Healthy Turkey Meatballs
These healthy turkey meatballs are the best! They are super easy too! Flavored with parmesan cheese, herbs and spices and baked until golden brown. These meatballs are great served with a couple of sides, or over a big bowl of spaghetti.
These turkey meatballs are a go-to for dinners in my household. I love that they are healthier and packed with protein and my kiddos love that they’re super tasty. It’s a win-win situation!
So tender, so juicy, and so good! Sometimes we enjoy these meatballs served over a bed of pasta with marinara or I make the special sauce in the recipe card below and serve them with roasted veggies and some type of other hearty side dish. As an added plus… leftovers are delicious!
Ingredients For Turkey Meatballs:
- Ground Turkey. Most meatball recipes call for beef or pork or both, but by using ground turkey you can cut the calories and fat, but still get a good amount of protein. These are plenty flavorful too!
- Breadcrumbs and egg. Both the breadcrumbs and egg will bind the meatballs and keep them moist. Feel free to use any breadcrumbs you have on hand. The Italian seasoned ones would work great in this recipe.
- Parmesan cheese. The cheese adds great flavor and also helps the meatballs bake up nice and tender.
- Spices. The spices needed for this recipe are probably ones that you already have in your pantry. You’ll need dried parsley, dried basil, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper.
How To Make Flavorful Turkey Meatballs:
These turkey meatballs could not be easier to make! Simply combine ground turkey, egg, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, and seasonings in a large bowl. Get your hands in there and mix everything together thoroughly, then use a tablespoon to scoop out meatballs. Roll into small balls and place on a parchment or foil lined baking sheet.
Now they are ready to bake! Put them in the oven and broil the meatballs for 7-9 minutes. Leave them in the oven and bake them 4-5 minutes longer at 350ºF to finish cooking through. Alternatively, after broiling them, you can add them to this homemade marinara sauce to simmer for 15 minutes.
Once they’re fully cooked, serve them your favorite way and enjoy!
Tips & Recommendations:
- Feel free to swap out the ground turkey for ground chicken, if preferred.
- For the most tender turkey meatballs, I recommend choosing ground turkey that is the 93-96% variety. Avoid 99% lean ground turkey, as these meatballs might cook up a little on the dry side, if the turkey is too lean.
- To keep the meatballs plenty moist, be sure to not over bake the them. Watch them close under the broiler and either turn the heat to 350ºF to continue cooking or remove them to simmer in marinara sauce.
- To keep the meat from sticking to your hands when you are rolling it into balls, try putting a little cooking oil or even water on your hands.
- If you are using these meatballs for subs, you may want to shape your meatballs a bit bigger than what is listed in the instructions.
Variations:
This turkey meatball recipe is awesome because it’s so customizable. Feel free to use any favorite sauce or change them up as you like. Here are some ideas to try…
- Veggie-packed. Add 1/2 to 1 cup finely chopped cooked veggies, like spinach, mushrooms, or carrots.
- Cheesy. Add 1/2 to 1 cup of shredded mozzarella or cheddar cheese to the meatball mix.
- Mexican. Use crushed corn chips instead of breadcrumbs and instead of the parsley and basil add 1/2 teaspoon chili powder and 1/2 teaspoon cumin. Use shredded cheddar cheese instead of parmesan cheese. Serve them in enchilada sauce with a sprinkle of fresh cilantro.
- Swedish. Serve these in a Swedish gravy sauce with egg noodles. Here’s a yummy Swedish meatball gravy to try.
Ways To Use Turkey Meatballs:
There are a ton of ways to serve these meatballs! I suggest making a double batch, so that you have extras for another meal.
- Spaghetti: Simmer meatballs in this homemade marinara sauce and serve them over any favorite pasta or even zucchini noodles.
- Subs: These meatballs make the best sub sandwiches! Add them to Italian rolls with marinara, top with mozzarella cheese and broil until the cheese is melted.
- Soup: Meatball soup is a family favorite!
Another idea is to serve these meatballs with a couple of sides. Use the sauce in the recipe card below and serve the meatballs with macaroni and cheese, roasted veggies and scalloped potatoes.
You guys are sure to love these turkey meatballs! They’re easy, light and full of flavor!
More Italian Meals:
If you try this turkey meatball recipe, let me know! Leave a comment and if your family loves it as much as mine does, be sure to give it a five star ⭐️ rating! Also, tag @kimscravings on Instagram with a picture of your creation. It’s so fun to see what you’re cooking! Be sure to subscribe to our mailing list to receive more healthy delicious recipes straight to your inbox.
These healthy turkey meatballs are the best! They are super easy too! Flavored with parmesan cheese, herbs and spices and baked until golden brown. These meatballs are great served with a couple of sides, or over a big bowl of spaghetti.
- 1 pound lean ground turkey
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1/4 cup dried bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- optional for serving: marinara sauce or sauce below
- 1 cup ketchup
- 4 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoon dried mustard
Prepare a large baking sheet with parchment paper or foil and lightly grease it with nonstick cooking spray.
In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Use a tablespoon to scoop meatballs and place them on the baking sheet (each of my meatballs was approximately 25g).
Broil for 7-9 minutes. Leave in oven and bake 4-5 more minutes at 350ºF to finish cooking through or add to marinara sauce to simmer for 15 minutes.
If using optional sauce, combine the sauce ingredients in a small sauce pan and bring to a light simmer. Add sauce to meatballs to serve or use the sauce as a dip for meatballs.
Leftover storage: Meatballs keep well in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave or with marinara sauce on the stove.
Freezing meatballs: Cooked meatballs can be frozen baked or unbaked for up to 3 months.
Nutritional information does not include sauce.
Photos by Sasha at Eat Love Eats.
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I can’t ever say no to meatballs! These are really nice b/c they’re made a bit healthier than I normally make them! Great to have this tasty option!
These were delicious!!! I’ve never had such a delicious turkey meatball. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
I was so drooling over this meatball recipe that I had to go and make them right away! Simply delicious with the added suggestion of some cheese. I baked them and used some with marinara and served them over spaghetti squash and everyone enjoyed them immensely. I also froze some that I could take out when I wanted a couple for lunch.
I don’t make meatballs enough. These look so good & easy enough that I feel like I can!
Meatballs are my favorite go to from the freezer. I like to make my own so that I know what is in them. This is a great recipe!
Yum! They look wonderful over that big bowl of spaghetti. You have included such fun variations too.
This is always a winning dish in our house! It’s pure comfort food without all the guilt.
Was perfect with our pasta dinner last night, thanks for the great idea 🙂
Fabulous meatballs that I would love to make with my mashed potatoes recipe. I bet they would pair so well together. Can’t wait to try.