Turkey Meatballs, baked
These From-scratch Turkey Meatballs are healthy, soft, and flavorful. They’re incredibly straightforward to cook and the combination of fresh and dried herbs gives them a ton of a flavor.
Best Baked Turkey Meatballs
For an straightforward stress-free dinner, these turkey meatballs hit the spot! They can be anything from a finger food appetizer, the filling for a sandwich, added to a casserole, or an addition to pasta. A few reasons we love these turkey meatballs include:
- Great freezer meal
- Straightforward to cook large batches
- Makes great meal prep
- Straightforward for parties
- Straightforward to reheat
We wanted to provide another meatball recipe that not only was oven-baked rather than fried but included turkey rather than beef. Sometimes when you exchange turkey for beef, your final product sometimes will lack flavor. These pack a major flavor punch while staying juicy!
Ground Turkey Meatballs Ingredients
- Ground turkey
- Eggs
- Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
- Paprika
- Cayenne pepper
- Dried sage
- Onion
- Garlic
- Parsley
- Parmesan cheese
- Salt & pepper
How to cook Baked Turkey Meatballs (Step by Step)
Detailed instructions and measurements to make baked turkey meatballs are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of this page.
- Start by preheating the oven to 350°F.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine breadcrumbs, spices, onion, garlic, and parmesan cheese.
- Add in ground turkey and using your hands, gently combine the turkey into the mixture. Don’t over mix.
- Once that is mixed together, add in the eggs and gently mix to combine.
- Using a cookie scoop (about 2 tablespoons), scoop the mixture onto a baking sheet. If you don’t have a cookie scoop, you can also measur out about 2 tabelspoons and roll it into balls before adding to the cookie sheet.
- For smoother balls, you can roll them in your hands to smooth them out into balls, but this step isn’t necessary.
- Place the baking sheet into the oven and bake for 20-23 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
How to bake Turkey Meatballs in Oven without overcooking
When baking turkey meatballs, it’s important not to overcook them. Using an instant-read thermometer, pull them out as soon as they reach 165°F. Overcooking them will result in dry meatballs.
How long to bake Turkey Meatballs
If you set your oven to 350°F and scoop 2 tablespoon size balls, turkey meatballs only need to bake for 20-23 minutes. You will want to bake them until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Baked Turkey Meatball Tips
Be sure not to overcook the turkey meatballs. They’ll end up dry.
If you can, don’t leave out the onions. The onions help add moisture to the fat-free ground turkey.
Baked Turkey Meatballs FAQs
How to serve Turkey Meatballs
- As an appetizer
- In pasta dishes
- In a casserole
- The filling of a sandwich
- On their own over rice
Turkey Meatballs (Baked) Substitutions/Alternatives
- Fat free ground turkey – You can use a higher fat ground turkey or even a combination of turkey and ground chicken.
- Italian seasoned breadcrumbs – If you’re unable to find Italian seasoned breadcrumbs, you can use any other seasoned version you prefer or season them yourself with Italian seasoning.
- Cayenne pepper – This is a spice you can choose to omit entirely if you do not want any spice. If you’d like it spicier, you can add more. With the measurement we've used in the recipe as publishd below, it does not make them spicy, but adds a depth of flavor.
- Onion – It’s important to chop the onions up finely so that you don’t bite into a large chunk when eating them. If you don’t want to do that, you can also pulse them in a food processor. You could also substitute onion powder.
How to store Turkey Meatballs
Turkey meatballs need to be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will last up to 4 days in the refrigerator and 6 months in the freezer.
How to freeze Turkey Meatballs
One thing that we like to do with these Oven Baked Turkey Meatballs is to make a large batch and freeze them. They make a wonderful freezer meal.
To properly freeze meatballs, lay them in a single layer on a baking sheet and place them in the freezer. Once they are frozen, place them in a large freezer-safe zip bag or airtight container.
When you’re ready to reheat them, grab out as many as you’d like for that meal and follow the reheating instructions.
How to reheat Oven Baked Turkey Meatballs
A house favorite method for maximum flavor and to avoid overcooking them is to place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and cover them with foil. Bake them at 300°F for about 15 minutes.
Prep 15 minutesCook 20 minutesTotal 35 minutesMakes 55 meatballs
Ingredients
- 3 lbs 99% fat free ground turkey
- 3 whole eggs beaten
- 1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
- 1½ teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoons dried sage or 4 tbsp fresh
- 1 cup onion finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup fresh parsley chopped
- 1 cup parmesan cheese grated
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch ground black pepper
Method
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine bread crumbs, spices, onion, garlic, and Parmesan cheese.
- Add in ground turkey and using your hands, gently combine the turkey into the mixture. Don’t over mix.
- Once that is mixed, add in the eggs and mix to combine.
- Using a cookie scoop, scoop onto a cookie sheet. If you don’t have a cookie scoop, you can also measure out about 1 1/2 tbsp and roll into balls before adding to cookie sheet.
- Place in oven and bake for 20-23 minutes or until it reaches 165°F internal temp.
Notes
- If you are freezing the meatballs, allow them to cool completely before freezing. Freeze them separated on a cookie sheet, and once frozen add to a freezer-safe zip-top bag. To reheat, we recommend placing them on a baking sheet and warming them in the oven. <h3 class="wprm-recipe-header
