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.
These Turkey Meatballs
- are baked in the oven (not fried) making them healthier
- are freezer-friendly
- have a base recipe plus SEVEN different flavor variations so you’ll never get bored
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)
(if freezing)How to cook ground turkey meatballs
For all of these recipes, the process is the same.
- Mix all ingredients in a bowl.
- 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.
- Arrange on a large baking sheet.
- 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:- 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.
- 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.
- 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).
- To re-heat: thaw completely in the fridge. Bake for 20 minutes at 375°F.
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- Roll into 1.5 tablespoon balls (I use this cookie scoop).
- Bake for 20 minutes at 375°F on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Allow to cool completely.
- 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).
- Heat oven to 300°F. Bake for 15 minutes, or until heated through.
- Roll into 1.5 tablespoon balls (I use this cookie scoop
).
Turkey Meatball FAQ
Can I swap the ground turkey for another ground meat?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.
How to serve these Thai Curry Baked Turkey Meatballs:
- with cauliflower rice
- with a carrot & cucumber slaw
- with steamed veggies and rice
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.
How to serve these Taco Baked Turkey Meatballs:
- meatball…tacos?
- serve with this enchilada skillet
- swap for the pork in these burrito bowls
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 😉
How to serve these Italian Baked Turkey Meatballs:
- baked in marinara and served over zoodles + linguine
- add to minestrone soup in place of sausage
- with Creamy Parmesan Instant Pot Mashed Cauliflower
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.
How to serve these Greek Baked Turkey Meatballs:
- Serve in a pita pocket with greek salad and tzatziki
- Serve with roast potatoes, peppers and onion
- with Instant Pot Wild Rice Pilaf
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.
How to serve these Hoisin Ginger Baked Turkey Meatballs:
- serve on a soba noodle salad
- serve in lettuce wraps with rice and thinly sliced bell peppers (plus extra hoisin)
- with Skillet Sesame Snap Peas
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!
How to serve these Maple Chipotle Baked Turkey Meatballs:
- Serve with sweet potato fries
- Swap for the pork in these burrito bowls
- Serve with a salad tossed in this Asian Salad Dressing
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.
How to serve these Lemongrass Ginger Baked Turkey Meatballs:
- Add to a stir fry (goes particularly well with Thai and Vietnamese flavors)
- Make meatball bahn mi
Best Baked Turkey Meatballs Recipe Card
click here to download a free printable with all seven baked turkey meatball recipes!
Best Baked Turkey Meatballs- 7 Ways!
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
