This appetizer is sure to impress!
Tender chicken parmesan meatballs are tucked inside a buttery, flaky fillo dough!
When you think of meatballs as appetizers, your mind immediately goes to saucy cocktail meatballs with cute little toothpicks, doesn’t it? It’s those toothpicks! Honestly, food on sticks get our attention every single time!
Bite-sized finger foods hold some power over me. I think I convince myself that because I’m eating bite-sized foods that I can eat as many of them as I want without consequence.
These chicken parmesan meatballs are going to revolutionalize the cocktail meatball. For starters, there are no toothpicks! Instead, I used Athens Fillo Dough to surround each tender little meatball.
The delicate, buttery dough adds a crisp contrast to the soft, succulent meatball. And speaking of the meatball, these guys are lean but flavorful; ground chicken and spices are combined and then baked just until golden.
Mozzarella cheese gets added to each little fillo pouch just before baking. Serve these appetizers with a very simple, homemade marinara sauce and you have yourself an impressive chicken parmesan appetizer that will be a huge hit wherever they will be served!
Notes about the recipe:
- Do not over mix your meatball ingredients! Over-mixing leads to tough meatballs. Mix by hand JUST until combined.
- I used my hands to form my meatballs, but a small cookie scoop would work. My meatballs were roughly the size of a large gumball or 2-inches.
- When working with fillo, always keep your dough topped with a piece of plastic wrap and a damp kitchen towel. This will keep the dough from drying out and becoming brittle. Once the dough becomes brittle, it becomes very difficult to work with.
- Work quickly with your dough and be generous with the butter! I cut my stack of dough into 6 equal squares, but if your meatballs are larger, you may have to adjust the size of your squares.
- I lightly sprayed the tops of my bundles with non-spray just before baking.
Fillo Wrapped Chicken Parmesan Meatballs
Fillo dough is wrapped around tender chicken meatballs and mozzarella then served with a homemade marinara!
Ingredients
For the meatballs
- 2 lbs ground chicken
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup Italian style bread crumbs
- 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 3/4 cup butter, melted
- 1 box Athens® Foods Fillo Dough (16 oz)
- Non-stick spray
For the marinara
- 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
- 1/4 cup diced onion
- 1 clove garlic, mined
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian blend seasoning
- 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
Nutrition Information
Yield 36 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 109Total Fat 7gSaturated Fat 4gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 3gCholesterol 39mgSodium 253mgCarbohydrates 4gFiber 1gSugar 2gProtein 7g
Want more ways with Fillo? Visit Athens Foods:
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Disclosure: I received compensation from Athens Foods for recipe development purposes. All opinions are my own.
Medeja says
That’s such a great idea! Yummy!
Gerry @ Foodness Gracious says
Very cool, I’d eat all of these!
Sandy @ ReluctantEntertainer says
Tanya, I love this combo … such a fun appetizer, or small bites dish, for a holiday party!
Jessica @ A Kitchen Addiction says
What a great idea! Perfect for holiday parties!
Brianne @ Cupcakes & Kale Chips says
Tanya, these are epic!! Love the idea!
Erin @ Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts says
I love this!! The crunchy phyllo with the meatballs sounds amazing!
Katerina @ Diethood says
Brilliant!! Such an awesome way to serve meatballs as appetizers.
Dorothy @ Crazy for Crust says
I could eat a whole batch of these – love the soft meatball with the crunchy fillo!
Becky Hardin | The Cookie Rookie says
I need these IMMEDIATELY!
Alida says
Such a creative and delicious appetizer! Everything about this sounds so tasty!!
Cyndi - My Kitchen Craze says
What a great appetizer for NYE!! These sound delicious! 😉
Megan | Allergy Free Alaska says
These look like such a fun appetizer! What a great idea!
Kimberly Ann @ Bake Love Give says
What gorgeous little appetizers!
Liz says
These sound nice. Thank you.
Lisa @ Fun Money Mom says
Wow…these look delicious and so pretty too! I think they’d be the hit of any party!
Morgan @ Morgan Manages Mommyhood says
These look so great!! I bet they’d also be a fun dinner for littles!
Mollie says
So beautiful, unexpected with a very fancy feel! Thanks for bringing this by Throwback Thursday – I’ll be pinning it to our board!
Natalie says
These look amazing and I can’t wait to try them as a party appetizer. I love the addition of the filo dough. It makes them look prettier than a regular meatball and I’m sure adds a fun twist on taste.