Oven warmth meets lemon zest, all tucked into one-hand bites that don’t ask much of you.
When you’re teetering on the edge of “I want something good” and “I cannot deal,” this recipe is the soft landing. These oven-baked meatballs are made with fridge and freezer staples, but they taste like someone thought this through. (Spoiler: that someone is you.)
Rice and shredded veg disappear into the background, making everything extra tender and secretly balanced. A swipe of Dijon, a little garlic, a whole lot of lemon zest — it’s comfort food that smells like you cleaned the kitchen and opened a window. Serve them skewered on rosemary sprigs if you want bonus points, or just slide the tray onto the table and call it rustic.
Why This Works
Because the effort-to-elegance ratio is off the charts. You’re using leftover rice, sneaky veg, and oven heat — not standing over a skillet, flipping anything. The lemon wakes up the chicken, and the rice keeps it all juicy without needing cream or cheese or a single fancy gadget.
Key Ingredients
- Ground chicken: Mild, lean, and perfect for soaking up lemon and garlic.
- Cooked rice: The secret to soft, bouncy meatballs. Leftovers encouraged.
- Grated zucchini & carrot: Adds moisture and nutrition, vanishes on contact.
- Lemon zest: The star. Bright, punchy, and deeply satisfying.
- Dijon mustard: Just enough to cut the sweetness of the veg.
- Panko breadcrumbs: Light texture without heaviness.
Simple Steps
- Grate your veg and squeeze out the extra water — no soggy meatballs allowed.
- Mix everything in one big bowl. Bonus points if the rice is still cold.
- Roll into meatballs and brush with olive oil.
- Bake until golden and cooked through.
- Skewer with rosemary or don’t. Either way, you win.
Variations
- Make it spicy: Add chili flakes or a spoonful of harissa.
- Make it richer: Swap ground chicken for turkey thigh or pork.
- Make it toddler-proof: Skip the rosemary skewers and serve with ketchup or yogurt dip.
- Make it freezer-friendly: Freeze raw or baked. Reheat straight from frozen at 350°F until warm.
How to Serve
These are party food pretending to be dinner — or vice versa. Set them out with lemony aioli, garlicky yogurt, or a green goddess tahini swirl. Add cocktail picks or rosemary sprigs if you’re feeling performative. Otherwise, pile them on a platter and let people fend for themselves.
Add a glass of crisp white wine or something citrusy and sparkling and call it an occasion.
Make It Yours
This is a vibe, not a rulebook. Swap the rice for quinoa, the chicken for chickpeas, or the lemon for lime. Shape them tiny for snacks, big for sandwiches, or flat for sliders. These meatballs are here for a good time, not a fussy one.
Lemony Chicken & Rice Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 lb 450 g ground chicken
- 1 cup cooked white rice preferably cold or leftover
- 1 small zucchini grated and squeezed dry (about ½ cup packed)
- 1 small carrot grated (about ⅓ cup packed)
- 1 large egg
- ⅓ cup panko breadcrumbs
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 green onions thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Olive oil for brushing or spraying
- Optional: Fresh rosemary sprigs for skewers
- Dipping ideas: lemony aioli yogurt-garlic dip, or green tahini
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a sheet pan with parchment.
- Grate zucchini and carrot; squeeze out excess moisture with a paper towel.
- In a large bowl, mix ground chicken, rice, grated veg, lemon zest, minced garlic, sliced green onion, a dollop of Dijon, an egg, breadcrumbs, salt, and pepper.
- Roll into meatballs — somewhere between tablespoon and golf ball size.
- Lightly brush or spray with olive oil.
- Bake for 18–20 minutes, until golden and cooked through.
- Optional: once cool enough, skewer with rosemary sprigs for bonus apéro points.
- Serve warm or at room temp with lemony aioli, spicy yogurt dip, or herby tahini sauce.