Best Baked Turkey Meatballs- 7 Ways!

Best baked turkey meatballs- make these healthy turkey meatballs with simple pantry ingredients, and customize with SEVEN different delicious flavor variations!

When it comes to meatballs, my family is all about turkey meatballs. Why turkey? Because it’s lighter than beef, but tastes just as good.

While I’ve also tried ground chicken meatballs, I find them to be drier, and couldn’t quite get them right. But these ground turkey meatballs? Juicy, full of flavor, and surprisingly simple to prep! No frying, just arrange them on a pan and pop them into the oven.

This post covers a LOT, so click the links below to be taken directly to that section!

• Equipment and ingredients
• How to cook turkey meatballs
• How to freeze turkey meatballs
• Turkey meatball FAQ
• 7 Best Turkey Meatball Recipes
• Jump straight to the printable recipe card

Don’t forget to pin this recipe to save it for later!

Equipment and Ingredients

• 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop
• Baking Sheets
• gallon sized ziploc bags (if freezing)

How to cook ground turkey meatballs

For all of these recipes, the process is the same.

1. Mix all ingredients in a bowl.
2. Form 1.5 tablespoon sized meatballs, I love using a cookie scoop to get uniformly sized turkey meatballs, then I roll them in my hands to make them smooth.
3. Arrange on a large baking sheet.
4. Bake at 375°F for 20-25 minutes, until they are baked all the way through and no longer pink  in the middle.

How to freeze this turkey meatball recipe

You can freeze them raw or cooked, but I prefer to freeze them raw.

Why raw?  Because when you thaw them and bake them up, they taste no different than if you had baked them fresh.

I find when re-heating pre-cooked meatballs, you do tend to lose a bit of moisture. But this is still definitely an option if you’d prefer!

To freeze raw turkey meatballs:

1. Roll the meatballs into 1.5 tablespoon balls (I use this cookie scoop) and space out on a parchment-lined baking sheet. You don’t need to space them out, just make sure they’re not touching each other.
2. Freeze for 1-2 hours. This will depend on how many meatballs are on your tray. They should be frozen enough that they won’t lose their shape when you toss them in a freezer bag. You can freeze them overnight if you’d like.
3. Portion out into large freezer bags. I like these gallon sized ziploc bags (27 cm for Canadians). Make sure to label your bags with the flavor, date, and re-heating instructions (see below).
4. To re-heat: thaw completely in the fridge. Bake for 20 minutes at 375°F.

To freeze baked turkey meatballs:

1. 1. Roll into 1.5 tablespoon balls (I use this cookie scoop).
   2. Bake for 20 minutes at 375°F on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Allow to cool completely.
   3. Portion out into large freezer bags. I like these gallon sized ziploc bags (27 cm for Canadians). Label with meatball flavor, date, and re-heating instructions (see below).
   4. Heat oven to 300°F. Bake for 15 minutes, or until heated through.

Turkey Meatball FAQ

[expand title=”Can I swap the ground turkey for another ground meat?” startwrap=”” endwrap=”“] Yes! You can swap for ground beef or ground chicken.[/expand]

[expand title=”How long are these turkey meatballs good for?” startwrap=”” endwrap=”“] If you store them in the fridge, they will last up to 4 days. In the freezer, they are good for up to 3 months.[/expand]

[expand title=”Can I cook these meatballs on the stove top?” startwrap=”” endwrap=”“] I’m sure that would work, although I’ve always baked them. I would try frying in vegetable oil, turning every 2 min until they are cooked all the way through the middle.[/expand]

[expand title=”Can I make these meatballs low carb? Gluten-free?” startwrap=”” endwrap=”“] You can leave out the breadcrumbs, though the meatballs are a bit softer and harder to roll. But they are still delicious! If you try using almond flour, I’d love to hear how they turn out for you.[/expand]

Baked Turkey Meatballs Seven Ways:

1. Thai Curry Baked Turkey Meatballs

Mmm these Thai curry turkey meatballs are so full of flavor! They have that typical collection of contrasting salty/sweet/sour/spicy flavors that Thai food is famous for. Tip: mix together the red curry paste, fish sauce, brown sugar with the egg before adding the rest of the ingredients so that the curry paste gets distributed evenly through the meatball.

2. Taco Baked Turkey Meatballs

These Taco Baked Turkey Meatballs are a general crowd-pleaser…perfect for picky eaters and kids. Everyone loves tacos! These simple meatballs have taco seasoning baked right in, and are served with optional salsa and sour cream.

3. Italian Baked Turkey Meatballs

I feel like it’s sacrilege for me, a Canadian with no Italian heritage to share my Italian baked turkey meatball recipe with you, but here goes! It is simple: my base baked turkey meatball recipe with oregano, basil and parmesan cheese, and is taken to the next level when baked in marinara sauce and sprinkled with extra parmesan cheese. Simple is almost always best 😉

4. Greek Baked Turkey Meatballs

Ever since these Feta-Stuffed Turkey Meatballs, I’ve been obsessed with Greek meatballs. The flavors are so simple, but so flavorful! These Greek baked turkey meatballs elevate the base recipe with lemon zest, garlic, feta cheese and oregano. Take them to the next level with a dollop of tzatziki.

5. Hoisin Ginger Baked Turkey Meatballs

Ever since making this Peanut Hoisin Stir Fry Sauce, I’ve been obsessed with the umami of hoisin…it has such a punch of flavor! These Asian meatballs add hoisin, soy sauce and ginger to the base recipe. No need for salt in this meatball, there is plenty from the hoisin and soy sauce.

6. Maple Chipotle Baked Turkey Meatballs

Maple & chipotle are one of those strangely compatible flavor combinations. The sweet maple plus the smoky and spicy chipotle is so perfect together. You can amp the spice up even more by adding a chopped chipotle pepper to the meatballs. This is a really fun flavor combination for adventurous eaters!

7. Lemongrass & Ginger Baked Turkey Meatballs

These lemongrass and ginger baked turkey meatballs take a little bit more work upfront than the other six meatballs, but you are rewarded with the aromatic flavors of lemongrass, ginger and shallot. They are pureed in a food processor and cooked for several minutes before being added to our base baked turkey meatball recipe along with some soy sauce.

Best Baked Turkey Meatballs Recipe Card

click here to download a free printable with all seven baked turkey meatball recipes!

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4.72 from 7 votes

Best Baked Turkey Meatballs- 7 Ways!

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: meatballs

Calories: 157kcal

Author: Denise

Servings: 20 meatballs

Healthy baked turkey meatballs- the BEST meatballs made with simple pantry ingredients and ready in minutes. Seven different DELICIOUS flavor variations to keep you from getting bored! Learn how to make turkey meatballs ahead and freeze them for easy and convenient dinners.

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Total Time40 mins

Ingredients

base recipe

• 450 g/ 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Thai Curry Turkey Meatballs

• 1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste
• 1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoons fish sauce
• 1 egg
• 450 g/ 1 lb lean ground turkey
• 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs

Taco Turkey Meatballs

• 450 g/ 1 lb lean ground turkey
• 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons taco seasoning

Italian Turkey Meatballs

• 450 g/1 lb lean ground turkey
• 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 cup shredded parmesan

Greek Turkey Meatballs

• 450 g/1 lb lean ground turkey
• 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 2 tablespoons lemon zest
• 1/2 cup feta cheese
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

Hoisin Ginger Turkey Meatballs

• 450 g/1 lb lean ground turkey
• 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 2 tbsp fresh ginger grated

Maple Chipotle Turkey Meatballs

• 450 g/ 1 lb lean ground turkey
• 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons adobo sauce
• optional: 1/2 chipotle pepper for extra spice

Lemongrass Ginger Turkey Meatballs

• 1 stalk lemongrass outer leaves removed, cut into small chunks
• 1 shallot or half a small onion cut into chunks
• 1 inch peice of ginger sliced
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 500 g/ 1lb lean ground turkey
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon worschershire
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs

Instructions

• Stir together all ingredients.
• Roll into 1.5 tablespoon balls.
• Bake at 375°F for 20 minutes, or until cooked through.

Lemongrass Ginger Meatballs

• Place the lemongrass, shallot, ginger and oil in a small food processor and puree until smooth.
• Add to a small pan and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-8 minutes, until lightly golden and cooked through.
• Transfer to a medium bowl containing all the remaining ingredients.
• Roll into 1.5 tablespoon balls and freeze or bake at 375°F for 20 minutes.

Nutrition

Serving: 3meatballs (base recipe) | Calories: 157kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 110mg | Sodium: 359mg | Fiber: 1g