These tender turkey meatballs are a healthy dinner that everyone can agree on.
Lean ground turkey is mixed with seasonings and bread crumbs and baked until tender and juicy.
Serve them with spaghetti, as meatball subs, or enjoy them as an appetizer with sweet & sour sauce.
Light & Lean Turkey Meatballs
- Dress them up with marinara sauce, use them in a casserole, or pop them in a sub. So many ways to enjoy!
- Turkey meatballs are a leaner alternative to traditional beef meatballs, with fewer calories and less far.
- They’re quick to prepare and freezer friendly. Make a double batch and freeze them for those busy nights when cooking is just not on the cards.
- These little bites are loved by everyone for a healthy addition to meals.
Ingredients
- Ground Turkey: This is a lean option and can be replaced with ground chicken, or ground pork. Be sure to use lean ground turkey, not extra lean.
- Egg & Bread Crumbs bind everything together and create a tender texture.
- Seasonings: Garlic powder, basil, and oregano add flavor. You can replace these with 1 teaspoon of Italian Seasoning if preferred.
- Parsley: Fresh parsley adds lots of flavor but dried will work.
- Onion adds flavor. For a more subtle flavor, soften the onion in a small skillet first or use ½ teaspoon onion powder.
How To Make Turkey Meatballs Moist
Ground turkey is lean, but these meatballs come out tender and juicy every time.
- Use ground turkey that has a little bit of fat (a mix of dark and white meat). If using extra lean turkey, add two teaspoons of olive oil.
- Don’t overmix the meat, mix just until everything is combined.
- Do not overcook; turkey is lean and can dry out if overcooked. Cook just until they reach 165°F on an instant-read thermometer.
- Ensure they’re uniform in shape so they cook evenly. A small cookie scoop is a helpful tool.
For Added Flavor
- Use fresh parsley if possible. Additional fresh herbs like basil or oregano can be used in place of dry (1 ½ teaspoons each).
- If desired, ¼ cup parmesan cheese can be added to the meat mixture.
To Prepare Batches
To freeze uncooked meatballs, place them on a parchment-lined pan and freeze. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer bag or a sealed container.
To cook raw turkey meatballs from frozen, place the meatballs on a parchment lined pan. Bake at 350°F for 30 to 35 minutes.
To heat cooked frozen meatballs: Freeze cooked and cooled meatballs. Reheat in the oven at 375°F for 18 to 22 minutes or until heated through.
More Ground Turkey Recipes
Did your family enjoy these All-Purpose Turkey Meatballs? Leave us a comment and a rating below!
All-Purpose Turkey Meatballs
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground turkey
- ½ cup Panko breadcrumbs
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ cup fresh parsley or 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- ¼ cup white onion minced
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon dried basil and oregano
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or grease well.
- In a large bowl, combine ground turkey, breadcrumbs, garlic powder, dried basil, oregano, parsley, minced white onion, egg, salt, and pepper.
- Gently mix until all ingredients just until combined, do not overmix. Divide the meat mixture, rolling into 1-inch meatballs, and place on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or just until cooked. (Do not overbake).
Notes
- 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.
- For even cooking, try to keep meatballs uniformly sized.
- Turkey meatballs should reach an internal temperature of 165°F.
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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Another great recipe from Holly! I added parmesan cheese, next time I might try roasting garlic to add!!
I’m 66, set in my ways, and Italian American. I was delighted with this recipe. No reason for me to use beef in my meatballs ever again. Thanks!
Hello! What would suggest for temp and time in an air fryer?
I would recommend following this Air Fryer Meatball recipe for the cooking instructions.
Generally, how many meatballs will this recipe make?
This makes 24 meatballs. Enjoy!
Hello Holly
What would you recommend to adjust this recipe to make it GF & DF as we have celiac and a dairy allergy in the family.
Thank you
Hi Fiona, at my local grocery store you can purchase GF panko breadcrumbs. They can be used in place of the regular ones in this recipe. I hope that helps!
Is the serving size 1 meatball for nutrition information?
Yes it is.
Sounds yummy but wonder I need the parsley or if I do need such if something else can work as I despise parsley (do love Cilantro and
Chinese parsley)
Actually only parsley and dill affect me that way ;-D
Thank you so much
Hi Rosalee, you can leave it out if you dislike it. If you want to add in Chinese Parlsey or cilantro in it’s place you are welcome too, it will just the flavor slightly.
A few years ago, I read an article about the love/hate relationship many have between parsley and cilantro. Apparently, this is a common thing and has a scientific reason.
Has anyone tried freezing these for later use?
You can also find this info in the post: To freeze these meatballs, place them on a parchment-lined pan and freeze. Once frozen transfer to a freezer bag or a sealed container. To use, thaw and cook as directed in the recipe. (You can cook and completely cool them before freezing if desired. To use, just simply defrost and reheat).
Holly’s recipes are always very good. Since discovering this recipe, I have been making meatballs often. They work beautifully in a tomato sauce or as the centerpiece of a Greek inspired meal. All your recipes are so practical and family friendly.
I am sorry to say but these had no flavor and I even added cheese. So disappointed and frustrated as it all got thrown out.
That is frustrating, I am sorry that happened, Erica. We found these had a decent amount of flavor with the spices used but you can definitely adjust the seasonings to your preference!
I love this recipe!!! Sorry, I couldn’t find organic/non-GMO Panko breadcrumbs in the store *=(yes,even my local Whole Foods), so I used regular organic bread crumbs. But followed everything else to a T. SO DELISH! This is now a family fave! Kids are so picky but they tear thru these!! Thank you!
So happy you enjoyed this recipe, Kelly!
Made these tonight and they were delicious. Served on multigrain hoagies and melted mozzarella on. 10/10! I did use italian bread crumbs too instead of plain!
Love
Made these tonight and used Italian breadcrumbs in place of panko (which really gave more great seasoning/flavor) and I also added some grated Parmesan cheese – I cut the recipe in half as I only used 1lb of ground turkey, they came out great even my picky 6 year old son loved them!
I made these last night and was thrilled with the results. That said, I deviated a bit from the recipe because I had already sent my husband out for eggs and I didn’t think he’d consent to being sent out again! I used fresh basil instead of parsley and I grated a frozen hot dog roll for the bread crumbs. I also loaded them up with spices, minced celery, onion, red pepper and a small bit of horseradish cheese. (Okay, I REALLY deviated!) My fear is that they’d be bland, ’cause that seems to be the big problem with ground turkey and chicken. They were fantastic! I baked them and they had a nice crust on the bottom, and they were really tasty. I will definitely make these again! Thank you for the tip about not over-mixing the meat and thank you also for specifying whether they can be frozen. Next time I will make more!
Those changes sound delicious Denise! Glad they turned out well for you :)
Holly, once again, a 10 star recipe, the only change was using chicken tenders I ground myself. I did make them a bit larger, used an ice cream scoop, so made about 1 1/2 inch meatballs, end result was 27, no harm, no foul, I did increase the time to 35 minutes, and they came out perfect! (I cut one in half and had a sample, excellent!) So good, even one of our cats stole one when I had my back turned.
I made these on 7 June 2019 and I will use in a creamy lime and caper sauce.
Thank you Holly for once again, a fail proof recipe ;)
Those changes sound delicious Lee, glad it worked out for you! So happy we could provide you with a fool proof winner!
These are a hit in my family most definitely our go to recipe!
Perfectly seasoned and juicy There soooo yummy!!! Thank you so much!
I am so glad you are enjoying the recipe Tammy!
I tried this sauce on turkey meatballs last night and served them to my very picky children and their even pickier cousins. What a HUGE hit! I cannot thank you enough – you’ve added a new staple to their diets …
I am s glad this recipe was a success with your family Moses! Great to hear from you!
I make these with mashed potatoes and gravy and they’re a family favorite!
I am so glad you enjoyed the meatball recipe Brooke!