This Baked Mustard Chicken Meatballs recipe is my go-to when I want something hearty and comforting. The mustard sauce is creamy, tangy, and makes every bite irresistible.
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Why This Recipe Stands Out
These Baked Mustard Chicken Meatballs are my favorite way to turn simple ground chicken into a cozy, crowd-pleasing dinner. Here’s why I keep coming back to this recipe:
- Juicy and Flavorful: Mixing rice, sautéed onions, carrots, and spices into the meat keeps these meatballs tender all the way through. I love that same moist texture in my Chicken Thighs with Bell Peppers.
- The Best Mustard Sauce: A bit of mustard and sour cream turns the sauce into something creamy and tangy without overpowering the chicken. It's just as delicious as my reader-favorite Mustard Chicken recipe.
- Perfect for Busy Nights: Once the meatballs are formed, the oven does all the work.
- Makes Plenty for Leftovers: This recipe easily feeds a family with extra to freeze.
- Pairs with Almost Anything: I like serving these meatballs with fresh salads or simple vegetable sides. chicken
Key Ingredients
- Ground Chicken – Lean and mild, ground chicken makes tender meatballs that soak up the flavorful mustard sauce beautifully.
- Rice – Soft and slightly sticky, cooked rice helps bind the meatballs while keeping them juicy and light.
- Onion & Carrot – Sautéed until soft, these aromatics add natural sweetness and moisture that enrich the meatball mixture.
- Egg – Acts as a binder to hold the meatballs together, ensuring they stay tender and don’t fall apart.
- Thyme & Nutmeg – Warm and earthy, this spice combination adds subtle depth that elevates the simple chicken base.
- Yellow Mustard – Tangy and bright, mustard gives the creamy sauce its signature zing without overwhelming the delicate chicken.
- Sour Cream – Adds rich, tangy creaminess to the sauce, balancing the sharpness of the mustard for a smooth finish.
- Chicken Broth – Light and savory, broth forms the backbone of the sauce, tying all the flavors together and keeping the meatballs moist as they bake.
Substitutions and Variations
Here are some of my favorite substitutions and variations:
- Ground Meat Options: Ground chicken keeps these meatballs light, but ground turkey, pork, or a mix of chicken and turkey all work well and bring slightly different flavors.
- Mustard Choices: Yellow mustard gives a bright color, but Dijon or whole grain mustard add a sharper, more complex taste. A mix of both can create a nice balance.
- Rice Swap: Cooked rice helps bind the meatballs, but you can use cooked quinoa or even breadcrumbs if that’s what you have on hand.
How to Make Baked Mustard Chicken Meatballs
Step 1: Cook rice in 1½ cups water with a pinch of salt for 15 minutes, until water is absorbed and rice is soft. Transfer to a large bowl to cool.
Step 2: Heat 2 tablespoon olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Sauté onion and carrot for 5–7 minutes until soft.
Step 3: Preheat oven to 360°F.
Step 4: In the bowl with rice, add ground chicken, sautéed onion and carrot, thyme, nutmeg, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and egg. Mix well and form about 36 meatballs.
Step 5: Dredge meatballs in flour.
Step 6: Heat 2 tablespoon olive oil in a pan and sear meatballs on both sides for about 5 minutes.
Step 7: Place meatballs in a greased 2.5 qt baking dish.
Step 8: In a bowl, whisk together chicken broth, sour cream, mustard, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Pour over the meatballs.
Step 9: Bake for 25 minutes.
Step 10: Remove from oven, sprinkle with parsley, and serve.
For full list of ingredients and instructions, see recipe card below.
What to Serve with Baked Mustard Chicken Meatballs
Fresh Salads
- Serve these meatballs with a Cucumber Cauliflower Salad. The crisp veggies and light dressing balance the richness of the mustard sauce and keep the meal from feeling too heavy.
- They also go well with a Zucchini, Tomato, and Mozzarella Bake, which adds a fresh, cheesy vegetable element that pairs beautifully with the savory meatballs.
Vegetable Sides
- Roasted Green Beans and Tomatoes make a simple yet flavorful pairing. Their natural sweetness and slight char enhance the delicate mustard sauce on the meatballs.
- For extra color and texture, you can also serve steamed asparagus or sautéed spinach alongside.
Comforting Potato Sides
- If you want something heartier, these meatballs are perfect with Vegan Mashed Potatoes. The creamy potatoes soak up the mustard sauce and turn this dish into a cozy, crowd-pleasing dinner.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yellow mustard gives the sauce a bright color and mild tang, but you can use Dijon or a mix of Dijon and whole grain mustard for deeper, slightly sharper flavor. Any of these will work well depending on what you have on hand.
Yes, you can form the meatballs and keep them in the fridge for a day or freeze them for up to 3 months. Just thaw overnight in the fridge before dredging in flour and searing.
Searing the meatballs helps lock in moisture and gives them a nice golden crust. It also adds extra flavor that you can’t get from baking alone.
Place leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in the oven or on the stovetop with a splash of broth or water to keep the sauce from drying out. You can also freeze cooked meatballs in sauce for up to 2 months.
More Recipes You'll Enjoy
- Crockpot Mustard Chicken - This Crockpot Mustard Chicken with Potatoes is all about turning a classic dinner recipe into an easy, hearty, and delicious meal the whole family will love. You can’t go wrong with this one!
- Honey Mustard Chicken - This Honey Mustard Chicken is exactly what you need if you're looking for a flavor-packed, one-pan dinner meal that can be made in just 30 minutes!
- Yogurt Mustard Sauce - This yogurt mustard sauce is a cool, tangy, and slightly spicy sauce that's perfect for grilled meats, sandwiches, or as a dipping sauce.
- Salmon Salad with Mustard Honey Sauce - Get your healthy eating resolution on with my healthy salmon salad with mustard honey sauce. It's simple, fresh and packed with vegetable goodness.
Recipe
Baked Mustard Chicken Meatballs
Ingredients
For the Mustard Sauce
- 1 c chicken broth
- 6 tablespoon sour cream
- 2 tablespoon yellow mustard* See the notes
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- To a medium pot add uncooked rice along with 1 ½ cup of water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer, cover the pot and cook for 15 minutes until water evaporates and rice is soft.
- Remove from the heat, then transfer the rice to a large bowl to cool.
- While rice is cooling down, heat 2 tablespoon of olive oil in large non-stick pan and over medium heat.
- Add onion and carrot and sauté stirring from time to time for 5-7 minutes or until onion is soft.
- Preheat the oven to 360 F.
- In a bowl with rice add ground chicken, sautéed onion and carrot, thyme, nutmeg, garlic powder, salt, pepper and egg. Mix everything nicely and form 36 meatballs.
- Add flour to a large shallow bowl and dredge meatballs in flour.
- Heat 2 tablespoon of oil in a large non-stick pan and sear the meatballs on both sides for 5 minutes.
- Transfer the meatballs in a large 2.5 qt greased baking dish.* (See the notes)
- In a small bowl whisk together all ingredients for the mustard sauce and pour it over the meatballs.
- Bake meatballs for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with parsley and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Iryna Bychkiv is the founder and writer of the culinary website Lavender & Macarons, where she shares clean, European-inspired recipes that are delicious, easy to prepare, and made with wholesome ingredients. Iryna loves creating meals that are simple yet healthy and unique, including vegan and vegetarian recipes.
Iryna is also a freelance writer for MSN and Associated Press Wire.
Wendy Kelley says
This sounds so delicious.
I was wondering what persentage of ground chicken you used. This is a 99% fat free or just labeled lean whick contains more fat.
Iryna says
You can use any type of chicken. Ground chicken breast will be leaner, while ground thighs will be a tad juicier.
K~ says
Why is the rice cooked with more than 4x volume of water? (Normally 1/3c rice would need 2/3c water.) Is it just supposed to end up as mush? Do you want it to be cooked normally, as you would for eating, with tender, separate grains?
Gina says
I am making this now and had the same question as the other comment about the rice. The ratio of rice to water is not the typical ratio, wondering if the numbers above are correct. After 15 min of cooking the rice there was still lots of water in the pan. Please advise. Thank you!
Phyllis A Benton says
I would also like an answer to the question about rice and water ratios. Plus what type of rice are you using?
Ali says
This was such a yummy dish. Thankyou. I also loved how simple it was to put together, meatballs done ahead of time and I used an oven safe skillet so straight into the oven. And was an easy sub to gf flour.
Definitely making this again, perhaps with a partial swap of rice with cauli rice.
Iryna says
Ali, thank you so much for your comment and a 5 star rating! I'm glad you enjoyed this recipe! Using a cauli rice instead of a white rice is a wonderful idea.
Natalie says
Wow! This recipe is AMAZING!!! I’m glad I found it and thank you for sharing it!
Iryna says
You're very welcome Natalie! I'm glad you liked it:)