All the best parts of Caesar salad – no soggy lettuce allowed! These golden, ultra-juicy chicken Caesar meatballs are packed with classic Caesar flavor in every bite. Served over a vibrant, creamy green goddess Caesar sauce and finished with crispy bacon and crunchy parmesan crisps, this oneโs a serious crowd-pleaser. Perfect for dinner parties or busy weeknights.
These arenโt your average meatballs. Theyโre loaded with all the bold, savory flavors of a classic Caesar salad and piled high on a creamy, vibrant green goddess sauce thatโs as good for you as it is delicious.
Iโve been on a serious meatball kick lately. And as a big Caesar salad fan, combining my two favorite things felt like a no-brainer. These chicken Caesar meatballs have quickly become a kitchen staple for me. Iโve been making them nonstop this past month, and honestly, I donโt see myself stopping anytime soon!
And that green goddess Caesar sauce underneath? Itโs packed with protein from the cottage cheese and boosted with fresh avocado, basil and spinach for a bright, creamy and slightly tangy twist on the classic Caesar dressing. The sauce and meatballs share lots of the same ingredients, so despite how it looks, this recipe is surprisingly quick and easy to pull together.
If you’re also in your meatball era, try these lovely juicy dumpling meatballs, sweet and sour chicken meatballs, lemony chicken piccata meatballs, ‘Marry Me’ chicken meatballs or creamy satay chicken meatballs next.
Ingredients
- Ground chicken. If you can’t find ground chicken, blitz 1lb (500g) of boneless, skinless chicken thighs in a food processor to make your own. Or, use ground turkey, pork or a plant-based alternative.
- Ricotta. I like to use ricotta instead of the more traditional egg in these meatballs. They keep them super light and fluffy and pair well with the Caesar flavors. Use an egg if you prefer.
- Fish sauce. This is my shortcut to classic Caesar flavor instead of using whole anchovies. You’ll need this in the meatballs and the sauce itself. I promise it doesn’t make anything taste fishy, it just gives a lovely, deep savory flavor.
- Cottage cheese. I’ve used low-fat cottage cheese and it works perfectly, but full-fat is great too. Use plain Greek yogurt if you don’t like cottage cheese.
How to make them
Add the ingredients for the meatballs to a bowl and combine into a cohesive mixture. Using wet hands (this helps the meatballs from sticking to your hands), roll them into small balls. Air fry (or bake) until golden and glorious.
While the meatballs cook, add all the ingredients for your green Caesar sauce to a blender or food processor. Blitz into a super smooth, bright green sauce.
To serve, spoon the sauce onto a serving platter and top with the meatballs. Scatter with crispy bacon, chives and crunchy parmesan crisps to serve.
Watch how to make them
Chicken Caesar Meatballs FAQs
Yes! You can mix and shape the meatballs up to two days in advance and keep them covered in the fridge, then just cook them when you’re ready. Once cooked, they’ll keep well for four days in the fridge. They also freeze well (either raw or cooked) and can be reheated straight from frozen in the air fryer or the oven. You’ll need to add a little more time if you do cook them from frozen – start with an extra five minutes and see how they look.
They very easily can be. Just swap the panko breadcrumbs for gluten-free breadcrumbs or almond flour.
It’ll keep well for about four or five days in the fridge – just keep it in an airtight container. The green color may dull over time as the avocado is exposed to the air, but it’ll still taste gorgeous.
Like this recipe? Try these meatballs next
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear from you! You can leave a recipe rating and a comment below. And remember to tag @DishedByKate on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok if you’ve made one of my recipes. Seeing your recreations really makes my day ๐.
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Chicken Caesar Meatballs with Green Goddess Caesar Sauce
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
Description
All the best parts of Caesar salad – no soggy lettuce allowed! These golden, ultra-juicy chicken Caesar meatballs are packed with classic Caesar flavor in every bite. Served over a vibrant, creamy green goddess Caesar sauce and finished with crispy bacon and crunchy parmesan crisps, this oneโs a serious crowd-pleaser. Perfect for dinner parties or busy weeknights.
Ingredients
For the Caesar meatballs –
- 3 slices of bacon
- 1 lb ground chicken (500g)
- ยฝ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- ยฝ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ยฝ cup ricotta cheese (or 1 egg)
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon white miso paste
- A handful of fresh basil leaves, finely chopped (about ยผ cup)
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Zest of 1 lemon
For the green Caesar sauce –
- 1 cup plain cottage cheese
- 1 large ripe avocado
- ยฝ cup fresh basil leaves
- 1 packed cup fresh spinach leaves (about 1 ounce)
- ยฝ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ยฝ tablespoon white miso paste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Water, as needed to thin
To serve –
- ยฝ cup grated parmesan cheese (for parmesan crisps)
- A handful of fresh chives, finely chopped (about 2 tablespoons)
Instructions
- Make the parmesan crispsย (optional).ย Preheat your oven to 400ยฐF (200ยฐC). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spoon small mounds of the grated parmesan onto the baking sheet and flatten slightly to form thin circles. Bake for about 8 minutes, or until golden and crisp around the edges. Remove from the oven and let them cool on the tray (theyโll crisp up as they cool).
- Cook your bacon.ย Air fry the bacon at 400ยฐF (200ยฐC) for 8 to 10 minutes, or until super crispy. You can also pan-fry it over medium heat until crispy if you prefer.
- Mix your meatballs.ย In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground chicken, most of the chopped bacon, ยฝ cup grated parmesan, ยฝ cup panko breadcrumbs, ยฝ cup ricotta, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon miso paste, crushed garlic, chopped basil, lemon zest and a good grind of black pepper. Mix until fully combined.
- Roll your meatballs.ย Wet your hands (this helps prevent sticking), then roll a heaped spoonful of the mixture into a small meatball. Place directly into your air fryer basket or onto a parchment-lined baking sheet if you’re using the oven. Repeat with the rest of the mixture.
- Cook the meatballs.ย Air fryer: Cook at 400ยฐF (200ยฐC) for 11 minutes, until golden and cooked through. Oven: Bake at 425ยฐF (220ยฐC) for about 20 minutes, or until golden and fully cooked.
- Make the green Caesar sauce.ย While the meatballs cook, add 1 cup cottage cheese, the flesh of your avocado, 1/2 cup basil leaves, 1 packed cup of spinach leaves, ยฝ cup grated parmesan cheese, 2 garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, ยฝ tablespoon white miso paste, a very good grind of black pepper and 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth and creamy. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of water to help it blend into a silky texture.
- Garnish and serve.ย Spread about three-quarters of the green Caesar sauce on a serving platter. Pile the warm meatballs on top, then break the Parmesan crisps into shards and scatter them over the meatballs. Finish by sprinkling over the reserved bacon and chives. Serve the remaining sauce on the side for dipping.
Notes
SUBSTITUTIONS:ย If you can’t find ground chicken, use ground turkey, pork or you can blitz 1 lb (500g) skinless, boneless chicken thighs in a food processor to make your own. Swap the ricotta in the meatballs for whipped cottage cheese, or use an egg. You could swap the cottage cheese in the green goddess sauce for ricotta or thick Greek yogurt if you prefer.
PREP AHEAD: You can mix and shape the meatballs up to two days in advance and keep them covered in the fridge, then cook them when you’re ready. They also freeze well (either raw or cooked) and can be reheated straight from frozen in the air fryer or the oven. You’ll need to add a little more time if you do cook them from frozen – start with an extra five minutes and see how they look.
STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS: Keep any leftover meatballs and sauce in separate airtight containers in the fridge. The meatballs will keep well for four days and can be enjoyed hot or cold. The sauce will keep for about five days – it will dull in color as the avocado reacts to the air, but will still taste great.
GLUTEN FREE? Swap the panko breadcrumbs for gluten-free breadcrumbs, or use almond flour.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 20
- Category: meat
- Method: air fryer
- Cuisine: american
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 250g
- Calories: 606
- Sugar: 2.6g
- Sodium: 1724.4mg
- Fat: 38g
- Saturated Fat: 13.2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 21.9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 21.9g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 43.7g
- Cholesterol: 154.1mg
What a brilliant pairing! Love the meatballs, and I love this sauce!
It really works so well! So incredibly moreish xx
This is so delicious .will be making again !
So so happy to hear this! xx