • Whole30
  • Meet Erin
  • Contact
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • Browse Recipes +
    • Recipes by Course +
      • Breakfast
      • Lunch
      • Dinner
      • Desserts
      • Drinks
      • Snacks
      • Sides
      • The Almond Eater Monthly Cooking Challenge
    • Recipes by Diet +
      • Vegetarian
      • Dairy Free
      • Gluten Free
      • Vegan
      • Mediterranean Diet
      • Paleo
      • Whole30
  • About Erin
  • Contact

Home » Recipes » Dinner

Best Italian Chicken Meatballs {Paleo, Whole30}

By Erin · April 6, 2019 · Updated July 27, 2021 · 9 Comments

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
  • Share
  • Tweet
Gluten FreeDairy FreeWhole30Paleo

These Italian Chicken Meatballs are the BEST and whole30-compliant. They’re covered in a delicious roasted garlic marinara sauce and made in just one skillet, too. 

meatballs in a skillet with marinara sauce

This post is sponsored by Lucini Italia. As always, all opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting brands that help run this site! 

I’m PUMPED to be sharing this recipe with you! Though I have a handful of meatball recipes already on my site, these chicken meatballs are my favorite so far, and they pair perfectly with marinara sauce.

WHY THESE CHICKEN MEATBALLS ARE THE BEST

  • First of all, they’re chicken meatballs, so they’re a little better for you right off the bat.
  • Secondly, they’re gluten free, dairy free and egg-free, meaning they’re made with ground chicken, spices and almond flour as a bind.
  • Third, they’re covered in Lucini Italia sauce, aka my new favorite tomato sauce.

BIG NEWS: Lucini Italia recently received Whole30 certification and is the first and ONLY Whole30 approved olive oil on the market! Yes, really. If you’ve ever done Whole30, you know how frustrating it can be to have to read food labels carefully at the grocery store. But, I’m here to tell you that Lucini sauces have no added sugars and are made with the simplest ingredients.

In this recipe I opted to use their Roasted Garlic Marinara, and the ingredients are tomatoes, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, parsley, basil, oregano, and black pepper, and they’re all organic too.

 

ITALIAN CHICKEN MEATBALL INGREDIENTS

  • ground chicken
  • garlic
  • parsley
  • oregano
  • basil
  • almond flour
  • sea salt

VARIATIONS

Use ground pork or beef in place of chicken. I like chicken because it’s something different and a little bit lighter, but pork of beef work great with the same measurements. Use ANY of the Lucini Italia sauces. I opted for the Roasted Garlic Marinara because hellooooo roasted garlic, but any of the sauces will be delicious in this recipe.

HOW TO MAKE WHOLE30 ITALIAN MEATBALLS

PREPARE THE MEATBALLS

Start by dicing the onion, mincing the garlic and chopping the parsley, then add them to a bowl with the chicken, oregano, basil, salt, and almond flour. Use a wooden spoon or your hands to mix everything together, then place the bowl in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, which will firm it up a bit and make it a little less messy to work with.

Once the 30 minutes has gone by, use your hands or a cookie dough/meatball scoop to form the meatballs.

uncooked meatballs on a plate

SEAR THE MEATBALLS

Add a little olive oil (I used Lucini Italia) to a large oven-safe skillet, then place the meatballs directly into the skillet. Turn the heat on medium-high and sear the meatballs on all sides until golden brown, approximately 3-4 minutes. Then, pour the sauce over top.

seared meatballs in a skillet

BAKE THE MEATBALLS

Baked meatballs are always a good idea, because though the meatballs are seared, they’re probably not cooked all the way through. Baking the meatballs assures that they’re fully cooked. Place the whole skillet into the oven and bake the meatballs for 20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked.

chicken meatballs in a skillet with marinara sauce

So, whether you’re doing whole30 or not, you can be at ease knowing that Lucini uses fresh and REAL ingredients in their sauces, with no added sugars. Seriously, I’m obsessed.

More meatballs recipes

  • Lentil Meatballs
  • Baked Paleo Meatballs
  • Teriyaki Pork Meatballs

If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!

meatballs in a skillet with marinara sauce

Best Italian Chicken Meatballs {Paleo, Whole30}

These Italian Chicken Meatballs are the BEST and whole30-compliant. They’re covered in a delicious roasted garlic marinara sauce and made in just one skillet, too. 
4.86 from 7 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 16 meatballs
Author: Erin

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. ground chicken
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 3 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
  • ½ teaspoon basil
  • ¼ teaspoon oregano
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • ¼ cup almond flour
  • Pinch of salt
  • 2 cups marinara sauce or more
  • fresh basil for garnish

Instructions

  • Add chicken, garlic, parsley, oregano, basil, almond flour, and salt to a large bowl; then, use a spoon or your hands to stir everything together. Place bowl in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to allow mixture to firm up.
  • Remove mixture from refrigerator. At this time you'll want to preheat your oven to 350°. Then, heat 1-2 tablespoon olive oil in an oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Use your hands to form mixture into meatballs, placing the meatballs directly into the skillet. Sear the meatballs for 3-4 minutes until golden brown on all sides.
  • Pour sauce into the skillet, then place the whole skillet in the oven and bake the meatballs for 20-25 minutes or until they're cooked through.
  • Eat the meatballs as-is or on top of zucchini or sweet potato noodles. Serve with fresh basil and enjoy!

Notes

*Calorie count is per meatball

Nutrition

Calories: 58kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 141mg | Potassium: 235mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 191IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg
Did you Make this Recipe? Tag me Today!Leave a comment below and tag @thealmondeater on Instagram!

 

« Weeknight Veggie Pizza
Strawberry Banana Overnight Oats »

About Erin

Erin is the recipe developer, writer and photographer behind the healthy food blog, The Almond Eater. She's been blogging since 2014 and loves to create food for many different diets, including vegan, gluten free and/or Whole30 recipes.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Julie says

    December 29, 2021 at 9:11 pm

    4 stars
    This is a DELICIOUS recipe, thank you!! We will definitely make it again, especially as we're considering a Whole30 in January. What is the serving size per person (with accompanying nutritional info)? Surely 16 meatballs per person is not a single serving?? Though I wish it were. 😉 Also, you mention chopped onion in the narrative but I don't believe I see it in the actual recipe, so we didn't include that ingredient. Still, the meatballs were delicious! We love Cucina Antica sauces (also Whole30 approved) but will have to try the sauce you recommend.

    Reply
    • Erin says

      December 30, 2021 at 12:46 pm

      Thanks for the comment -- I'm glad you liked the meatballs! The whole recipe makes about 16 meatballs, and the serving size is 4 meatballs (approximately). The calorie count at the bottom of the recipe card is per meatball, so to calculate you'd just have to multiply that by however many meatballs you're eating (hopefully that makes sense!).

      Reply
  2. Casey says

    September 17, 2020 at 7:57 pm

    Delicious recipe! My husband loved it, too!

    Reply
    • Erin says

      September 18, 2020 at 8:21 am

      So glad you both enjoyed it!

      Reply
  3. Marisa Joseph says

    May 17, 2020 at 8:47 pm

    5 stars
    Sooo delicious! Was a hit with the family! Will make again!

    Reply
    • Erin says

      May 18, 2020 at 8:22 am

      I'm glad the whole family enjoyed them!

      Reply
  4. Courtney Baird says

    April 12, 2019 at 2:34 pm

    Thank you! It wasn't until I was in the middle of prepping them (aka right now) that I realized it myself, despite reviewing the recipe earlier in the week!

    Reply
  5. Courtney Baird says

    April 12, 2019 at 2:27 pm

    The recipe is missing the oven temperature for baking. Please update.

    Reply
    • Erin says

      April 12, 2019 at 2:30 pm

      whoops--thanks for catching that! it's 350°.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

girl in kitchen

Hi, I'm Erin!

I share recipes for ALL diet types because I believe that healthy food should be incredibly delicious without being complicated. Learn more

Seasonal Picks

pasta salad made with mediterranean ingredients

Mediterranean Pasta Salad

bowl with lemon orzo salad beside a small dish of chopped fresh basil

Lemon Orzo Salad

cake on a cake stand with a slice cut out

Vegan Carrot Cake

berries and ice cream in a bowl

Gluten Free Rhubarb Crisp

Popular Recipes

pasta, peas and sausage in a skillet

Italian Chicken Sausage Pasta

bowl with ground pork and vegetables

Banh Mi Bowl (Paleo, Whole30)

a bowl of pasta with lentils and red sauce

Lentil Bolognese Recipe (Vegan + Gluten Free)

sweet potato brownies

Flourless Sweet Potato Brownies

dog eating cake

Mini Dog Birthday Cake

Caramelized Onion Spaghetti Squash | squash filled with onions, mushrooms and kale for a healthy, vegetarian meal | thealmondeater.com

Caramelized Onion Spaghetti Squash

As Featured On

Footer

  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • The Almond Eater Monthly Cooking Challenge

Copyright© 2023 | The Almond Eater. Site Credit

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter