Turkey Meatballs

Lighten up your spaghetti dinner with these delicious baked turkey meatballs. They are tender, juicy, and have that mouthwatering sear that every good meatball needs. Ready from start to finish in about 30 minutes, these meatballs couldn’t be easier to make and are sure to be a hit!

Turkey is a leaner option than beef or pork meatballs and it is full of good protein. I do love a good beef or pork meatball as much as the next person, but there are definitely days when I know it’s high time to start easing up on the red meat. So, if I can make a healthier, equally delicious version of a comfort classic like a traditional meatball recipe, well then sign me up! 

I’ve seasoned them with classic Italian flavors like onion, garlic, and Italian seasoning and I’ve added breadcrumbs to make sure the balls don’t fall apart when cooking. Say goodbye to bland turkey and believe me when I say these meatballs are bursting with flavor. You may just find yourself unable to resist eating them off the pan!

I usually bake my turkey meatballs, so I can pop them in the oven and not have to hover over the stove, but I am also sharing instructions on how you can fry them in a pan on the stovetop, in case that’s your preference. Both methods work well on busy weeknights with minimal steps, so choose the one that works best for you. 

Serve with a simple tomato sauce and pasta, (or for a healthier option, zucchini noodles), and you’ll have an amazing dinner ready in no time. This recipe for turkey meatballs is one that you’ll turn to again and again!

If you like cooking with ground turkey, be sure to try my Ground Turkey and Sweet Potato Skillet next!

Why you’ll love this recipe

1. Lighter and healthier option. Ground turkey breast typically contains less saturated fat than ground beef, which may be a healthier option for you. Packed with protein, these meatballs will fill you up while delivering loads of flavor.                                                                       
2. Quick to make. From start to finish, these meatballs take about 30 minutes. They are a great option to serve on a busy weeknight.
3. Make ahead. You can freeze the uncooked meatballs or to save even more time, cook the meatballs ahead and freeze them to use later. Great for meal prepping!

What you’ll need to make this recipe

Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

• Ground turkey, lean – I tend to use ground breast (not ground thigh) for my meatballs. It is more expensive but it’s also leaner, which is great for keeping these meatballs on the lighter side. If you do opt for ground thigh, it is a budget-friendly option with a little extra fat. You can also swap ground chicken, pork, or a blend of both for the turkey.
• Onion –Be sure to dice as small as you can to avoid large onion pieces in your meatballs.
• Garlic – Fresh garlic is always recommended, just because it gives it that pungent fresh flavor. You can substitute for jarred garlic if it is what you have at home.
• Breadcrumbs – Helps to bind the meatballs together and adds moisture. They also give the balls their structure. Homemade or store-bought will work. You can swap regular breadcrumbs for Panko or Italian seasoned breadcrumbs. In this case, skip the Italian seasoning.
• Egg – Use large for binding the mixture together. I find it to be the right amount needed for added moisture and to help keep the meatballs from crumbling! I use one egg per pound of ground turkey.
• Fresh parsley – I use Italian (or flat-leaf) parsley, but you can use curly parsley if you prefer.
• Italian seasoning – A blend of herbs such as basil, oregano, thyme, and rosemary. Try my homemade recipe which has just 6 simple easy ingredients! It’s so easy to make at home.
• Salt and pepper – Turkey is a mild flavor (let’s be honest, downright bland sometimes) and it really benefits from seasoning.
• Olive oil – For brushing the meatballs before baking or for pan-frying (encourages browning). It also helps to add a bit of moisture to the balls. Whenever you’re browning or frying anything you want to use an oil with a high smoke point. For this reason, if you choose to use olive oil stick with light olive oil rather than extra virgin. The latter is not meant for high heat. 
• *Parmesan Cheese – This is optional and can be added to the meatball mixture for some added moisture and savory flavor.

How to Make Turkey Meatballs

These meatballs taste amazing either baked in the oven or shallow fried in a pan on the stovetop. Both methods will result in juicy flavorful meat.

Baked in the Oven:

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C and place an oven-safe wire rack on top of a quarter-size sheet pan. It’s the perfect size for holding 24 meatballs as you can see from the picture, but of course, if you don’t have one, use any size baking dish you have. Using a wire rack is not a must but it helps the air to circulate around the meatballs, so they cook evenly on all sides.
2. Grab a large bowl and combine all the ingredients except for the olive oil. Using your hands works the best, but you can also use a spatula. Mix everything until just combined.

1. Use a cookie scoop to scoop up 1-inch meatballs directly onto the sheet pan. You can roll them in your hands if you prefer, but I find using a cookie scoop works well. However you form your balls, just make sure that they are uniform in size so they cook evenly. There’s nothing worse than having one overcooked meatball and one undercooked meatball on the same plate!
2. Lightly spray the balls with olive oil or brush it on with a pastry brush.
3. Bake the meatballs for 15–20 minutes or until lightly browned on the outside and the internal temperature reads 165°F/74°C.

Fried on the stovetop:

1. Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat and, working in batches, brown the meatballs on all sides to lock in the moisture and create a beautiful crust on the outside. Then, you’ll continue cooking until they are no longer pink and completely cooked through. This will take about 5–7 minutes. Use a thermometer to check that the meatballs are cooked through (165°F/74°C).

Recipe Tips

• Gently mix and don’t overwork the meat, as it will result in tougher meatballs. What happens when you work the meat too much they become tough, rubbery, and chewy which is kind of the opposite of what we’re going for here. 
• Meatballs with sauce. If you’re making a sauce to go with your meatballs at the same time, here’s where you can play around with the cooking time. You want to get your meatballs almost fully cooked, however you can finish cooking them while simmering in a sauce. This way, you’re not overcooking them while they continue to heat through.
• Don’t skip the egg! This is one time where I’d tell you to go take a trip to the store if you don’t have any. This is especially true if you’re particular about your meatballs not falling apart. The egg does such a  good job binding the ingredients, that it’s hard to replace. 
• Precise measurements. It’s one thing to use a cookie scoop to make the circumference of the meatballs uniform sizes but to get an even more accurate picture of the weight of each one, use a kitchen scale. This leaves even less room for the possibility of unevenly cooked meatballs. 1 inch meatball is around 1 ounce in weight, or 25-30 grams.
• Taste test a small piece of the meatball mixture by adding olive oil to a pan and cooking it for a couple of minutes first. This way you can adjust your seasonings before cooking the entire batch of meatballs.
• Combination meat. This is just one of the ways to ensure a moist meatball. Using both white and dark meat will give you that bit of extra moisture without sacrificing all of your lean meat.
• Invest in a kitchen thermometer! It is an invaluable tool to have in your kitchen to make sure you are following proper guidelines for cooking meat and poultry. You can check out my step-by-step tutorial on how to use one for more information.

Optional Flavor Add-ins

As much as I love these meatballs just the way they are, all it takes is a simple flavor addition to make it a totally different meal! Just a few variations to keep in mind and you’ve got a meatball recipe to add to any menu.

• Italian seasoning is a combination of dried herbs, but feel free to use just one or two on their own. Rosemary, thyme, basil, or even some fresh parsley would be great.
• Swap out the herbs for some spices! Taco seasoning, fajita seasoning, or even some sriracha for heat.
• Worcestershire sauce for an added element that is reminiscent of a traditional beef meatball.
• Toss in some finely diced or shredded veggies like carrots, zucchini, or even bell pepper. Make sure any excess water has been squeezed out. If your veggies are too watery it may change the texture of the meatball. Some extra bread crumbs may be needed in this case.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can you tell if the meatballs are cooked?

The best way to know if your meatballs are done is to use a kitchen thermometer to check the temperature. They are ready when the internal temperature reaches 165°F/74°C. When testing the balls, make sure to test more than one, as the ones on the sides can cook quicker than the middle ones.
Keep an eye on your meatballs as they cook; turkey is lean meat, and overcooking them will make them dry.

How to store cooked turkey meatballs?

It’s best to store the meatballs in a shallow, airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 – 4 days.

How do you freeze ground turkey meatballs?

You can freeze both cooked and uncooked meatballs. 
Cooked meatballs: arrange the cooked balls on a sheet pan in a single layer, (without touching), and freeze solid. Transfer to a freezer-safe bag and store for 1 – 2 months. To use frozen cooked meatballs, thaw them in the fridge overnight and gently reheat. You can also toss frozen cooked meatballs into your sauce and heat gently on the stovetop or in the oven.
Uncooked meatballs: scoop and form the balls just as you would when preparing them and put them onto a lined sheet pan in a single layer, (without touching) and freeze until solid. Transfer the balls to a freezer-safe bag and store them for 1 – 2 months. To use the frozen meatballs, thaw them in the fridge overnight before cooking.

How to Serve Meatballs

You can’t go wrong serving these turkey meatballs in simple marinara sauce over spaghetti like I did in the photos. A quick garnish of fresh basil and grated parmesan cheese will have you feeling like you’re dining out at your favorite Italian restaurant!

Other great options include serving them in sauce over Instant Pot basmati rice, mashed potatoes, or creamy polenta, serving on a bun for the ultimate meatball sub, adding them to soup, or chopping them up to add to homemade pizza.

I also have a turkey chili recipe that would be so great with meatballs instead of the ground turkey. That’s the thing about meatballs is they’re so versatile! 

Be sure to save and share this recipe with others! Everyone needs a healthy, wholesome, homemade meatball recipe in their comfort food arsenal!

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

Recipe

5 from 4 votes

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Turkey Meatballs

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 20 minutes mins

Total Time: 30 minutes mins

Author: Diana

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Turkey meatballs are leaner than your average beef or pork meatball with just as much flavor! Juicy, well-seasoned meatballs are baked and ready in 30 minutes!

24 meatballs

Turkey meatballs are leaner than your average beef or pork meatball with just as much flavor! Juicy, well-seasoned meatballs are baked and ready in 30 minutes!

Recipe Video

Ingredients 

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• ▢ 1 pound ground turkey lean (I’m using ground breast not thigh)
• ▢ 1 small yellow onion diced (about ½ cup)
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ ½ cup breadcrumbs use gluten free if needed
• ▢ 1 large egg
• ▢ ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil for brushing the meatballs before baking or for pan frying

Instructions 

To bake the meatballs:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C, and prepare a quarter size sheet pan with a wire rack (make sure it’s an oven safe one).
• In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients except for the olive oil. Best to use your hands (I like to use gloves) but you can also use a spatula if you like, and mix everything together until just combined. Do not over mix.
• Use a cookie scoop and scoop 1 inch meatballs directly onto the sheet pan fitted with a wire rack.
• Lightly spray with olive oil, or brush using a pastry brush.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes. Place under the broiler if you want some color. The meatballs are ready when the internal temperature reaches 165°F/74°C – when testing with a kitchen thermometer, test different meatballs as the ones on the sides can cook quicker than the ones in the middle. Do not overcook them, they can become dry since this is lean meat.

To fry the meatballs:

• Heat olive oil in a pan, work in batches and brown from all sides (5-7 minutes). Check the temperature with a thermometer to know when the meatballs are cooked through.
• To serve with sauce, make pasta sauce or use jarred, heat it up and add the meatballs to cook together for 1-2 minutes or until they’re warm. Serve over pasta or zucchini noodles or rice. or in a sub/hoagie bun.

Notes:

• Gently mix and don’t overwork the meat, as it will result in tougher meatballs. What happens when you work the meat too much they become tough, rubbery, and chewy which is kind of the opposite of what we’re going for here. 
• Meatballs with sauce. If you’re making a sauce to go with your meatballs at the same time, here’s where you can play around with the cooking time. You want to get your meatballs almost fully cooked, however you can finish cooking them while simmering in a sauce. This way, you’re not overcooking them while they continue to heat through.
• Don’t skip the egg! This is one time where I’d tell you to go take a trip to the store if you don’t have any. This is especially true if you’re particular about your meatballs not falling apart. The egg does such a  good job binding the ingredients, that it’s hard to replace. 
• Precise measurements. It’s one thing to use a cookie scoop to make the circumference of the meatballs uniform sizes but to get an even more accurate picture of the weight of each one, use a kitchen scale. 1 inch meatball is around 1 ounce in weight, or 25-30 grams. This leaves even less room for the possibility of unevenly cooked meatballs.
• Taste test a small piece of the meatball mixture by adding olive oil to a pan and cooking it for a couple of minutes first. This way you can adjust your seasonings before cooking the entire batch of meatballs.
• Combination meat. This is just one of the ways to ensure a moist meatball. Using both white and dark meat will give you that bit of extra moisture without sacrificing all of your lean meat.
• Invest in a kitchen thermometer! It is an invaluable tool to have in your kitchen to make sure you are following proper guidelines for cooking meat and poultry. You can check out my step-by-step tutorial on how to use one for more information.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1meatball, Calories: 46kcal, Carbohydrates: 2g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 2g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 18mg, Sodium: 79mg, Potassium: 70mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 18IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 9mg, Iron: 1mg

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

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