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These baked turkey meatballs are made with ground turkey, breadcrumbs, egg, onion, and herbs. Perfect for pasta night, meal prep, or freezer-friendly make-ahead dinners.
Holly’s Recipe Highlights
- Flavor: Turkey meatballs are tender and juicy with a savory, herby flavor that pairs perfectly with pasta or sauce.
- Skill Level: Mix, form, and bake! Easy peasy and so fun to make.
- Swaps: Use healthy turkey meatballs in place of ground beef meatballs in soups, casseroles, and appetizers.
- Freezing: Turkey meatballs freeze beautifully; double up the recipe and have them on hand for quick meals.
Ingredient Tips for Turkey Meatballs
- Turkey: Look for lean (not extra lean) ground turkey so the meatballs stay juicy. Ground chicken and ground pork are also good choices. For extra juicy meatballs, use a 1:1 ratio of turkey to pork.
- Binders: Eggs and Panko breadcrumbs work as binders and help to hold the meatballs together, and help keep them moist.
- Onion: Sauté the onion in a little oil first for more depth of flavor, or swap for ½ teaspoon of onion powder.
- Seasonings: Garlic powder, dried parsley, basil, and oregano add savory flavor to meatballs. All-purpose Italian seasoning or a zesty Cajun blend lets you match the meatballs to the menu.
- Variations: For an added flavor boost, ¼ cup of Parmesan cheese can be added in Step 3, if desired.
How to Make Turkey Meatballs
- Combine all the ingredients in a bowl.
- Form into balls.
- Bake (full recipe below).
Storing Solutions
Store leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. To reheat, place them in a microwave-safe container with a bit of water. Cover with plastic wrap and cook until warmed through. (This method makes them moist and juicy again.)
Freeze cooked meatballs in a zippered bag for up to 3 months. Reheat in the oven at 375°F for 18 to 22 minutes or until heated through.
Freeze raw, assembled meatballs on a baking sheet before transferring them to zippered bags for up to 3 months. Cook from frozen on a parchment-lined pan at 375°F for 22 to 26 minutes.
More Ground Turkey Recipes
Did you enjoy these Turkey Meatballs? Leave us a comment and rating below!
Turkey Meatballs
Equipment
- Parchment Paper or foil
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground turkey
- ½ cup Panko bread crumbs
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley or 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- ¼ cup white onion finely diced
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
- In a large bowl, combine ground turkey, breadcrumbs, garlic powder, parsley, white onion, egg, salt, pepper, basil, and oregano.
- Gently mix all ingredients just until combined, do not overmix. Divide the meat mixture evenly, rolling into 24 meatballs, 1-inch in diameter. Place on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 18-22 minutes or until the meatballs reach an internal temperature of 165°F. (Do not overbake).
Notes
- For a milder onion flavor, cook the onion in ½ tablespoon of butter in a skillet until softened. Cool before adding to the meat mixture.
- Overmixing can lead to dense meatballs, so mix just enough to combine the ingredients.
- If the meat mixture is sticky, roll the meatballs with wet hands.
- Turkey meatballs should reach an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5 days.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Appetizer, Dinner, Entree, Main Course, Turkey
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These turkey meatballs were super easy to make and came together great! The flavor was really good and they were moist and a perfect combo for our pasta meal! Will definitely be making again!
These turkey meatballs were delicious and very easy to prepare. I used a whole onion because we love onions in our house. Husband and toddler approved
Love this meatball recipe! They turn out moist and tender and have tons of great flavor!
Okay, due to recently hubby and son being diagnosed with hematochromatosis and who have always loved bee, I was looking for more chicken and turkey recipes to add in to our repertoire. These are so flavorful and tender and a snap to put together. My family loved these and this will go into the regular rotation.
These turkey meatballs are so delicious. I had to use extra lean but with adding 2 teaspoons of olive oil as suggested they turned out moist. I added some grated parmesan and then wondered how 1/8 teaspoon of chipotle would taste. It gave it a nice mild bite. This recipe will stay on the top of my list, thank you.
This is wonderful, thank you. The recipes are easy and good
I’ve made these meatballs several times and I have commented before at how much I love this recipe. Tonight I put some “soup starter” veggies in the food processor and then added them to the mix: celery and carrots. They seem to have melted into the meatballs. The result is as wonderful as ever. I LOVE this recipe! Tomorrow night I’m going to attempt a (somewhat) low-fat cheese sauce and pair them. Now that I think about it, a peanut sauce would probably also work. Another thought: eggplant. Turkey meatballs with a side of roasted eggplant!
My husband raved over these meatballs. This is the best recipe I’ve found for turkey meatballs. This is a keeper