Cheesy Chicken Parmesan Meatballs
- Total Time
- 45 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:4 servings
- ¾cup crumbled firm tofu (about 4 ounces)
- ½cup ricotta (about 4 ounces)
- ½cup freshly grated Parmesan (about 1½ ounces)
- ¼cup plain bread crumbs
- 1large egg
- 2tablespoons minced garlic
- 1teaspoon dried oregano
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 1pound ground chicken (or turkey)
- 2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2medium red bell peppers, cored and sliced lengthwise ½-inch-thick
- 3cups marinara sauce (about 24 ounces)
- 6ounces sliced provolone cheese,
- Cooked egg noodles or other pasta, for serving
- Chopped parsley, for garnish (optional)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
709 calories; 41 grams fat; 16 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 16 grams monounsaturated fat; 6 grams polyunsaturated fat; 38 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams dietary fiber; 12 grams sugars; 49 grams protein; 1357 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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- Step 1
Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, combine tofu, ricotta, Parmesan, bread crumbs, egg, garlic, oregano, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper, and mix until well combined. Add chicken and gently mix to incorporate. Lightly wet hands to prevent meatball mixture from sticking, then roll into 24 (1½-inch) golf ball-size rounds.
- Step 2
In a Dutch oven, heat oil over medium. Add bell peppers, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add marinara sauce and meatballs, and stir gently to coat the meatballs in the sauce. Bring to a boil, cover and transfer to the oven to bake until meatballs are cooked through, 20 minutes.
- Step 3
Top with provolone slices, slightly overlapping, and bake until cheese melts, about 3 minutes longer.
- Step 4
Serve meatballs, peppers and sauce over egg noodles. Garnish with parsley, if using.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Julia
I would substitute ground mushrooms for those who can't eat soy. I often put them in my meatballs because they're tasty and cut down on the meat content.
KensCooking
Made per recipe. *** If you don't like Tofu, make something else and stop asking for substitutes. This was perfect. 5 stars. Used the Bastianich / Moskin Marinara recipe for the Marinara. Had with spaghetti noodles as Egg seemed a bit off.
Laura M
Julie, As it happens, I made this recipe last night using whatever I had in the pantry. Tofu is not one of my staples, but I had mushrooms on hand (large, plain white "champignons de Paris"), and so I used those. Uncertain how they'd work out, I used 1/2 cup of freshly ground bread crumbs + 1/2 cup minced mushrooms. The result was perfect! My husband usually compliments my meals, but he RAVED about this one. "It tastes like veal!" he exclaimed. This scores higher than all other meatball recipes!
Sandy
I thought this was absolutely delicious and the addition of the tofu and ricotta definitely made the meatballs less dry. I added a few more breadcrumbs since the meatballs were very wet. Then instead of putting the meatballs into the marinara raw, I seared them quickly in the dutch oven with olive oil. Browning them on the outside added a lot of flavor. I still cooked them for the recommended 20 minutes to ensure they were cooked through. Everyone loved it!
GD
So if people are vegan, soy and dairy-free and cannot eat tomatoes due to acidity, what can you recommend. Sorry, could not resist posting.
Ryan
For those asking, sub tofu with more chicken.
Ann
Can another ingredient be substituted for the tofu?
Jean
Grated zucchini might sub for the tofu. I have a turkey meatloaf recipe that uses this trick for moisture.
Anne Andoos
Why is tofu in this recipe and not just ground chicken ?
julia
From the recipe description: "The unexpected secret to these tender meatballs is tofu, which keeps them juicy."
Sarah
There are countries where people have been eating tofu on a daily basis for centuries. Our ideas about what is and isn't healthy sometimes seem arbitrary and ethnocentric.
marbsmama
Per notes: prick a small sweet potato all over, nuke till soft all the way they (8 min) and split; let cool. Ad 1/4 c mashed sweet to 1 lb Turkey or chicken as an SUB a for tofu
Kelsey
This was outrageously tasty. I subbed tofu for finely chopped mushrooms, not because I'm anti-tofu, but more because I'm very pro-mushrooms. The meatballs turned out juicy, rich, and flavorful. I tried it over noodles, and again with bread (toasted sourdough baguette), and found bread to be the better vehicle for this sauce. My sauce was a bit thin and didn't stick well to the noodles, but it was delicious for being sopped up. Will definitely be making this again soon. A keeper!
Hannah
I made this and omitted the tofu because I’ve never made a meatball with tofu and they turned out great. I added an extra heaping tablespoon of ricotta (I used whole milk ricotta) and an extra pound of chicken. I was worried about these breaking apart when covering with the sauce but if you stir gently they will be fine. I actually made a bunch extra because of all the chicken and they were great on their own. Used mozzarella because I despise provolone. Great!!
Dana M Banks
BTW, we are first time tofu users & it was delicious & kept the meatballs from drying out. My family never knew it was in there. Slowly transitioning them to little to no meat...this recipe was a success. Teenagers loved it, and my heavy meat eater husband too! My only suggestion is to sear the meatballs first.
Carla
Delicious. I needed a recipe for ground chicken, and I found this one. I didn’t have any tofu in the house, so I just slightly increased the ricotta and reduced the Parm. For the marinara, I simmered crushed tomatoes with garlic, oregano, olive oil, and tomato paste. I also used mozzarella. The meatballs were moist, and we thought the dish was better than we could get in most restaurants.
banana
These are genius! The tofu & ricotta combo is a clever hack. If I wasn't the cook, I'd have been convinced they were pork or veal. Made mostly as instructed, but I was liberal with the garlic and parmesan in the mix, seared the meatballs in the pan, added half an onion to soften with the peppers, then baked the whole thing in a roasting pan for 1/2 hr at 425F. We ate them on toasted ciabatta as meatball subs. 5 stars.
cheching
I’ve made these twice. Ridiculously salty following the recipe. Reduced the salt by half on the next go-around. Infinitely better. Phenomenal served as meatball subs on garlic buttered rolls.
Karen
best meatballs EVER!
Karen
I made them according to the recipe and they're really good. I get how they would work without the tofu - but how can you say that you didn't miss it when you've never tried them with it? Try it with the tofu.
Laura
I made my own marinara and followed the recipe. It was amazing. I might start putting tofu & ricotta in my pork & beef meatballs as well! These ingredients make the meatballs tender and juicy. Definitely putting this dish on repeat.
BLT9
We loved this! I followed the suggestion to sub feta for tofu since I had some on hand. I served it over cooked spinach. This dish will be made a lot in the future.
nancy van house
I made the meatballs by baking them in the oven without the sauce and the cheese. They’re good. I can use them anywhere I would use other kinds of meatballs.
Amanda
Absolutely delicious! We made this in a smaller pot and couldn’t fit all the meatballs in, so we opted to cook a portion of them on a baking sheet along with the sauced meatballs in the oven. The sheet pan meatballs cooked much faster (about 20 mins vs. the ones in the pot which took closer to an hour) and browned a bit which created a nice flavor. Next time, going to cook all the meatballs on a sheet just for speed flavor, but otherwise loved this one overall!
kater
Easy and comforting. So moist! I skipped the tofu entirely. There’s no reason to get too fussy about these. Go with the texture that feels right. I was generous with the garlic. And maybe added a few more breadcrumbs—2 slices of bread for 2 lbs of meat. And I did broil them in the oven first, as one reviewer suggested. The red peppers were a surprise; I’m not usually a fan. The provolone was delicious but mine wasn’t very smoky/interesting. mozzarella would have been just as good.
Laura
I've made this both ways, with and without the tofu, and they are much better with the tofu. They're good without it, but they are much better with it, better texture and flavor.
Sadie
I made these last week and they were very good. I didn’t have ricotta so I doubled the tofu and the texture and taste was fine. I used turkey meat. Definitely beats breading and frying cutlets any day
Ali
I really liked these! I swapped the ricotta for cottage cheese, because it’s what I had on hand. I used a 24-oz jar of Rao’s Arrabbiata, and the bit of heat from the sauce was welcome. Also doubled the bell peppers for bonus veggies, and topped with mozzarella instead of provolone due to personal preference. Will definitely make these again
mrmp
Super easy and flexible recipe, particularly when you have home made marinara sauce in the freezer! Came together in a flash. Could not find ground chicken in our grocery but ground turkey was just as good and less expensive. Didn't want to use the oven in the 90 degree heat so I simmered it on the stovetop which worked well. Just remember to give the meatballs along the edge and on the bottom a gentle nudge once they've firmed up a bit to keep them from sticking.
Jude
I love this this recipe! A great, easy make-ahead dish for no-pressure entertaining that everyone loves. I often add sautéed onion with the peppers for a little extra flavor, and have left out the egg for one guest's egg allergy. Also have sub'd cottage cheese for ricotta. Hard to mess this one up. Light and delicious!
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