Chicken Cheese Ball always made an appearance around my house growing up. Especially around the holidays, whenever Mama hosted a shower, or for other special occasions, her chicken cheese ball was sure to requested.
It is definitely one of the easiest recipes to toss together when entertaining, which probably explains why she has always loved to make it through the years.
I just remember being excited when it was finally time to serve her chicken cheese ball at whatever event she was hosting so that I could have a bite. She’d usually prepare it the evening before, or even earlier, and there it would be, taunting me in the refrigerator until time for her party. Talk about tempting!
Now that I’m older, I’m the one keeping the cheese ball covered in the refrigerator and begging my family not to dive into it too early. I probably should learn to just make two of them, one for entertaining and one for my family to enjoy.
Mama’s chicken cheese ball recipes are legendary in our family. The one I’m sharing today is her classic version that we all loved. I’ll have to share some of her other chicken cheese ball recipes soon so that you can give them a try, too. They are out of this world.
Here are a few tips for making her chicken cheese ball ahead of time.
Have all of the ingredients at room temperature before you begin mixing them. Then, you can easily stir all of the ingredients together with a wooden spoon or spatula.
Have a large piece of plastic wrap ready for wrapping the chicken cheese ball for chilling as you begin mixing your ingredients together. Then, just pour your cheese ball mixture onto the center of the wrap and form it into a ball.
Press the chopped pecans onto the cheese ball before it is refrigerated as they will adhere better to the outside of the chicken cheese ball once it is chilled.
So, be sure to pick up the ingredients for this recipe if you don’t already have them in your pantry so that you can make this over the holidays. It’s perfect to pull out of the refrigerator to snack on anytime of the day.
Here’s Mama’s Chicken Cheese Ball recipe. I can’t wait to hear how you love it.
Chicken Cheese Ball Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 (12-ounce) can chicken, white meat only preferred
- 2 (8-ounce packages) cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/2 cup chopped onion, or 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 2 cups chopped pecans
- crackers and fruit, for serving
Instructions
- Mix together chicken, cream cheese, onion or onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and 1/2 cup of chopped pecans in a medium mixing bowl.
- Pour chicken cheese ball mixture into the center of a large piece of plastic wrap. Using plastic wrap, press chicken cheese ball mixture to form a ball.
- Press remaining chopped pecans onto top and sides of chicken cheese ball.
- Wrap with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for 1 hour up to 3 days before serving.
- Serve with crackers and fruit.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
This looks SO amazing!!! Thank you, I LOVE the pictures, and I even wonder what kind of crackers those are. It all fits together so perfectly. Thank you so much for your recipes!!
Hi CiCi,
The crackers photographed were a seasonal Christmas butter cracker. I can’t remember the brand!
I’m trying to figure out what type of fruit that you serve with it. Do you eat it on the fruit? I’m trying to imagine this, but I can’t figure that one out. Also, are chipped onions the same as minced onions? Thanks for the reicpe, I think I’ll try it this season sometime soon.
Beautiful and delicious. My family loved this chicken cheese ball recipe all the way til there was none at our Christmas Eve Party last night:) Thanks Robyn and Merry Christmas to you and your family.
Sounds wonderful!! Just wondering, I noticed in the list of ingredients that you can use either 1/2 cup finely chopped onion or 1/2 teaspoon onion powder. Seems like this would make a big difference in the onion taste. Which do you prefer to use? I might make this for a installation reception at church and am concerned about it tasting too oniony. Thanks for sharing your mothers recipe!!!!!!
Canned chicken?? Yikes, at least use rotisserie chicken…you’re too good to suggest less.
You can easily use rotisserie chicken or chicken breasts you’ve cooked in the slow cooker and then chopped. Whatever you prefer.
This looks so yummy, and I will be making it tonight. Using canned chicken is not as appealing, so agree that rotisserie chicken should be used.
Yes! By all means! I use canned all white meat chicken! (Drained)
Cheese balls are the best this time of year!! I love how loaded yours is. YUM!
Beautiful photos and looks super delicious! Another southern Christmas favorite in my house! 🙂
Beautiful photos and looks super delicious! Another soutthern Christmas favorite in my house! 🙂
Good afternoon, Robyn. I absolutely love all of the pictures, so please keep them coming. Whenever I am baking one of your recipes, the pictures actually help me to visualize what I am attempting/preparing is supposed to look like as I go along. Pictures let me know whether I am doing it right or not with each step as I go along. So please, for the bakers out there like myself who like to look at the pictures to see if they are doing it right, keep the pictures going. The chicken cheese ball looks awesome. I will make this for my family’s Christmas eve party and let you know how they turn out. I give you five stars for the pictures alone. Thanks.
Thank you so much, Andrea. xo
I’ve never heard of a chicken cheese ball! Looks yummy and I can just imagine the variations!
Hey Robyn-
I enjoy you recipes BUT why so many pictures of the same item???? I don’t think looking at SEVEN pictures adds to the value of your blog. It just means it takes a long time to get to the recipe. Ree Drumond has many pictures but they are all the process of the recipe not the finished product from 7 differen angles. Just saying….one would be enough.
Thanks so much for your feedback, Sheryl. I really appreciate it. xo