These golden, crunchy balls are like inside-out chicken Parmesan: gooey cheese is encased in Italian-seasoned chicken. Marinara is the perfect dipping sauce.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 30 min |
| Active: | 30 min |
| Yield: | 15 balls |
Ingredients
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/4 cups panko
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Fifteen 1/2-inch cubes part-skim mozzarella (from 1 pound piece of mozzarella)
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
- Warmed marinara sauce, for dipping
Instructions
- Fill a large Dutch oven or pot halfway with oil. Attach a deep-fat fry thermometer on the side. Heat over medium to 350 degrees F.
- Meanwhile, mix together the chicken, Italian seasoning, egg, 1/4 cup panko, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper in a large bowl.
- Scoop out 2 heaping tablespoons of the chicken mixture and flatten into a 2-inch circle in your hand. Put a mozzarella cube in the center of the circle. Pat the meat mixture around the cheese to encase it in a ball. Set the ball aside on a plate or baking sheet and repeat with the remaining mozzarella and chicken mixture.
- Stir together the Parmesan, remaining 1 cup panko and 1 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl.
- Working one at a time, toss the chicken balls in the panko mixture until they are completely coated, pressings the panko into the ball with your hands to make sure it sticks.
- Fry the balls in batches until deep golden brown and the chicken is cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes.
- Serve with the marinara for dipping.
Reviews
Hi, has anyone tried these in an air fryer? Love the idea of doing these.
This came out fantastic! Light and crispy and cheesy. So yummy!
I’ve made these several times. Quick, easy, and very tasty. An excellent alternative to making chicken parmesan with breasts.
Mom, Dad and kid approved!
Delicious. Made them in my ninja foodie on air fry. Sprayed first with olive oil Pam and cooked about 12 min, turned over and cooked for another 10. Delicious. Next time I’ll do a bigger piece of cheese.
I made these as an appetizer for my grandson’s birthday party but used a cookie scoop to measure out the chicken mixture and cut the mozz into 1/4″ cubes. Perfect size for appetizers. Served the warm marinara on the side. Everyone loved them – there was nothing left to take home except the empty platter!
This was super easy to make and will definitely become a dinner staple. I love that I can add a nice spin into this recipe!
Delicious
Huge hit with the kids!!
Huge hit with the kids!!
A O K
Great!