Stuffing Mix Chicken Meatball Recipe (3 Ingredients)

“These taste like Thanksgiving!” is how my husband reacted when he tried these for the first time, a delighted expression on his face. They’re the easiest meatballs I’ve ever made and the most well-loved by my whole household.

The combination of tender ground chicken, a generous amount of butter, and the secret ingredient: a box of stuffing mix, results in soft, flavorful, and moist meatballs. For very little effort, you get a meaty main dish and a starchy side all in one!

It’s so simple to whip up a batch of these tasty little meatballs. Just stir a box of stuffing mix into boiling water and melted butter, let it cool down, then mix in the ground meat. I use a 1 1/2-tablespoon cookie scoop to make short work of shaping the meatballs—there’s no need to roll them in your hands. A quick cook in the air fryer or the oven and they’re done!

You can use any variety of stuffing mix you like as long as it comes in a 6-ounce package. I like to pair chicken-flavored stuffing with ground chicken, turkey-flavored with ground turkey, or herb-flavored with either one.

How To Make My 3-Ingredient Stuffing Mix Chicken Meatballs

To make four servings (about 32 meatballs), you’ll need:

• 1 1/2 cups water
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter or margarine
• 1 (6-ounce) box stuffing mix (chicken, turkey, or herb flavor)
• 1 pound ground chicken or turkey
• Chopped parsley, optional

Combine the water and the butter in a medium saucepan and set it over medium-high heat. When the butter is melted and the water is simmering, add the stuffing mix. Turn off the heat, stir to combine, then transfer the stuffing to a mixing bowl.

Let the stuffing cool to room temperature, which will take about 20 minutes (or less if you put an ice bath underneath the bowl). Add the ground chicken to the cooled stuffing and use your hands to combine everything until it’s evenly mixed—you will still be able to see pieces of stuffing throughout the mixture, but you want the meat to be well incorporated.

To cook the meatballs in an air fryer, preheat the air fryer to 400°F. If you’re using a toaster oven-style air fryer, line its baking sheet with parchment paper. To cook the meatballs in the oven, preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment.

Using a 1 1/2-tablespoon cookie scoop or your hands, form the mixture into about 32 meatballs and place them on the parchment-lined baking sheet or directly into the air fryer basket. Air fry the meatballs until they are golden brown and cooked through, about 10 minutes, or bake for 12 to 15 minutes.

Transfer the cooked meatballs to a serving bowl. Sprinkle them with parsley, if you like, and serve right away. Allow any leftover meatballs to cool to room temperature, then store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat, air fry at 350°F for 5 minutes for refrigerated meatballs or 8 to 10 minutes for frozen. 

Recipe Variations

There are lots of ways to punch up and vary the flavors of this meatball recipe. Here are a few of my favorites: 

• Lemon and Oregano: For a Greek-inspired flavor profile, add a teaspoon of dried oregano and the juice and zest of a lemon to the meatball mixture.
• Italian Herb: Add 1 1/2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning and 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese to the meatball mixture. Serve with store-bought marinara sauce.
• BBQ Cheddar: Add 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese to the meatball mixture. Serve with store-bought barbecue sauce. This variation is especially good with Stove Top Cornbread Stuffing Mix. 

How to Serve These Meatballs

As far as serving suggestions go, in my house, some variety of green vegetable always rounds out the meal. We like to have our meatballs with some buttered peas or mixed vegetables, roasted brussels sprouts, or steamed broccoli on the side. You can also continue the Thanksgiving theme and serve them with gravy and/or cranberry sauce if you like, but it’s not required since they are so good on their own.