These Easy Turkey Meatballs are tender, juicy and packed with flavor! Made with lean ground turkey and a few simple ingredients, these healthy baked turkey meatballs come together in just 30 minutes for an easy weeknight dinner or meal prep.
If you follow my recipes then you know I love to make meatballs! Everything from buffalo chicken meatballs and Asian glazed meatballs to a whole cheesy meatball casserole! The great thing about these easy turkey meatballs is that they are just so versatile. They can be added to a variety of dished and pair well with so many different sauces!
Why You’ll Love This
- Made with simple ingredients that pack a ton of flavor!
- These meatballs are baked and not fried.
- Only take 30 minutes to make with easy cleanup.
- We are using ground turkey in this recipe which is much leaner than beef.
- Super versatile and can be added to several different dishes!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- ground turkey – I used lean ground turkey for these meatballs because it’s low in fat and calories while being a great source of protein, but you could also make these using ground chicken, ground beef, ground pork or even Italian sausage.
- egg – acts as a binder to hold all the ingredients together.
- breadcrumbs – I used Italian bread crumbs to help bind the meatballs to keep their round shape and hold moisture, but feel free use gluten-free bread crumbs, panko breadcrumbs or almond flour if low carb.
- parmesan cheese – freshly grated parmesan cheese adds even more flavor!
- onion – I grated half a medium yellow onion, but you could also use one teaspoon onion powder. You could also finely chop the onion rather than grating if you prefer.
- garlic – adds a flavor boost to the meatballs and fresh minced garlic is always best! If you don’t have fresh garlic cloves, feel free to use a 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder.
- Worcestershire sauce – I love the sweet, tangy flavor this adds to these meatballs! You could also use soy sauce or tamari.
- parsley – I love adding in fresh herbs for earthiness and pop of color, but you could also add in some fresh basil, rosemary or thyme.
- seasonings – a combination of Italian seasoning, salt and black pepper.
How to Make Turkey Meatballs
- Make the meatballs. In a large mixing bowl, combine ground turkey, egg, breadcrumbs, onion, garlic, parmesan cheese, Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning and salt/pepper until all combined.
- Shape into balls. Using a small to medium cookie scoop (I use this 1.2 tablespoon size scoop), make 1-inch sized balls from the mixture and place on a prepared baking sheet sprayed with non-stick spray or parchment paper (you should get about 30 meatballs). The cookie scoop helps make sure the meatballs are all uniform in size.
- Bake. Pop the meatballs in the oven at 400 degrees F and bake for about 16 to 20 minutes, until lightly browned and cooked through. Meatballs should have an internal temp of 165 degrees F when inserting a meat thermometer.
How to Serve Turkey Meatballs
- As a main dish – serve over cauliflower rice, regular rice or orzo along with broccoli or other vegetables.
- Spaghetti and meatballs – serve over pasta, spaghetti squash or zucchini noodles with your favorite marinara or tomato sauce.
- In a sub sandwich – serve the meatballs in a sub roll with all your favorite toppings.
- Added to soup – make the meatballs a little smaller and add them to your favorite soup! Minestrone soup, creamy tortellini soup and this sausage soup all make great options.
- In a salad – add the meatballs to any of your favorite salads like this Greek salad, Caesar salad, Mediterranean salad, or this wild rice salad.
- As an appetizer – double or triple this recipe and serve with toothpicks for a delicious party appetizer! Try my recipe for cranberry meatballs or these buffalo chicken meatballs.
Prepping and Storage
To Prep: You can shape the turkey meatballs ahead of time and store them tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours before baking.
To Store: Let the cooked meatballs cool completely, then store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave, oven or a skillet until warmed through.
To Freeze: These turkey meatballs freeze beautifully! Once completely cooled, store them in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating, or reheat straight from frozen until warmed through.
Frequently Asked Questions
The egg and breadcrumbs act as binders to help hold these turkey meatballs together. Be careful not to overmix the meat mixture, which can also make the meatballs tough.
Ground turkey is lean, so the key is not overcooking the meatballs. Bake them just until they reach an internal temperature of 165°F. The grated onion, egg and parmesan also help keep these meatballs tender and juicy.
Yes! You can use gluten-free breadcrumbs or almond flour in place of traditional breadcrumbs. Just keep in mind that the texture may vary slightly depending on the substitute you use.
Yes. Simply leave out the parmesan cheese. The meatballs will still hold together and taste delicious.
Absolutely! Let the cooked meatballs cool completely, then store them in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 to 4 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat until warmed through.
More Meatball Recipes
- Asian Glazed Turkey Meatballs
- Mediterranean Chicken Meatballs
- Honey Sriracha Glazed Meatballs
- Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
- Cheesy Keto Meatball Casserole
Hope you all enjoy these Easy Turkey Meatballs and if you love this as much as we do, please leave me ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using the hashtag #eatyourselfskinny! I love seeing all your delicious recreations!
Easy Turkey Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup grated yellow onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/3 cup bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon each salt + pepper
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine ground turkey, egg, breadcrumbs, onion, garlic, parmesan cheese, Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning and salt/pepper until all combined.
- Using a small to medium cookie scoop, make 1-inch sized balls from the mixture and place on a prepared baking sheet sprayed with non-stick spray or parchment paper (you should get about 30 meatballs). The cookie scoop helps make sure the meatballs are all uniform in size.
- Pop the meatballs in the oven at 400 degrees F and bake for about 16 to 20 minutes, until lightly browned and cooked through. Meatballs should have an internal temp of 165 degrees F when inserting a meat thermometer.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Enjoyed your turkey meatball recipe! Served with RAO’s marinara! Luscious! Going to make it for the family when they visit in a few weeks. Thanks so much!!!
Easy to make. I left out the onion, it was delicious without. I will make these again. Now I need a recipe for ground beef meatballs. I will look for one on your website. Thank you.
Can I leave out the ” parmesan cheese”?
I am lactose intolerant.
Please email me back.
Feel free to leave out the parmesan cheese!