Recipes · Main dishes
Pesto Chicken Meatballs
Easy, freezer-friendly chicken meatballs with pesto, gluten-free breadcrumbs, and almost no fuss.
Instructions
Mix the base.
Mix the pesto, breadcrumbs, eggs, salt, and pepper together until they're well combined.
Add the chicken.
Add 1 pound of ground chicken and mix thoroughly before adding the second pound. Get in there with your hands and make sure everything is really well incorporated.
Scoop and roll.
Use some kind of scoop or measuring cup so the meatballs stay roughly the same size and cook evenly. The exact size doesn't matter — just remember that larger meatballs will need more cooking time. Roll each portion into a meatball.
Freeze.
Line a cookie sheet that fits in your freezer with parchment paper. Arrange the meatballs on the sheet and freeze for at least a couple of hours, until they're firm enough that they won't stick together. Transfer them to a freezer bag or container until you need them.
Cook.
Air fry at 425°F for about 20 minutes, until the centers reach 165°F. Cooking time will vary with meatball size and your air fryer, so use an internal thermometer to be sure.
Notes & tips
- Any scoop or measuring cup works — uniform meatballs cook more evenly.
- Larger meatballs, including the gloriously gigantic 1/4-cup variety, will need more cooking time.
- Yes, they can sit uncovered on the tray in the freezer for a few hours. They will survive.
Storage
- Freeze after flash-freezing on a tray.
- Store in a freezer bag or container.
- Cook from frozen; no need to thaw.
How we eat them
We usually serve these with gluten-free pasta and vegan Alfredo. Vegan Alfredo recipe coming eventually because apparently I'm documenting the whole kitchen now.
Last updated September 2026