I love my classic homemade meatballs recipe, but ground beef is getting expensive lately! So when ground beef is out of budget or I’m craving a slightly lighter flavor, I’ll make these super easy Turkey Meatballs. These meatballs freeze well, so consider making a double batch and freezing half for a rainy day. Spaghetti and meatballs is the ultimate quick weeknight dinner, especially when you’ve got homemade turkey meatballs in the freezer ready to go. 😏
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These meatballs have been on rotation for me. They are easy to put together, turkey is somewhat inexpensive for a single income home. They provide great protein for a long day at work and are tasty!
Anna
These turkey meatballs are incredibly easy to make and only require eight simple ingredients. Ground turkey keeps them lean, and pantry staple seasonings keep them super budget-friendly without compromising on flavor. These are a great healthy alternative to beef meatballs.
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make turkey meatballs:
- Ground Turkey: I used 93% lean ground turkey, which keeps the flavor light but still has enough fat to keep the meatballs from drying out. I don’t suggest using 99% lean ground turkey as it may result in tough meatballs.
- Breadcrumbs: Breadcrumbs combine with the egg to help bind the turkey together to keep the turkey meatballs from falling apart. They also hold moisture, which helps keep the meatballs tender.
- Egg: The egg combines with the breadcrumbs to bind the meatballs together and prevent them from falling apart.
- Italian Seasoning: A simple store-bought Italian seasoning blend provides tons of herbal flavor to the meatballs.
- Other Seasoning: I’ve also added some garlic and onion powder for a little depth and of course the classics, salt and pepper!
- Parmesan Cheese: Parmesan gives an extra boost of rich umami flavor to the meatballs, making them extra satisfying and drool-worthy!
How to Freeze Meatballs
These turkey meatballs freeze really well and make for delicious weeknight dinners later. To freeze the meatballs, pack them in an air-tight container after cooking and chill completely before transferring to the freezer where they can be stored for about three months. To reheat the meatballs, simply add them to a pot of red sauce and simmer until heated through. Or, allow them to thaw in the refrigerator overnight and then heat through in a skillet with butter or oil.
Cooking Options
Baking is my favorite method for making meatballs because it’s hands-off, but you can also make these turkey meatballs in an air fryer or a skillet. Here is how to cook turkey meatballs with each of the three methods:
- Skillet: Cook the meatballs in a skillet with olive oil over medium heat until browned on each side and cooked through (about 2-3 minutes on each side). Cook in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan.
- Oven Baked: Bake the meatballs at 400ºF for 20 minutes. Or, bake for 15 minutes and transfer the meatballs to a hot skillet with butter to cook for the remaining five minutes, which gives them a nice golden brown exterior.
- Air Fryer: Preheat the air fryer to 400ºF. Cook the meatballs for 8 minutes, shaking once halfway through, or until cooked through and golden brown on the outside. Cook in batches to avoid overcrowding the basket and preventing airflow.
Serving Suggestions
I love serving these meatballs with a simple tomato sauce over a bed of pasta, but they’d pair equally as well with an Alfredo sauce. You could also drop them into a pot of soup, like Minestrone. And don’t forget the garlic bread and a simple salad on the side!
Turkey Meatballs
Servings 4 (4 meatballs each)Ingredients
- 1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs ($0.30)
- 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan ($0.22)
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning ($0.20)
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder ($0.02)
- 1/2 tsp onion powder ($0.03)
- 1/4 tsp black pepper ($0.02)
- 1/2 tsp salt ($0.02)
- 1 lb. ground turkey ($4.99)
- 1 large egg ($0.18)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF. In a bowl, stir together the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
- Add the ground turkey to a separate large bowl, then add the egg and breadcrumb mixture. Use your hands to mix everything together until evenly combined. Try not to overmix as this can make the meatballs tough.
- Divide and shape the meat mixture into 16 meatballs, about two tablespoons each. To easily divide the meat evenly, first divide it into quarters, then divide each quarter into four pieces.
Baking Instructions:
- Place the shaped meatballs on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Transfer the meatballs to the oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until cooked through. If you prefer more browning, bake the meatballs for 15 minutes, then transfer the meatballs to a hot skillet with butter and sauté until brown, about five minutes. Serve and enjoy!
Air Fryer Instructions:
- Preheat the air fryer to 400ºF. Air fry the meatballs for about 8 minutes, or until well browned and cooked through. Shake the meatballs half-way through cooking to turn the meatballs and achieve even browning. Cook in batches to avoid overcrowding the air fryer basket.
Stove Top Instructions:
- Add 1 Tbsp olive oil to a large skillet and heat over medium. Once hot, add the meatballs (work in batches of about 8). Cook the meatballs in the hot skillet until browned on all sides and cooked through (about 2-3 minutes each side).
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Equipment
- Enamelware Sheet Pan
Nutrition
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How to Make Turkey Meatballs – Step by Step Photos
Preheat the oven to 400ºF. In a bowl, combine ½ cup plain breadcrumbs, 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan, 2 tsp Italian seasoning, ½ tsp onion powder, ¼ tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp pepper.
Add one pound of ground turkey to a bowl along with one large egg and the breadcrumb mixture. Use your hands to mix the ingredients together until evenly combined, taking care not to overmix.
Divide and shape the meat mixture into 16 meatballs, placing them on a parchment-baking sheet as you go. To divide them evenly, first divide the mixture in half, then in half again until you have four equal portions. Then take each portion and divide it into four, rolling them into meatballs as you go.
Once the turkey meatballs are all shaped, they’re ready to bake.
Bake the meatballs in the preheated 400ºF oven for 20 minutes, OR bake for 15 minutes and finish in a skillet to achieve more browning (shown baked for 15 minutes above).
I like to finish cooking the meatballs in a skillet with a little butter or oil to get a nice brown finish.
Enjoy the turkey meatballs as-is, or with your favorite sauce!
These meatballs were really yummy and packed with flavor. Simple quick recipe. I baked them in the oven. Thank you .
Great meatballs and super easy to make. Dished up with a homemade vodka sauce on a bed of rice mixed with riced broccoli. Definitely on the list to have again.
Everything as directed only I added a little extra basil, some ground fennel and cayenne . Spicy yummy meatballs!
Add marinara & pasta, easy dinner!
I made a small batch of these last week while following the recipe exactly, which I never do. So glad I did! Fantastic recipe. This past weekend I made a double batch to be able to freeze and pop out whenever I need a quick dose of protein for after work/workouts. Great plain or with your sauce of choice.
These meatballs have been on rotation for me. They are easy to put together, turkey is somewhat inexpensive for a single income home. They provide great protein for a long day at work and are tasty!
This is similar to many recipes I have read. Not a criticism. I’m a widower and cook with an eye toward multipurpose. How might I adapt the recipe to create a basic meatball that is seasoned, but “flavored” according to my need?
(Italian/Swedish/Asian etc.) Thanks.
I’d say, if you’d like, you can make a big batch of these basic meatballs and use them for all of those purposes! You could just omit the Italian seasoning and then just use your sauces as the main flavor component. i.e. your marinara sauce, Swedish meatball sauce, a teriyaki glaze, etc.
I opted for the skillet method as I just needed a few for my spaghetti. Simply wonderfully delicious AND easy prep, quick cooking (6 min) from prep to plate, plus easy cleanup. I’m thinking these might make a perfect treat for a super bowl party. All they need is a toothpick!
I’ve made these meatballs now a handful of times and I love them! Done in the air fryer and turned out perfectly. So delicious i’m surprised they are so easy to make!
The meatballs were overcooked at 400 degrees. I think they would have been better if cooked at 350 degrees.
Easy, quick, and very tasty. Turned out great!
So good! So easy! So fast! I did the air fryer version and my husband couldn’t believe how good these were. My two toddlers ate them all up too. A win on all fronts.
NB: I used Italian breadcrumbs and still added the Italian seasoning. Delish!
These prepared as she instructed are spot on yum. 15-20 then check temp w/thermometer to reach 165 and oh man. So good after a quick browning in the pan. Nice flavor and not over cooked.
This is a flavorful, easy recipes for an alternative to beef meatballs. I like the parmesan and spices in the mix. My family enjoys these quite a lot. It is easy to use them in a lot of different recipes!
Can I freeze the meatballs before they go in sauce
You can!
Can you mix the ingredients and store day before cooking
Yes that would be fine!
Great flavor and easy to make. A little dense, but they don’t fall apart in sauce.
Absolutely love this recipe. Made them and paired with parsnip mash/puree. Paired perfectly.
I made these today and they were delicious!
Is the original meatball recipe still available?
Yes, I can email that to you. :)
Super delicious!! Super flavorful! Definitely will be making a double batch next time to freeze!!
These are amazing! I cooked mine in the oven to use less oil. I cooked it for about 25 minutes at 375 (no need for flour) and they came out nice and crispy on the outside and nicely cooked on the inside. I did add a good amount of red pepper flakes and sriracha to my meatballs so they had a nice kick to them but not overpowering. Skipped on the onions and went for onion powder and still tasted good!
Trying these today. I needed to use up some ground turkey I’d gotten for just $0.23! So anyway I added a bunch of spices since I didn’t use the sausage. I think there was a little too much onion to hold together so I ended up picking some out while I rolled the meatballs. I cooked up a sample and it was yummy! I also opted out of the spicy. I’m very pleased, once again, with a Budget Bytes recipe!
i would like to make the meatballs a little bigger, and put them in the oven instead of frying..how long do you suggest i keep them in the oven?
Hmm, I’m not sure. I’d have to experiment with it. You could start with 20 minutes, then sacrifice one of the meatballs to see if it’s cooked through.
Trish – Yep, I made some Asian meatballs later that I didn’t even bother frying. I just popped them in the oven and they turned out pretty good! If you skip frying then you can skip the flour step. That specifically causes a browning reaction with the oil during frying. Flour might make them kind of dry in the oven. Good luck!
I wonder if you are able to cook these in the oven without even frying them at all, just not coat them in flour and pop them in?
Just tried these and once again I absolutely love this recipe. I have not been disappointed yet with any of the recipes I have tried so far. Plan on trying more. :)
Awesome recipe! Made these tonight and they were the best meatballs I’ve ever made or had! I subbed w/panko and feta since I didn’t have traditional breadcrumbs or parm on hand, but it turned out absolutely delicious! I also made them bigger and baked them off in the oven like you had said for an addl’ 15 mins and it was perfection! Thanks for this recipe. Everything I’ve made from your blog has been awesome! I will keep coming back!!!!
We had these last night for supper and OH MY YUM!!! SO GOOD! We love everything that we’ve tried on your blog and will be trying more recipes! AND! my grocery bill was super cheap this week! YAY!
Your blog ROCKS!!!! So many thing here i’m gonna try.
Yep! They will still be quite moist inside… kind of like a burger. As long as your meatballs were about the size of a large marble and they are well browned on all sides, they should be cooked through. You will notice that they are more also firm than when they were raw. Hope that helps!
I am having trouble figuring out if they are done or not. I have cooked them in the skillet for 10 minutes and all the sides seem to be brown. I just wanted to verify the inside is kind of moist, correcT?