Baked Italian Turkey Meatballs

This recipe for Baked Italian Turkey Meatballs is the perfect lean alternative to the traditional beef meatball.

Made with just five ingredients, these meatballs are savory and moist making them perfect when served with Puttanesca Spaghetti or Gnocchi .

What makes Turkey Meatballs so good?

Turkey meatballs are considered by many to be a healthier and flavorful alternative to other meatballs as there is less fat in turkey.

I like that turkey meatballs are easy to make with just five ingredients and about a half hour.

Have you tried my recipe for Chicken Meatballs?

Those Mediterranean diet friendly meatballs are moist and flavorful featuring the flavors of Parmesan cheese and fresh lemon. Both this recipe for turkey meatballs and that recipe for chicken meatballs are tasty and lean alternatives to the usual beef meatball.

Panko bread crumbs are added to these meatballs for structure. You can find Panko bread crumbs here.

What you need to make to make meatballs with ground turkey.

• Ground Turkey. Lean ground turkey (such as 99% lean).
• Egg. Added as a binder to hold the ingredients together.
• Panko Bread Crumbs These add to the moist, yet lighter, texture of the meatballs.
• Parsley Fresh parsley that has been chopped fine is preferred.
• Italian Seasoning. You can use the Italian Seasoning of your choice.

• Prep Time 15 Minutes .
• Bake Time 25 minutes .
• Servings 6 .
• How to serve : Serve as part of a meal with pasta or with sauce as an appetizer.
• Notes: You will need a rimmed baking sheet, a small or medium scoop, and a mixing bowl to make this recipe.

1. Prepare. Prep a rimmed baking sheet for nonstick. Parchment paper or foil should work. Also, preheat your oven to 350f.
2. Combine. Place all of the ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Use your hands or a fork to mix the ingredients until just combined and no more. You can use food prep gloves if needed.
3. Scoop. Depending on the size you want your meatballs to be, use a small (1") or medium (2") scoop to scoop out the ingredients, roll the scooped out ingredients into a ball, and then place them onto your prepared baking sheet.
4. Bake. Bake the meatballs until golden brown and baked through (about 20 to 25 minutes). Your meatballs are done when they reach an internal temperature of 165f.
5. Serve. Serve the meatballs as desired.

Tips for making the best turkey meatballs.

Turkey meatballs tend to be less moist than beef meatballs as turkey is leaner. You can add additional moisture by soaking the breadcrumbs in milk or broth, adding a couple of tablespoons of grated onion (yes, really!), or adding a tablespoon of olive oil to the mixture.

More helpful tips for you.

1. When combining the ingredients together, note that the turkey meatballs will be a more moist and sticky than traditional meatballs. Wearing food prep gloves can help with this.
2. It is important that you avoid over-mixing the ingredients as doing so will can the texture to become dense and dry. Mix the ingredients until they are just combined and no more.
3. Your turkey meatballs are done baking when they reach an internal temperature of 165f. You should avoid overbaking the meatballs as doing so can dry them out.

How to store turkey meatballs.

Once they have fully cooled, you can store turkey meatballs in an airtight container. When properly stored, the meatballs should keep for up to a few days when refrigerated or up to a few months when frozen. You can reheat thawed out turkey meatballs in a microwave on low in 20-30 second increments to keep from drying out too much.

You may also be interested in these tasty Mediterranean diet ideas.

• Chicken Breast Kabobs
• Honey Mustard Chicken
• Chicken Breast Provencal
• Greek Lemon Chicken Soup (Avgolemono)
• Cilantro Lime Chicken Breasts
• Lemon Honey Chicken Breast