Meatballs! For breakfast! That’s right, meatballs aren’t just for dinner anymore, people. I’m always looking to bring you more protein-packed breakfast recipes that aren’t eggs, and this recipe that I first shared last winter turned out even better than I could imagine.
These maple apple chicken breakfast meatballs are juicy, easy to make, and SO flavorful. You’ll get a little sweetness from the maple syrup and shredded apple, plus tons of savory flavors from fresh herbs and warming spices. I love prepping these early in the week to enjoy during busy mornings, and even freezing them for future breakfast needs!
Bonus points? My kiddos gobble them up every time. I serve them with fresh fruit or their favorite pancakes and know that they’re going to be full and satisfied until lunch. I promise you’ll make these again and again!
Ingredients in these breakfast chicken meatballs
These babies are mixed with fresh, juicy apple, maple syrup, and a few herbs and spices to give them tons of flavor in every bite. Here’s what you’ll need to make them:
- Chicken: I like to use lean ground chicken for these meatballs, and recommend 93% lean so that they stay juicy. You can also use ground turkey or pork sausage.
- Egg: you’ll need 1 egg to help the meatballs stay together.
- Bread crumbs: you’ll also need some panko bread crumbs to keep them together as they bake.
- Apple: I love the flavor and moisture that shredded apple adds to the meatballs. Honeycrisp is my favorite, but you can use any apple you’d like!
- Maple syrup: a little pure maple syrup adds a lovely sweetness to balance the savory flavors.
- Herbs & spices: we’re packing in the flavor with fresh sage, red pepper flakes, fresh or dried thyme, garlic powder, ground ginger, allspice, salt, and pepper.
- Olive oil: you’ll also need a little olive oil to coat your hands so that you can easily roll the meatballs.
Can I make them gluten-free?
You can either use gluten-free bread crumbs OR 2-3 tablespoons of coconut flour in place of the bread crumbs. I recommend starting with 2 tablespoons to see if your meatballs hold together well and if you can easily shape them into balls.
Add a cheesy twist
Get an extra savory element by folding in 2 to 3 ounces (½ to ¾ cup) shredded sharp cheddar cheese or Gouda with the meatball mixture. YUM.
Don’t forget the finishing touches
After the meatballs come out of the oven, I love to brush them with a little extra maple syrup and sprinkle them with flaky sea salt. It seriously takes them to the next level.
What to serve with these breakfast chicken meatballs
I love making a simple breakfast plate with fresh fruit and toast or an English muffin, but you could also serve them with:
- Healthy Apple Pancakes
- ABC Muffins (apple, banana, carrot muffins!)
- The French Toast I Can’t Stop Eating
- Perfectly Crispy Roasted Breakfast Potatoes
- Grandma’s Buttermilk Waffles
- Chunky Monkey Banana Baked Oatmeal
- Grandma’s Buttermilk Blueberry Pancakes
Make them ahead of time
These breakfast chicken meatballs can easily be prepped ahead of time for even easier mornings!
- Simply mix and form the meatballs, place them on a baking sheet or large plate lined with parchment paper, then tightly cover the meatballs with plastic wrap and place them in the fridge until you are ready to bake them.
- You can prep these meatballs up to 1-2 days ahead of time.
Storing tips
Store these meatballs in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Feel free to reheat the meatballs in the microwave or in a skillet on the stovetop with a little olive oil.
Freezer-friendly breakfast chicken meatballs
- Bake first, then freeze: place your meatballs in a freezer-safe, airtight container or bag and freeze them for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy, let them thaw in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight, and then heat them in a pan on the stovetop until they’re nice and warm, and serve!
- Freeze before baking: form your meatballs as instructed, place them on a baking sheet, and put them in the freezer for 1-2 hours. This is called a flash freeze. Transfer your frozen meatballs to an airtight, freezer-friendly bag or container and place them in the freezer for up to 3 months. To thaw them, simply place them in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight and then cook them as directed in the recipe.
More savory breakfast recipes you’ll love
- Butternut Squash Bacon Spinach Quiche
- Sheet Pan Sausage Breakfast Hash
- Sweet Potato, Egg & Green Chile Breakfast Quesadillas
- Chaffles (Cheese & Egg Waffles)
- Veggie Packed Freezer-Friendly Breakfast Burritos
Get all of my savory breakfast recipes here!
I hope you love these maple apple breakfast chicken meatballs! If you make them, be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked them. Enjoy, xo!
Maple Apple Breakfast Chicken Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 pound 93% lean ground chicken (or turkey or pork sausage)
- 1 large egg
- 1 medium to large apple (such as Honeycrisp), peeled and shredded
- ⅔ cup panko bread crumbs (gluten-free, if desired)*
- 1 to 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon fresh finely chopped sage leaves (or ½ teaspoon dried sage)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional, if not making for kiddos!)
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Optional:
- 1-2 tablespoons maple syrup
- Flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, add the ground chicken, egg, shredded apple, panko breadcrumbs, maple syrup, sage, salt, red pepper flakes, thyme, garlic powder, ground ginger and allspice until just combined. Let the mixture sit for 5 to 10 minutes so the breadcrumbs absorb some of the liquid.
- Coat clean hands with olive oil and grab about a tablespoon of meat mixture. Roll into balls and place 1 inch apart on the baking sheet. Bake meatballs for 15 to 18 minutes until a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees F.
- Once the meatballs are done baking, immediately brush with a little maple syrup and sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
This post was originally published on January 20th, 2025, and republished on January 14th, 2026.
Edible, but just OK. They are rather bland. Maybe doubling or tripling the spices would jazz them up a bit.
These are SO good!! I prep a double batch and freeze them and it’s a perfect addition to my breakfast for extra protein!
Absolutely! We always have a batch of these in the freezer 🙂
These are so delicious and easy! As someone who doesn’t eat processed meat, these are perfect for a breakfast protein instead of sausage! Highly recommend.
Absolutely! Glad you found these!
Made a triple batch as part of postpartum prep. So easy and delicious!
The perfect nourishing breakfast for postpartum!
These were amazing and my kids loved them. We used uncured pork sausage and they were great. I should have doubled the batch.
So happy to hear that!
Delicious! I make a bunch for easy, high protein breakfasts on weekday mornings. I pop them in the microwave and then brown. So good!
Love that! Easy and delicious 🙂
These are such tasty little bites! Full of flavour, easy & economical. I love how you can serve them with so many other foods/dishes or even as a healthy snack. I will definitely make these again! Thank you!
Absolutely! We love meal prepping these for the week 🙂
Wow incredible! My husband and I gobbled these up! Definitely don’t skip the maple syrup and flaky sea salt after baking. I made 20 meatballs and they make great leftovers. So much healthier than processed ham, sausage and bacon.
So good! Glad you both enjoyed!
These meatballs are amazing, and one of the easiest things I’ve made. I was too lazy to brush them with syrup or add the salt, and they were so good that I ate about half of the batch right off the baking sheet. I will be making these regularly.
Such a great high-protein breakfast! Glad you enjoyed!
These are exceptional!!! So easy. So good. Made them for dinner with a side salad and baguette. Have already sent to so many people saying that they need to make them.
So happy to hear that!
These were delicious! I’m always looking for healthy breakfast protein options and these are perfect. Next time I will skip adding the maple syrup in the mix and just do the brush-on at the end because they were a little sweet for us. Not so sweet that we didn’t demolish them, though! Love your recipes and your cookbook!
Perfect! So glad they were a hit (and that you’re loving the cookbook recipes, too!)
These were so good! I would mix them into my scrambled eggs and put some sriracha on top! The sweetness was the perfect addition!
Love that idea! Perfect breakfast!
Love these breakfast meatballs! They are so tasty and flavorful, healthy and easy to make. I make a batch and freeze them to have them on hand, as I prefer them over store-bought frozen sausage for breakfast or a snack.
Love that! These are a favorite in my house, too 🙂
My kids love red pepper flakes! These went well.
So happy to hear that!
These were delicious. I moved to Europe where it’s not so common to find maple breakfast sausages anymore, so I gave these a try and I’m so glad I did. A truly perfect medley of spices and sweetness. Plus the fact that my three year old requested third and fourths tells me it will be a staple in this house.
So glad you found these! The perfect protein-packed breakfast 🙂
We just finished the last few of these and I’m so sad, haha! Such a great breakfast addition but also a filling afternoon snack, or post-workout protein boost. We used ground turkey thigh mince and kept them in a big bowl in the fridge and we had enough for 5 days worth each. Will make again over the weekend!
Our family is obsessed with these, too! So glad they were a hit 🙂
Monique. You are literally a genius in the kitchen. I can’t afford your cookbook right now since I am on maternity leave with my first born but I’ve been following your journey through IG and emails and never had time before to cook your recipes but have had them saved for years. We’ve been making these meatballs plus your sheet pan meals weekly! And recently starting solids, our little guy is loving them as well. So thank you, thank you for these delicious and nutritious recipes!!
So happy you’re loving the recipes here, Sarah! Plenty to try on the website, too, that are great for kiddos 🙂 Thank you for your note!
I made the recipe exactly as written, and I’m so glad I made a double batch! These are soo yum!! Already shared the link with my pals! Thank you for a great recipe!
The perfect breakfast!
Seriously amazing!
So glad you love them!
These are incredible! I’ve been looking for good breakfast protein sources & stop replying on protein bars, and these fit the bill! Took less than 10 minutes to put together. I’ll be making these regularly.
YES these are perfect for your breakfast menu!!
DELISH!!!!! I will be making these on repeat for sure. So much better than store bought chicken sausage!
Absolutely!! Glad you loved them!
I made and froze these for easy meals for my 15-month-old. He loves them! It’s the first thing he reaches for on his plate, every time. Next time I’ll have to make more so my husband and I can enjoy them too.
The best!! Yes, I recommend doubling the recipe to feed everyone 🙂
I found the sage (I used fresh) to overpower the recipe. It’s all my husband and I tasted. How would it taste without it?
Feel free to omit it!
I made these meatballs exactly as the recipe stated, as part of my brunch menu to celebrate my daughter’s birthday. We really liked them! They were moist (I had made them the day before and re-heated them) and the combination of sweet and savory was so appealing!! This recipe is definitely a keeper and I can see children, especially, really enjoying them.
Thanks ambitious kitchen!
Amazing! So glad they were a hit!
These are SO good!! I did ground turkey because i couldnt find lean ground chicken at my grocery store, but nonetheless i will definitely be making them again, applegate got nothing on these 🤣🤣🤣
Perfect swap! And YES even better than applegate 🙂
These are sooo good. They taste like a delicious breakfast sausage without all the extra junk/too much grease or salt/etc. I’ve been in such a breakfast rut trying to get some good protein in, but sick of eggs… these are my answer. My 2 year old is going to love them too- she’ll always eat a meatball! For sure making a double batch next time to freeze bc they aren’t going to last long!
Absolutely! These are the perfect swap (my kiddos are obsessed, too!)
So yummy! I love this idea. I made mine into little sausage patties. My 1-year-old enjoyed them too.
Perfect! So happy to hear that 🙂
I am completely obsessed. These are so good and I will never spend money on applegate sausages again. They’re full of flavor, high protein and quality ingredients. Next time I am going to make a double batch and freeze some!
Agreed!! So glad you found these ones!