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These ground turkey meatballs are loaded with veggies and are a healthier twist to the Italian classic, make them in the oven or the air fryer. Flavorful and simple, the entire family will request these weekly! This recipe is also a great way to sneak in veggies for that picky eater.
Why Make These Turkey Meatballs.
I fool my Italian beef eating father every time I serve these meatballs. He loves them and always asks whats in them. They are chock-full of veggies. A great way to sneak in some greens for that picky eater… eh hem – kids. They are allergy friendly and can be customized to anyones needs. Leave the cheese out tot make them dairy free and use gluten free breadcrumbs if needed.
These ground turkey meatballs are versatile for a cozy comfort meal, or a healthy easy meal prep dinner for the weeknight. You can make meatball subs with them (my personal favorite) or top spaghetti or spaghetti squash with them.
Ingredients For This Recipe.
Ground Turkey. I go for the leaner kind. You can also use ground turkey for my Turkey Smash Burgers.
Zucchini. This keeps the meatballs super moist and add a bonus of veggies.
Onion.
Garlic.
Seasoning. Paprika, chili powder, salt, red pepper flakes, oregano
Egg. To bind everything together well.
Panko Bread crumbs. Or any bred crumb of choice.
Marinara. Both for the ground turkey meatballs and if you are serving over pasta.
How To Make These Ground Turkey Meatballs.
Step 1. Set oven to 400º finely chop onions and garlic up. Add ground turkey to a large bowl. Using a cheese grater, shred up zucchini. discard the stems. You can squeeze excess moisture, but I typically leave it. For the air fryer, set it to 390º cook for 16 minutes.
Step 2. Add all the ingredients (except oil and marinara) into a large bowl. Using your hands mix everything really well. On an aluminum or parchment covered baking sheet, or in a greased skillet, form meatballs into 2 inch balls. try to be sure they are equal in size to ensure proper cooking.
Step 3. Drizzle the marinara over/around the meatballs, keep the rest of the marinara to the side for after the bake. Place in the oven on the center rack cook for about 20-22 minutes.
Step 4. Add the rest of the marinara and enjoy. If serving over pasta, you may need extra red sauce.
FAQs And Expert Tips for Ground Turkey Meatballs.
You can use a lean ground beef, or ground chicken would make a great substitute.
Yes! Choose gluten-free crackers or use gluten-free oats in place of the crackers.
Yellow squash or carrots would make a great substitute for zucchini. Otherwise skip the zucchini and just bake them for 5 minutes less. They won’t be a moist but all have more density to them.
These meatballs are a great thing to make in bulk. Pop them in a ziplock and keep them in the freezer for when you need a quick dinner. Just pull them out and let them sit a little bit on the counter to defrost. They can be reheated in sauce on the stovetop, air fryer or microwave
Other recipes to try:
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Ground Turkey Meatballs
Equipment
- large skillet or air fryer
Ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground turkey
- ¼ cup finely chopped white onions
- ¾ cup shredded zucchini
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 2 tbsp garlic cloves, chopped
- ½ tsp dried crushed oregano
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes, optional
- 1 egg
- ½ cup breadcrumbs, optional
- ⅓ cup marinara
- ½ cup parmesan
Instructions
- Set oven to 400º finely chop onions and garlic up. Add ground turkey to a large bowl. Using a cheese grater, shred up zucchini. Discard the stems. You can squeeze excess moisture, but I typically leave it. *if cooking in the air fryer cook on 390º for 16-18 minutes.
- Add all the ingredients (except marinara) into a large bowl. Using your hands mix everything really well. On an aluminum or parchment covered baking sheet, or in a greased/oiled skillet, form meatballs into 2 inch balls. try to be sure they are equal in size to ensure proper cooking.If cooking in the air fryer, place the meatballs on a parchment lined air fryer basket.
- Drizzle the marinara over/around the meatballs, keep the rest of the marinara to the side for serving. Place in the oven on the center rack cook for about 20-22 minutes. Or brown in the skillet for about 8-10 minutes on each side (medium high heat, turning often to cook all around).
- Add the rest of the marinara and enjoy. If serving over pasta, you may need extra red sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Those meatballs are fantastic! I love that the lean meat makes it a healthy guilt free option. So good!
Hi Bailey, I wanted to let you know that these meatballs were some of the best I’ve ever made. My husband is a big beef eater and he even enjoy these and requested that we make them again soon. Bravo!
Thanks so much sally! Means a lot to hear this.
These were really good. I didn’t even realize there, a zucchini of them when eating.
These were surprisingly tasty. Didn’t even notice the zucchini. They were extra moist without the grease.
So happy to hear you enjoyed these!
Hi Bailey,
I’m excited to try your Turkey Meatballs. While preparing I noticed you have 1 tsp of salt at the beginning and then again after the paprika, but 1/2 tsp there! I can’t find the oil amount anywhere? I’m assuming it is used to grease the pan. Would you be so kind to clarity for me! I haven’t made yet I’m waiting to get the measurements right!