Stuff Chicken Meatballs With Mozzarella For A Gooey Surprise Bite

Warm, succulent chicken meatballs simmering in a fresh tomato sauce are already delicious enough. But if you're going to the trouble of making meatballs by hand, why not take them to the next level and stuff them with mozzarella cheese? It won't take much extra effort to do so, and the results will pay off tenfold. As we all know, more cheese is never a bad thing. But if you're worried about these meatballs being too rich, using chicken instead of beef will help keep them on the lighter side. 

Plus, as you're likely cooking them in a tomato sauce (although a few other types of pasta sauce would be tasty as well), the acidity should help counteract the richness of the gooey cheese and juicy meatballs. Between the melted mozzarella and the marinara sauce, this combination may even remind you a bit of your favorite slice of pizza — but this dish comes with a twist, as the cheese also makes for a delicious surprise when you sink your teeth into these chicken meatballs. And while they may look fancy and impress your dinner guests, you don't have to be a seasoned chef to whip them up.

All chicken meatball recipes are essentially some combination of ground poultry, seasonings, and binding ingredients — and the beauty of stuffing them with mozzarella is that you can typically keep your original recipe intact. Plus, mozzarella is such a mild cheese that it can go with almost any flavor combination. A classic recipe for chicken meatballs usually includes breadcrumbs, an egg, herbs like oregano and parsley, and seasonings like garlic powder and red pepper flakes. 

If you want to switch it up, however, feel free to try Mediterranean-inspired chicken and feta meatballs with chopped mint, coriander, and plain Greek yogurt. When it comes to sauce options, a classic marinara or tomato sauce will of course work perfectly. But cream, mushroom, Cajun, or piccata sauces would be delicious alternatives. Before you insert your cheese, you'll first want to chop it up into little cubes. You want them small enough that the rest of the chicken mixture can wrap around the mozzarella, eclipsing it completely. 

To stuff them, you can either roll your meatballs first, then sink the cubes into the middle and wrap the chicken around them — or you can form a meatball around a cube of mozzarella. Either way, it helps to have wet hands while you do this so that the cheese doesn't stick to your poultry mixture. Once your cheese is securely nestled inside, feel free to either bake or pan-fry your meatballs.