The Best Turkey Meatballs

These turkey baked meatballs are so delicious! a very SIMPLE and easy recipe. Very tender and flavorful!

Ground turkey can become pretty monotonous after a while, especially if it is being cooked the same way over and over again. It is one of the meats I keep in the house at all times because it is easy to cook for last minute dinners and is usually enough to last Mark and I a couple days; it really depends whether or not he’s it’s bulking or cutting season though… LOL.

With ground turkey, I consistently make tacos, homemade Chipotle bowls, and taco salads, with fajita veggies because it is such an easy meal and I also love Mexican food. A couple weeks ago, Mark asked after the gym if I’d make something different with turkey “just for one night… please?!” Alright, alright, I will admit sometimes I get into a rut with my cooking, especially since weekdays are so busy and tiring.

Hmmm I thought… MEATBALLS. They can be so versatile. Not only can they be eaten Italian style, but I’ve also made Hawaiian meatballs and Korean BBQ meatballs, both of which are very delicious.

I wanted a recipe that was healthy, easy to make, and created flavorful and tender meatballs… which can be tough when using a meat so low in fat content. Mark LOVED them and he’s always britally honest (which is better in the long run…LOL). But I could EASILY throw down the entire batch of these turkey meatballs in one sitting, but I guess that would defeat the whole purpose of healthy eating, wouldn’t it? But, these are that good.

Turkey meatball recipe:

To start, you’ll heat up a medium-sized frying pan with olive oil. Once hot, you’ll add the onions and begin to cook them down. Add the minced garlic, a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and let the onion and garlic mixture cook down until the onions are soft.

Meanwhile, you’ll add some ground turkey (or chicken if you would prefer chicken meatballs!) and bread crumbs to a mixing bowl.

We’re going to add flavor with a lot of fresh parsley, a little Italian seasoning, and don’t forget the salt and pepper. We will add the minced onion and garlic mixture once it cooks down, and that adds lots of flavor!

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Mix that all up using either a wooden spoon or your hands. Either works.

Use a large cookie scoop or a large spoon to scoop out balls of the meatball mixture and then roll it into a nicely shaped ball in the palms of your hands.

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Place your meatballs on a large baking sheet that you’ve sprayed with non-stick spray and then pop them in a hot oven.

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These will take about 15 minutes to bake, I always check poultry with a thermometer before serving. These should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

Ingredients:

• 1 – 1 and 1/2 pounds 93/7 ground turkey (the package I used was just under 1 and 1/2 pounds and it turned out great)
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1 large egg
• 1/3 cup minced onion
• 2 cloves garlic minced or 2-3 tsp minced garlic
• 2 tbsp minced parsley
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a large rimmed baking sheet with non-stick spray (I always line the pan with foil to help with cleanup).
2. Heat a medium-sized skillet with about tsp or so of olive oil. Add minced onion. When it begins to sizzle, add the minced garlic and cook down until the onions are soft and cooked through.
3. While the onions are cooking, add all other ingredients to a large mixing bowl including turkey, bread crumbs, egg, parsley, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Add cooked onions and garlic and mix all ingredients until combined.
4. Use a large cookie scoop or a spoon to scoop out equal sized portions of the meatball mixture. Roll into uniform balls using your hands.
5. Place meatballs on the prepared baking sheet and bake for about 14-20 minutes or until the thermometer reads 165 degrees.
6. Serve hot.

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