These tender turkey meatballs are easy to make and come out tender and juicy.
Lean ground turkey is mixed with seasonings and bread crumbs and then oven-baked. Add them to soups or pasta sauce, or make them into a meatball sub!
An Easy Weeknight Meal
- Dress turkey meatballs up with marinara sauce and top spaghetti or pop them into a sub roll.
- Use them to replace ground beef meatballs in almost any dish.
- They’re quick to prepare and freezer-friendly. Make a double batch and freeze them for busy nights.
Ingredients for Turkey Meatballs
Ground Turkey – Use ground turkey or replace it with ground chicken or ground pork. Be sure to use lean ground turkey, not extra lean so they’re moist.
Egg and 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. Additional herbs like fresh basil or oregano can be used in place of dry (1 ½ teaspoons each).
Onion – Adds flavor, but for a more subtle flavor, soften the onion in a small skillet first or use ½ teaspoon onion powder.
Variation – If desired, ¼ cup parmesan cheese can be added to the meat mixture.
How To Make Great Turkey Meatballs
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 or some finely chopped bacon.
- 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 a meat thermometer.
- Once cooked, the meatballs can be simmered in tomato sauce. We love to add fresh herbs and diced tomatoes to make an easy meal!
How to Freeze (cooked or uncooked)
To freeze cooked turkey meatballs: Let them fully cool and transfer to a freezer bag or an airtight container.
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.
To freeze raw turkey meatballs: Place them on a parchment-lined pan and freeze. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer bag or an airtight container.
To cook raw turkey meatballs from frozen: Place the meatballs on a parchment-lined pan. Bake at 375°F for 22 to 26 minutes.
More Ground Turkey Recipes
Ground Turkey Tacos
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 chopped fresh parsley or 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- ¼ cup minced white onion
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a rimmed baking pan with parchment paper or foil.
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In a large bowl, combine ground turkey, breadcrumbs, garlic powder, dried basil, oregano, parsley, minced white onion, egg, salt, and pepper.
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Gently mix all ingredients just until combined, do not overmix. Divide the meat mixture, rolling into 24 meatballs, 1-inch in diameter. Place on the prepared baking sheet.
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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.
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
Cuisine American
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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