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!
Watch the video below to see exactly how I prepped four of these tasty baked turkey meatballs. It’s so easy! You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel, or on Facebook.
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.
- 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.
To freeze baked turkey meatballs:
-
- 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.
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.
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 Flavors!)
Ingredients
base recipe
- 1 lb ground turkey (450 g; avoid 'ground turkey breast')
- 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
Taco Turkey Meatballs
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
Italian Turkey Meatballs
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/4 cup shredded parmesan
Greek Turkey Meatballs
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- 1/2 cup feta cheese
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
Hoisin Ginger Turkey Meatballs
- 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 2 tbsp fresh ginger grated
Maple Chipotle Turkey Meatballs
- 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
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
Instructions
- Heat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Combine the ground turkey, egg, breadcrumbs, worcestershire sauce and salt in a bowl. Use your hands to mix everything together evenly. Do not over-mix.
- Use a scoop to roll into 1.5 tablespoon balls, and place on the baking sheet 1 inch apart.
- Bake at 375°F for 20 minutes, or until cooked through. Use a digital thermometer to check if they have reached 165°F.
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.
To freeze before baking
- Arrange meatballs on a baking sheet and freeze for 2 hours, before transferring to a meal prep container or freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Thaw completely before baking as directed above.
To freeze after baking
- Cool completely, then freeze in a meal prep container or freezer bag for up to 3 months.
- Thaw completely before warming in a covered baking dish at 350°F for 15-20 minutes or until warmed through.
Notes
- Swap the ground turkey for ground beef or ground pork. Ground chicken tends to be quite lean and would be best mixed with something of higher fat content.
- Use a cookie scoop or measuring spoon to get even-sized meatballs. This ensures the turkey meatballs will cook through evenly.
- Mix the meatballs by hand to prevent over-mixing the meat. Over-mixed meatballs can end up dense and dry.
- Skip the breadcrumbs for a lower carb option, but be prepared for softer meatballs that are more difficult to roll.
Nutrition
Helen
Tried the lemon ginger and loved it. Very impressed as I can’t cook
Denise
So happy you enjoyed, Helen! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review! XO
Rachel
Oh. My. God. Had to take a break from dinner to day thank you for these recipes! My turkey meatballs have too often become dry, but I made the Maple Chipotle meatballs today, and they are awesome! I definitely will be freezing and trying the other recipes! I need a bit of bulk to my meals since I’m on a weight-gaining regime, so I tucked the meatballs into a pita with some guacamole, chopped tomatoes, and matchstick cucumber. I made some sweet potato fries on the side. Thanks again for sharing your recipes!
Denise
Wow, thank you so much, Rachel! SO happy you enjoyed them 🙂
Elizabeth
I made the thai meatballs tonight. I fried up a bit before forming the meatballs, and ended up adding more fish sauce, more soy sauce, pepper, and about a TBS of sugar. They were very good, and husband and toddler approved!
Denise
Glad you enjoyed them, Elizabeth!
Crafty Saffy
WOW! I made the lemongrass ginger meatballs with reconstituted dried lemongrass, fresh ginger, and skipped the onion (allium-intolerant), then served with a makeshift sweet & spicy sauce (plum sauce with ginger syrup, ACV, and some adobo powder)— so amazing! Thank you for this easy & versatile recipe! <3
Denise
So so happy you enjoyed them! Thanks for reporting back 🙂
Toni
I recently made the taco version into mini meatloafs and they came out great.cant wait to try the rest. Thanks. Great recipe
Denise
What a great idea! Thanks for reporting back, Toni!
Jo-Anne
How many meatballs does the recipe make (approximately).
Denise
Whoops! That information did not seem to transfer over when I switched recipe cards, sorry about that! Each batch makes approximately 18-20 meatballs, although it may vary slightly between batches.
Angela
Hi! Just checking to see if anyone had baked them from frozen yet?
Denise
Hi Angela! We have baked ours from semi-frozen…we baked at the same temp and checked every 5 minutes. They defintely dry out more but it’s good when you haven’t thawed anything for dinner 😉
Denise
I should say we checked them every 5 min after the 20 minute cook time.
Kelley
How many meatballs per serving?
Denise
3 meatballs 🙂
simplerecipepro
Test comment
Lena
Love the Thai ones!
Denise
So happy you enjoyed them, Lena!
Jeanine
I love your recipes! I am making italian meatballs tonight (I’m dieting and these are perfect for me & my family. I made your black bean quinoa enchilada casserole – it was amazing!
Denise
Thank you so much, Jeanine! I hope you enjoy the meatballs!
katherine
OK so I made these on the weekend and froze into single portions for myself.
Last night I threw some in the oven with some veg.
Easy peasy – and super delicious. Thanks for the inspiration…
Denise
I’m so glad you enjoyed them Katherine! They are so easy when you don’t know what to make for dinner 🙂
Jasmin Owsley
Oh me, oh my! I just made (and I am devouring as I type this) the Thai Curry Baked Turkey Meatballs and they are fantastic! An explosion of flavor with every bite and such a great combo of flavors too. I served them over coconut rice, sweet peas and carrots. Can’t wait to try the rest! Yum 😉
Denise
Hi Jasmin, I’m so happy you liked them! Thanks so much for reporting back, your side dishes sound pretty delicious too 😀
Nadia
Hi! Just came upon these and love them! Just with the lemongrass n ginger one can you please clarify this bit -“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.” What is puréed and at what stage is it added and to what? Thanks so much
Denise
Hi Nadia! If you read the directions on the lemongrass ginger meatballs, it explains exactly how to do it. Please let me know if you still have any questions 🙂
Sarena Taylor
Hi!.. I love this idea and ill be making these and freezing this weekend. I do have a stupid question though… How do you cook them from raw frozen? Time and temp please!!
Thank you so much!!
Denise
Hi Sarena! I have only baked thawed meatballs, not from frozen. They thaw really quickly, you can either immerse the bag in some water, or space them out on a plate at room temperature for 30 min-1 hour. If you do try baking them from frozen, I’d love to hear how they turn out!
judy
Denise I really like these recipies and wanted to print them. Is there anyway you could add a print all recipies button to you site?
Denise
Hi Judy, that’s an excellent suggestion. For now, you have to print each recipe manually, but it’s definitely something to think about for my next site redesign 🙂
Valerie Taylor
Do you have a cookbook of your recipes? If so, how can I get one? If not, then you really should do that. 🙂
Denise
Hi Valerie, wow! What a nice compliment! I have a couple of eCookbooks, one with 30 Minute Dinner recipes: https://sweetpeasandsaffron.com/30-minute-dinner-e-cookbook, and one with make ahead breakfasts: https://sweetpeasandsaffron.com/rise-and-shine
Dani
Hi! I really want to make the Hoisin Ginger meatballs but unfortunately don’t have hoisin sauce or fresh ginger on hand. Would teriyaki instead of hoisin and ginger powder instead of fresh ginger make a similar outcome? Thanks! 🙂
Denise
Hi Dani! Unfortunately I’m not sure how they would turn out with powdered ginger and teriyaki sauce. I’ve only made them as written. Sorry about that!
laura
When serving the thai meatballs with steamed veg and rice, would you use a sauce to go with it all? If so, what sauce would you suggest?
Denise
Hi Laura, if you are looking for a sauce, I recommend this recipe: https://sweetpeasandsaffron.com/2014/03/thai-turkey-curry-meatballs.html It’s super easy too!
Linda
Just made the taco meatballs….so good!!
Denise
So happy you liked them Linda 🙂
helen @ Scrummy Lane
You’re a genius, Denise!
I love all these different options – it’s like a mini cookbook!
Love that you’ve given us ideas about what to serve the meatballs with, too. I often struggle with that part if no suggestions are made.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
Ashley - The Recipe Rebel
I am ALL over this! I am a bit of a meatball fanatic, and I’m loving all these variations! So many I’m adding to my list.