These Chicken Meatballs for babies, toddlers and kids are soft, delicious and nutritious. They are a great source of protein and are made with added veggies and fruit.
Meatballs are a fantastic finger food for babies, toddlers and big kids. The great thing about meatballs is that you can mix and match the flavours, meats, and serving options.
For example, you can try lemongrass and ginger meatballs for a flavourful twist, or use ground lamb to make these spiced meatballs. You can also serve turkey meatballs in tomato sauce, for a classic and comforting meal.
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Reasons to Love this Recipe
- Nutrition: These chicken meatballs for babies are a good source of protein. They are also packed with nutritious veggies and fruit, providing a range of essential vitamins and minerals.
- Easy to Prepare: Easy to prepare and can be made in advance, making these meatballs a convenient meal option for busy parents.
- Exposure to Texture & Flavours: The soft but textured consistency of these meatballs is perfect for introducing babies to new textures and encouraging them to explore different foods.
- Versatile: Serve these meatballs with a smoked paprika dip as a tasty snack, or paired with sides such as pasta, rice and veggies for a complete meal.
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Ingredient Information (& Alternative Suggestions)
For the full recipe, with ingredient amounts, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Chicken Mince (ground chicken): Ground turkey also works great.
- Carrot & Onion: Added for extra nutrition, flavour and texture.
- Pear & Apple: Adds a lovely sweetness to the meatball as well as extra nutrition and texture. You can replace the pear with a second apple and vice versa.
- Breadcrumbs & Milk: Added to produce a lighter, more tender ball. If you or your kid have gluten/dairy allergies then you can miss this out, they will still taste great.
- Smoked Paprika & Parsley: There are many benefits to adding spices and herbs to baby food, but if you prefer you can skip them or replace them with other spices/herbs.
Step by Step Instructions
- Saute Onion and Carrot - Cook until soft (around 5 mins).
- Soak Breadcrumbs - Let it sit for around five minutes.
- Squeeze Liquid from Pear and Apple - Save the juice for smoothies or if you are cooking with kids then let them squeeze and enjoy the juice straight after.
4. Combine Ingredients - Gently mix with your hands until just combined. Be careful not to overwork the mixture.
5. Form Tablespoon-Sized Meatballs - I found the mixture made 28 meatballs.
6. Cook: You can either bake in the oven or pan fry
Tips for Success
- Finely grate the carrots and fruit
If you have a box grater then use the smaller shredding holes designed to finely grate.
A larger grate will still work but the meatball will just be a lot more textured. - Don't overwork the mixture
The amount the ground chicken is handled will have a direct impact on the final texture of the meatballs. For lighter, tender meatballs try not to overwork the mixture.
I find combining all the ingredients before adding the ground chicken can really help with this. - Use damp hands when forming balls
This helps to prevent the mixture from sticking to your hands and making the balls hard to form.
Serving Suggestions
When serving chicken meatballs to a baby try not to make the plate overwhelming by adding too much. Add one meatball along with two other foods such as sweet potato wedges and roasted broccoli and offer more if your baby is still looking for more.
For toddlers and older children, the portion sizes will increase and you can serve with a grain of choice, vegetables and some chopped fruit.
If you want to make it a little more fun you could add the meatballs to a kid-friendly kebab stick with some chopped vegetables and fruit. They are also great added to wraps or pitta bread along with some salad.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Allow the meatballs to cool to room temperature. Then freeze the meatballs on a baking tray until solid. Transfer to a freezer bag and store for up to 2 months. Perfect for the nights when you have something for dinner that’s not so baby friendly.
Yes, I recommend splitting the mixture and adding some salt to the adult portions before cooking. It is always good for your baby/children to see you enjoy the same meal as you serve your children.
You can just skip the milk and the breadcrumbs. They are added to make a lighter, more tender ball but the meatballs are still great without them.
Yes, you can. I haven't personally made these meatballs in the air fryer but a reader did. She cooked them at 350F (175c) for 10 mins, flipping them halfway. (Use a meat thermometer to check the temperature in the thickest part of each meatball. The min safe temp is 165F (74C).)
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Chicken Meatballs for Babies
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion , finely chopped
- 1 carrot , peeled and finely grated
- 40g (¾ cup) breadcrumbs (optional see notes)
- 2 tablespoon milk (optional see notes)
- 1 small pear , peeled and grated
- 1 small apple , peeled and grated
- 2 teaspoon freshly chopped parsley
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 500g (1.1lb) chicken mince (ground chicken)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200c / 400f and line a baking tray with baking paper.
- Heat the oil in a pan and fry the onion and carrot, over a low heat, until soft. (For around 5 mins)
- In a small bowl, pour the milk over the breadcrumbs and allow to sit for 5 mins.
- Place the apple and pear onto a clean cloth and squeeze as much juice as you can out of them. (save the juice for smoothies etc)
- Add all the ingredients, apart from the ground chicken, to a mixing bowl and mix with your hands until all the ingredients are mixed together. Add the chicken mince and then gently mix, with your hands, until just combined.
- Shape tablespoons of the mixture into balls and place on the lined baking tray. (I made 28 balls.)
- Place in the oven and bake for approx. 20 mins, until golden and cooked through. Alternatively shallow fry, in batches, for around 6 minutes, until golden on both sides and cooked through.
Video
Recipe Notes
- Breadcrumb and Milk mixture - Added to produce a lighter, more tender ball. If you have a dairy/gluten allergy then you can miss this out.
- Finely grate the carrots and fruit - If you have a box grater then use the smaller shredding holes designed to finely grate. A larger grate will still work but the meatball will just be a lot more textured.
- Don't overwork the mixture - The amount the ground chicken is handled will have a direct impact on the final texture of the meatballs. For lighter, tender meatballs try not to overwork the mixture. I find combining all the ingredients before adding the ground chicken can really help with this.
- Use damp hands when forming balls - this just helps to prevent the mixture from sticking to your hands and making the balls hard to form.
Sophie says
Hi, these sound great. Could you freeze them raw or cooked? My baby doesn’t have a very big appetite. Thanks!
Amy says
Hi Sophie, yes you can freeze these raw or cooked.
When you are freezing them it is best to freeze on in a single layer first so they won’t stick together once frozen. This means you can take out only what you need, which is helpful if your little one has a small appetite. Place meatballs on a single layer on a tray lined with baking paper and put in the freezer.
 Once the meatballs are hard and frozen, place in a zip lock bag and freeze for up to 2 months.

Defrost the meatballs in the fridge overnight and cook as per recipe (if raw) or enjoy cold or reheat if frozen once cooked.
Sarah says
This recipe is great! I just had one as I am cooking them. I opted to air fry them @ 350 for 10 mins flipping them halfway and they turned out perfect. Wondering what a suggestion would be for a dipping sauce for them?
Amy says
Hi Sarah, I'm so happy you liked these and thanks for detailing the air fryer instructions ;)/. I'd serve with your favourite dip. My kids love plain yogurt mixed with a little mayo, lime juice and smoked paprika.
Britt says
Seriously obsessed with your site! Recipes are so amazing for baby and our family and so easy to make! We've made so many and they all have turned out amazing!
Amy says
Thank you so much Britt, I'm so happy you are finding the site useful 🙂
Mir says
These were delicious but I had trouble "frying" them as I'm not used to this method. I suspect I didn't put enough oil in the pan as they got pretty dark and not cooked through with a thermometer. I ended up eating them anyway b/c they weren't pink :-/
My question is how do you think they would do as a flattened pancake shape? Or any other suggestions for cooking without too much oil? Perhaps browning in the pan on all sides and then in the oven for a bit?
Thank you! I loved dipping them in Coconut Aminos
Amy says
Thanks Mir, I'd bake these at 200C / 390f and bake for around 20 mins. Balls or disks will work. You can just lightly spray or brush with oil before cooking. Hope this works better for you, I'm glad you enjoyed the flavour 🙂
Mir says
Thanks for your reply! I wasn't sure if there was a way to get notified of a response so didn't see this.
That's a good idea to spray them b/c I did end up baking last time a few of them without spraying and they were bland. That extra oil might make the difference. Thanks!
Lisa says
My LO enjoyed this! But my toddler on the other hand, not so much (it’s a textural thing for her).
I forgot to peel the apple and pear, but I thought they were still good!
Loving your recipes, thanks!
Amy says
Thanks, Lisa! One out of two isn't bad, right?! So happy you are enjoying the site and thanks for taking the time to rate and comment.
Lisa says
Made it again and the whole family loves it!
Amy says
Fab! 🙂
Kelsie Hennessy says
No egg?
Kate says
Hi Amy
This is possibly a daft question, but do you use cooked chicken in this recipe? Ie it’s cooked before you add it as an ingredient?
Thanks!
Amy says
Hi Kate, no question is silly! This recipe uses raw chicken mince (ground chicken) as the ingredient and it cooks when fried (make around 25 small balls)
Carlzz says
Hello, I was wondering if these could be cooked in the oven instead? If so, how long and what degrees?
Amy says
I haven't tested so can't say for sure but I would bake 200C / 400F for approx. 20 mins, until golden and cooked through.
Irena says
My 9 month old loved these! They maintained their shape for him to easily pick up, and were also very moist and soft for him to gobble up. Thank you!
Amy says
So happy he liked them, Irena. Thanks for taking the time to rate and comment 🙂
Granny says
I had my doubts, but dang they were good- real good! And I’m not a toddler., by any means. My grandsons, ages 3 & 7 loved them. I will definitely make again & again.
Thank you for sharing.
Amy says
Thanks, Granny! So happy you liked them (and the grandsons) 🙂
Hana says
I followed the recipe and the chicken balls felt apart when l pan fried them.
Amy says
Hi Hana, I'm sorry you didn't have success with the recipe. I've never had this problem and I'm trying to think what could have caused this.