Chicken Parmesan Meatballs Recipe

Meatballs-

• 1lb ground chicken
• ¼ cup finely chopped white onion
• ½ cup parmesan cheese
• ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
• ½ cup chopped parsley
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ tablespoon fennel seed
• 1 garlic clove (minced)
• ½ tablespoon lemon zest
• 1 egg
• 8 ounces mozzarella cheese (cut into ½ inch cubes)

Breading-

• ½ cup flour
• 2 eggs (beaten)
• 1 ½ cups panko breadcrumbs
• vegetable oil (for frying)

1. Lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking dish. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl combine ground chicken, onion, parmesan, ½ cup breadcrumbs, parsley, black pepper, salt, fennel seed, garlic, lemon zest and 1 egg. Mix well using your hands until the ingredients are well combined.
3. Form the mixture into meatballs that are between the size of a golf ball and a tennis ball. Press a ½ inch cube of the mozzarella into each ball and reshape until smooth. Repeat until all of the meatballs are rolled.
4. Add flour to a shallow dish or pie plate. Add the beaten egg to a separate shallow dish or pie plate. Finally, add the panko breadcrumbs into a third shallow dish or pie plate. Dredge the meatballs one at a time, first into the flour, then dip in the egg and then roll in the panko breadcrumbs.
5. Add about ¼ inch of vegetable oil to a large skillet. Heat oil over medium-high heat. Fry the meatballs in batches while turning until golden on all sides. Remove from the oil with a slotted metal spoon and place onto the baking sheet. Place into the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until fully cooked (the internal temperature has reached 165 degrees F). Serve with marinara sauce and cooked pasta.