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Baked Turkey Meatballs

Baked turkey meatballs are a quick and easy weeknight dinner. Pair these tender, juicy turkey meatballs with pasta or veggies and your favorite sauce or serve them as a tasty appetizer for your next game day party.

There isn’t anything particularly spectacular about a turkey meatball, except they are ridiculously good. I love a good meatball, like these Mediterranean lamb meatballs, because they are so versatile and I can make a big batch and freeze some for later when I’m too tired to cook.

turkey meatballs with parsley and parmesan cheese

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Baked Turkey Meatballs

These could be called Mediterranean diet turkey meatballs because they absolutely fall in line with that eating plan. Swapping out the ground beef for ground turkey makes these meatballs a bit healthier and lighter.

turkey meatballs with marinara

For a really caramelized outside, you can sear them in a hot pan before baking. If you don’t want to bother, you can simply bake them without browning first.

Chef’s Tip:

Putting a few drops of oil on your hands while you are rolling the meatballs will help them brown nicely in the oven, and the meatball mixture won’t stick to your hands.

Another meatball recipe we love: Thai Turkey Meatballs with Peanut Sauce

How to make turkey meatballs

To make tender turkey meatballs, you’ll need an egg and some breadcrumb to bind them together. The trick to making tender meatballs is to fold the meat gently when mixing.

After mixing and rolling the meatballs, slide the baking sheet into a hot oven and let them bake.

mixing turkey meatballs

Clean hands are the best tools you can use to mix up the meatball mixture. It is important not to overwork the mixture and that is easy to avoid if you use your hands. 

I make my meatballs with parmesan cheese. It gives them a boost of extra flavor. If I am going to add these baked turkey meatballs to a Greek recipe, I might swap out the parmesan for feta. This recipe can be customized to your preferences, or however you are serving the meatballs.

You can swap out the herbs as well. Replace oregano with dill for a completely different taste. Use this recipe as a base, then experiment with different herbs to go with different types of food.

adding cheese to turkey meatball mixture

Making this easy turkey meatball recipe is as simple as adding the ingredients to a big bowl and mixing it up. That is honestly all there is to it. Scoop the mixture and roll into balls before baking in the oven.

This recipe couldn’t be easier, especially if you have an extra set of hands to roll while you scoop the mixture. 

rolling turkey meatballs

For another delicious baked meatball recipe, try these Mediterranean baked chicken meatballs.

Can I freeze turkey meatballs?

Yes. They freeze beautifully. I have put them in the freezer raw and cooked, to test this out. The cooked ones were just as delicious after being thawed and warmed in the oven. The raw meatballs were exactly the same after being baked in the oven.

turkey meatballs on sheet pan ready to be baked

Tools used to make turkey meatballs

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  • small scoop – this size scoop will yield 20 meatballs
  • Chef’s knife – the same knife I use everyday!
  • Sheet pans – commercial grade, heavy-duty sheet pans for high heat in the oven.

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Baked turkey meatballs are a quick and easy weeknight dinner. Pair these tender, juicy turkey meatballs with pasta or veggies and your favorite sauce or serve them as a tasty appetizer for your next game day party. #bakedturkeymeatballs #turkeymeatballs #meatballrecipes

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What can I serve with turkey meatballs?

turkey meatballs in sauce

Baked Turkey Meatballs

Cheryl Bennett
Tender, juicy turkey meatballs are a quick and easy weeknight dinner.
5 from 3 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Dinner
Cuisine Italian-American
Servings 20 meatballs
Calories 378 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb ground turkey
  • 1 egg beaten
  • 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs
  • 1/4 cup bunch parsley finely chopped
  • 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C)
  • Add all ingredients to a large bowl.
  • Using clean hands, gently fold mixture together until it looks uniform.
  • Use a small scoop to portion meatballs, then roll into balls and place on baking sheet.
  • Bake for 20 minutes.
  • Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before serving.

Video

Notes

The easiest way to make sure the meatballs are consistent in size is to use a small cookie scoop to portion them.  
OPTIONAL: Once all the meatballs are scooped, give them a quick roll to make them round & brown them in a few tablespoons of good olive oil in a screaming hot pan to get a nice caramelized crust on them.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 378kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 34gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 174mgSodium: 947mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1g
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5 from 3 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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