Chicken Parm Mini Meatloaf Muffins

A close up image of chicken parm muffin pan meatloaf on the side of a white dish with another below it and some spaghetti in the background.

Chicken Parm Mini Meatloaf Muffins

These mini meatloaf muffins have all the great flavors of a classic chicken Parmesan recipe, but they come together much quicker. It's an Italian twist on muffin pan meatloaf and is the perfect 30-minute meal for busy weeknights!

Course dinner, Main, Main Course, Main dish

Cuisine Italian

Diet Low Fat

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Cooling time 5

Total Time 45

Servings servings

Calories 277kcal

Author Jessy Freimann

Equipment

Ingredients

Cooking spray
1 pound ground chicken
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ cup Romano or Parmesan cheese + 1 Tablespoon for sprinkling
⅓ cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 large egg
1-2 Tablespoons water (optional- only if the meat mixture feels too dry)
¾ cup Marinara sauce + more if serving pasta on side (this divides into 1 Tablespoon per muffin when topping)
¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese (this divides into 1 Tablespoon per muffin when topping)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a standard size non-stick muffin pan (not mini!) and set aside.
In a large bowl mix ground chicken, egg, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, Romano cheese (except 1 Tablespoon) and bread crumbs. Mix until just combined. If it feels too dry, add 1-2 Tablespoons of water.
Divide evenly among all 12 muffin cups and gentle press in to smooth the tops. Bake for 20 minutes.
Remove pan from the oven and place 1 Tablespoon sauce on top of each muffin.
Sprinkle each muffin with 1 Tablespoon shredded mozzarella cheese and return to the oven. Bake for 10 more minutes to melt the cheese.
Remove from oven and sprinkle with 1 Tablespoon Romano cheese. Rest for 5 minutes and serve.

Video

Notes

Use a non-stick muffin pan and coat each cup with cooking spray to prevent sticking.

Try not to overwork the meat mixture, as it will become tough the longer you mix it.

I don’t add the mozzarella cheese until the last 10 minutes of cooking time to avoid it being overcooked.

Use a digital meat thermometer to test for doneness- ground poultry is safe to eat when it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.

Cool the chicken meatloaf muffins in the pan for 5 minutes- then, slide a butter knife around the edge when the meat meets the sides of the muffin tin to loosen. Slide the knife under the bottom too if needed before carefully removing each one.

Ingredients to prep ahead- make the marinara sauce and shred the cheese. You can also mix all meatloaf ingredients and store covered overnight in the fridge.

Leftovers and storage- refrigerate muffin pan meatloaf for 3-4 days in an airtight container. Warm in the microwave or oven. You can also freeze chicken meatloaf muffins on a parchment-lined pan until solid, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag and store for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge before reheating.

Nutrition