These Chicken Meatballs for Baby are soft, juicy and full of flavour – a perfect first finger food for little ones! Made with a mix of chicken breast and chicken thigh, plus apple for natural sweetness and moisture, they’re tasty enough for the whole family too. Baked in the oven instead of fried, these baby chicken meatballs are easy, freezer-friendly and baby/toddler-approved.
Why you’ll love these baby chicken meatballs
These baby chicken meatballs will quickly become a staple in your weekly meal prep.
Like most of my baby-friendly recipes, these meatballs are freezer-friendly. You can batch cook them once and then reheat for quick meals anytime.
These meatballs are perfect for Baby Led Weaning (BLW) and self-feeding, and for toddler meals too. They’re soft in texture, easy to chew, and made with whole food ingredients.
This family-friendly recipe is flavourful enough to work for babies, toddlers, kids and adults – just adjust the serving style.
Ingredients in Chicken Meatballs for Baby
You only need a few wholesome ingredients to make these baby-friendly chicken meatballs:
Chicken breast and thigh – Using a mix keeps the meatballs tender and juicy. Chicken breast alone can be a little dry, while thigh meat adds moisture and flavour.
Onion – I use brown/yellow onion, but you can substitute with white. Grating the onion adds to the moistness of the meatballs, and makes it easier for baby to eat.
Bread – Two slices of day-old bread with the crusts removed adds lightness to this recipe. White or wholemeal will work best.
Egg – For binding the meatballs.
Apple – Green apple (like Granny Smith) is best for this recipe. It balances the savoury flavours and adds natural sweetness. It also keeps the meatballs nice and soft.
Parsley – Fresh parsley gives a light herby flavour, but you can swap it for basil or cilantro/coriander if you prefer.
Salt (optional) and white pepper – White pepper is milder than black pepper. Leave out the salt if serving to family under 12 months of age.
How to Make Chicken Meatballs for Baby
These baby chicken meatballs are made really easily with a food processor. Here’s a summary.
Scroll down to the recipe card below, to find exact ingredient amounts and full detailed steps for both regular and thermo cooker methods.
Step 1: Preheat your oven and line a baking tray with baking/parchment paper.
Step 2: Mince the chicken in a food processor with just a few pulses – don’t overdo it, or the meat can become tough. Transfer to a mixing bowl.
Step 3: Process the apple and onion until finely chopped.
Step 4: Add the bread, blitz it for a second or two and then let the mixture sit for a couple of minutes so the juices soak in.
Step 5: Add the egg, parsley, pepper and salt (if using). Blitz again briefly, then stir into the chicken mixture until just combined. This allows you to check if any large pieces of ingredients remain and re-chop or remove them.
Step 6: Roll into 18 small meatballs and place on the tray. Bake for 20 minutes or until cooked through.
Thermomixer? You can use your machine in place of a food processor. Just follow the Thermomix method in the recipe card below – it’s even quicker!
Chicken Meatballs for Baby Led Weaning
Meatballs are a great choice for Baby Led Weaning (BLW). These chicken meatballs are filled with protein, fruit and veggies – the apple and onion help keep them moist and adds lots of flavour.
They’re naturally soft, easy for small hands to grip, and you can shape them into balls or slightly flatten them into patties for younger babies. You can also finely chop or mash them up if needed.
They’re suitable from around 6 months of age, as long as baby is developmentally ready for solids.
Why make homemade ground chicken for baby?
When cooking for babies, it’s always best to know exactly what’s going into their food. With homemade ground chicken/chicken mince, you can be sure that baby is only getting breast and thigh meat, if you choose to mince those cuts – no skin or other filler cuts of chicken meat. It gives you control over freshness, as well as texture. You can pulse it to a fine or slightly chunky consistency, depending on what stage your baby is at.
Serving
These chicken meatballs are versatile and can be served in lots of baby and toddler-friendly ways:
- For BLW, serve whole, halved, or slightly flattened into mini patties for easier handling.
- For toddlers and kids, pair with simple sides like steamed veggies, pasta or rice. Serve with a dipping sauce like plain yoghurt, tomato or ranch.
- For kids and adults, add to a fresh salad, put into wraps or serve with roasted veggies for an easy dinner.
They’re also a great option for lunch boxes, picnics or reheating for quick weekday meals.
Making ahead, storing and reheating
MAKING AHEAD: These chicken meatballs are great to make ahead! They’re so moist and won’t dry out.
STORING: Store cooled chicken meatballs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
To freeze, arrange the cooked meatballs on a lined tray in a single layer. Once frozen, transfer to a labelled freezer bag or airtight container.
REHEATING: Defrost overnight in the fridge. Then reheat refrigerated meatballs in the oven, a dry frying pan or microwave until hot all the way through. For babies, always make sure they’re fully reheated and cooled to a safe temperature before serving.
Looking for more meatball recipes? Try these Pork and Apple Meatballs with sage. They’re baby and family-friendly, flavour-packed and perfect for weeknights or meal prepping ahead.
If you make these Chicken Meatballs for Baby, please leave a 🌟 star rating and a 📝 comment below. I love hearing how my recipes work for you and your family! Don’t forget to follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest too for more baby and toddler-friendly recipes.
Happy cooking,
Chloe x
Chicken Meatballs for Baby
Category: Finger FoodIngredients
- 250 g chicken breast cut into 3cm/1in cubes (Note 1)
- 250 g chicken thigh cut into 3cm/1in cubes (Note 1)
- 1 apple green variety, cored and roughly chopped (approx. 180g/6oz) (Note 2)
- 1 brown/yellow onion peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 cup bread chopped and crusts removed (Note 3)
- 1 egg
- 1 tbs parsley finely chopped
- 1/4 tsp ground white pepper
- 1/4 tsp salt optional for family over 12 months
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 200°C/390°F (180°C fan-forced). Line a baking tray with baking/parchment paper.
- Put 250 g chicken breast and 250 g chicken thigh into a food processor and blitz on high speed for 10 seconds at a time, approximately 3 times, until the meat is minced. Do not over-process the chicken meat, as this can toughen the meatballs. Transfer to a large mixing bowl, checking that no large pieces of chicken remain.
- In the food processor, finely chop 1 apple and 1 brown/yellow onion. Add 1 cup bread, pushing it into the apple mixture with a spatula. Blitz for 1 to 2 seconds and then scrape down the bowl. Let the mixture sit for 2 to 3 minutes, until the juices are absorbed by the bread.
- Add 1 egg, 1 tbs parsley, 1/4 tsp ground white pepper and 1/4 tsp salt (optional). Blitz until well combined and the ingredients are finely chopped. Transfer the mixture to the mixing bowl and gently combine with the chicken.
- Form 18 meatballs and place on baking tray. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until cooked through.
Thermomix instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 200°C/390°F (180°C fan-forced). Line a baking tray with baking/parchment paper.
- Put 250 g chicken breast and 250 g chicken thigh into the mixing bowl. Chop for 8 seconds, speed 7, MC on. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- Put 1 apple and 1 brown/yellow onion into the mixing bowl. Chop for 3 seconds, speed 7, MC on. Scrape down the mixing bowl.
- Add 1 cup bread, pushing it into the apple mixture with a spatula. Chop for 2 seconds, speed 5, MC on. Scrape down the mixing bowl. Let the mixture sit for 2 to 3 minutes, until the juices are absorbed by the bread.
- Add 1 egg, 1 tbs parsley, 1/4 tsp ground white pepper and 1/4 tsp salt (optional). Mix for 3 seconds, speed 5, MC on. Transfer the mixture to the mixing bowl and gently combine with the chicken (mixing by hand allows you to check for large ingredient pieces and remove them).
- Form 18 meatballs and place on baking tray. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until cooked through.
One Response
These meatballs are great for baby, and the rest of the family enjoy them too! I love easy meals that can be served to everyone 👍