The BEST baked turkey meatballs are juicy and delicious, made with simple everyday ingredients! Bake up classic turkey meatballs, or jazz them up with one of 7 different flavor options. Healthy, freezer-friendly and absolutely delicious!
Ground turkey is so versatile, don’t you think? From hoisin turkey meatloaf to ground turkey lettuce wraps, baked turkey meatballs and more, ground turkey is a staple in our freezer and is perfect to lighten up your favorite comfort food.
Simple ingredients for great flavor
These classic baked turkey meatballs are made with simple ingredients that allow the natural flavors of the turkey to shine. With ground turkey, egg to bind, breadcrumbs for structure, worcestershire sauce for umami and to enhance the turkey flavor, and salt to bring all the flavors together, these meatballs are easy to prepare and are loved by all.
Seek out the dark meat
When it comes to making meatballs, a higher fat content will always mean juicier meatballs, and ground turkey is no exception. Ground turkey most often comes labelled simply as ‘ground turkey’, which includes a mix of dark and white meat. This works perfectly well in baked turkey meatballs. Avoid packages labelled as ‘ground turkey breast’, which is the leanest cut and is prone to drying out. If you find ‘ground thigh’, you have hit the jackpot!
How to make baked turkey meatballs
To make these meatballs, we will mix together our ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. The best way to ensure the ingredients get mixed evenly, but the meat is not over-mixed (which can lead to dense meatballs), is to get in there with your hands.
Once everything is mixed together, you are ready to roll. I recommend using a cookie scoop to get equal-sized meatballs that cook through evenly.
Arrange meatballs on a baking sheet, then bake up for 20-25 minutes, until cooked through. A great way to check if they are cooked through is to use a digital thermometer to check that the internal temperature has reached 165°F.
Meatball video
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.
Make ahead and freeze
You can freeze these meatballs before or after cooking, but I recommend freezing before cooking.
Why before? 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, however they are still plenty tasty.
To freeze raw turkey meatballs:
- Roll the meatballs into 1.5 tablespoon balls 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 or reusable silicone bags. 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.
- Bake for 20 minutes at 375°F on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Allow to cool completely.
- Portion out into large freezer bags or reusable silicone bags. Make sure to label your bags with the flavor, date, and re-heating instructions (see below)
- Heat oven to 350°F. Bake in a covered baking dish for 15 minutes, or until heated through.
Tips for perfect meatballs
- 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.
7 turkey meatball flavors
The classic turkey meatballs are delicious as written, but you can get creative and add all sorts of flavor add-ins to change up the flavors:
- Thai curry- 1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste, 1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar, 1 teaspoons fish sauce
- Taco- 2 tablespoons of taco seasoning
- Italian- 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried basil, 1/4 cup shredded parmesan
- Greek– 1 clove garlic minced, 2 tablespoons lemon zest, 1/2 cup feta cheese, 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Hoisin Ginger- 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce, 2 teaspoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons fresh ginger grated
- Maple Chipotle- 1 tablespoon maple syrup, 2 tablespoons adobo sauce, optional: 1/2 chipotle pepper for extra spice
- Lemongrass & Ginger- 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 (processed in food processor then sautéed for 5 minutes)
Serve your meatballs with
- 7 Easy Rice Recipes
- 7 Cauliflower Rice Recipes
- Sauteed Green Beans
- Zucchini Noodles
- Spaghetti Squash
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.
Lara
Do you still include the Worcestershire sauce and salt in the alternate flavors? Thanks!
Rae
We made the Hoisin Ginger meatballs tonight, and they were a hit with the whole family! Thank you!
Denise
Hi Rae! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed them! Thanks so much for taking the time to come back and leave a review 🙂
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 🙂
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.