Low Calorie Chicken Meatballs

chicken meatballs

These Low Calorie Chicken Meatballs make great appetizers for holiday gatherings and get togethers year around. They are just 52 calories and come with 6 different sauces. So you can choose your favorite, or make one big batch of meatballs, and toss them in different sauces for several appetizer varieties.

chicken meatballs

Everything You’ll Need

  • 1 pound ground chicken (or use turkey, beef, or pork)
  • 1 egg
  • ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs (or gluten-free panko)
  • 2 green onions
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
  • Choose your sauce below

Low Calorie Chicken Meatballs

chicken meatballs

Low Calorie Chicken Meatballs Meal Prep and Storage

Meal Prep – Cook the meatballs according to the directions and toss in sauce, and then allow to cool completely. Add single servings into individual containers, or family sized servings into a large container.
Frozen Leftovers – Will hold in the freezer for 1 month.
Refrigerated Leftovers – Will hold in the refrigerator for 4 days.
Reheating – Add to the microwave for 2-3 minutes (defrosted) or 4-6 minutes (frozen) or add to a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and bake defrosted meatballs for 10-15 minutes in a hot oven (350-400 degrees). Cut one in half to check that it is warmed through.

chicken meatballs

Low Calorie Chicken Meatballs Recipe

chicken meatballs

Low Calorie Chicken Meatballs (5 Flavors)

Lose Weight By Eating
This easy chicken meatball recipe is just 52 calories, and if you look above in the article you will find 5 additional sauces to toss the meatballs in.
You can easily make these chicken meatballs gluten-free, see the modifications below. And if you prefer, you can use ground turkey.
Special Tip: You can make these meatball appetizers ahead of time and chill or freeze. Then when time to serve, add to a hot oven until warmed through and toss in your desired sauce.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine American
Servings 20 servings
Calories 52 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

Homemade Teriyaki Sauce:

  • ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce or gluten free Tamari
  • ¼ cup water
  • 1 ½ tablespoon honey
  • 1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • ¼ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
  • 2 teaspoons fresh ginger grated or minced
  • 2 cloves of garlic grated or minced
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch

Homemade Meatballs:

  • 1 pound ground chicken or use turkey, beef, or pork
  • 1 egg
  • ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs or gluten-free panko
  • 2 green onions minced
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • To a small sauce pan, combine the soy sauce, water, honey, brown sugar, rice vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, garlic and cornstarch.
  • Heat over medium heat stirring continuously until the cornstarch dissolves and thickens up the sauce. Then remove from heat and set aside.
  • To a large bowl combine the ground meat, egg, panko breadcrumbs, green onions, and 2 tablespoons of the homemade teriyaki sauce (if using a different sauce or glaze from above, use that instead).
  • Mix the meatball mixture together until just combined (too much mixing will make tough meatballs).
  • Roll out 20 small meatballs, adding to the prepared baking sheet as you work.
  • Bake the meatballs in the hot oven for 25 minutes, until cooked through and browned.
  • Add to a large bowl, and pour over the prepared sauce.
  • Toss well, then move the meatballs to a serving platter, sprinkle with pepper flakes, and skewer (if you like) with toothpicks for easy snacking.

Nutrition

Serving: 1meatballCalories: 52kcalCarbohydrates: 2.8gProtein: 4.6gFat: 2.2gSaturated Fat: 0.6gCholesterol: 28mgSodium: 193mgPotassium: 128mgFiber: 0.1gSugar: 2.2gCalcium: 4mgIron: 0mg
Keyword appetizer, healthy chicken meatballs, holiday, low calorie chicken meatballs
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

About the Author

Hi, my name is Audrey Johns and I am a 4 time best selling cookbook author! All 4 of my low calorie cookbooks are published by HarperCollins (the oldest publishing house in the US!) and have been featured on prominent TV shows like The Today Show, Rachael Ray and The Doctors. I am a low calorie and healthy recipe authority and my delicious recipes are tried and loved by thousands of readers. 

After a one year 150 pound weight loss (and I’ve kept it off for 13 years!) I started sharing all of my low calorie recipes with the world. They are always all-natural and geared around weight loss and weight management. I have even made some of these recipes with my Biggest Loser pal Bob Harper! Check out my weight loss story, my best selling cookbooks, and my numerous TV appearances by clicking here.

Nutrition and Calories in Chicken Meatballs

The nutrition is based off 1 meatball, using ground chicken and the homemade teriyaki sauce above.

More Weight Loss Recipes:

Lose Weight By Eating Cookbooks

Share this Healthy Recipe:

chicken meatballs

Article History:

  • Originally written and published November 16, 2022 by Audrey Johns
  • Most recent update November 9, 2023 by Audrey Johns