Healthy Turkey Meatballs (No Breadcrumbs)

These Healthy Turkey Meatballs are lighter without the breadcrumbs, yet moist and made with 8 simple ingredients.

We also love these chicken meatballs, Thai turkey meatballs and Mexican turkey meatballs.

Healthy turkey meatballs garnished with parsley and black pepper on a platter.

Equipped with Costco size packs of extra lean ground turkey, I have busted the myth of dry turkey meatballs. These come out juicy on the inside, golden on the outside and have no breadcrumbs in sight.

Why You Will Love This Recipe

They are not dry: The secret to juicy healthy turkey meatballs is adding virtually zero calorie shredded zucchini.
Low calorie: Each meatball is only 26 calories!
Baked, not fried: Instead of browning in oil, meatballs are oven baked at the optimal time and temperature without losing any moisture.
Easy to make: Baking them in the oven, helps to avoid cleaning the mess after cooking them on the stovetop.
Freezer friendly: Perfect for freezing leftovers or raw turkey meatballs for meal prep when making turkey meatball soup, for example.

Ingredients for Healthy Turkey Meatballs

Ground turkey: Lean or extra lean ground turkey. You can use any variety of ground turkey including 93/7, 85/15 or 99% fat free. Don’t be alarmed if your ground turkey package says 1 pound 3 ounces. Most are not exactly a 1 pound weight. Use full amount.
Eggs: Eggs act as a binder for turkey and veggies. Don’t skip!
Zucchini: Shredded zucchini adds moisture to otherwise drier ground turkey meat without extra calories. It’s genius!
Seasonings: Garlic, onion flakes or powder, dried oregano, salt and pepper.

How to Make Healthy Turkey Meatballs

Prep: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and line 2 large baking sheets with unbleached parchment paper and spray with cooking spray. Or I love using silicone baking mats, no oil necessary.
Make meatball mixture: Combine ground turkey, zucchini, eggs, garlic, onion flakes, oregano, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Mix well with your hands.
Form 47 meatballs using a small cookie scoop: Number is approximate. It helps to dip hands while rolling balls into a bowl with cold water occasionally or just use the scoop. Lay meatballs on baking sheets.
Bake for 20 minutes: At about 15 minute mark you will see meatballs surrounded by a bit of liquid coming out from zucchini. Turn and toss them with spatula (mostly to get rid off of that extra water) and bake for 5 more minutes.

Recipe Tip

While I opt to always bake turkey meatballs, you can pan fry them in a large non-stick skillet with a little bit of oil. Cook on both sides for 5-7 minutes.

Tips for Best Results

Don’t overmix: Mix mixture gently with your hands just until combined. If you overwork it, your meatballs will come out dry and rubbery.
Uniform in size: Trigger cookie dough scoop will really help keep these same size. Mine is about 1.5 inches.
Use parchment paper or silicone mat: It prevents turkey meatballs from sticking to the baking sheet.
Only bake until done: To prevent dry meatballs, bake only until an instant-read thermometer inserted in center reads 165 degrees. Also they should be white in the center when cut in half.
Oven temperatures vary: If you find that your meatballs aren’t browning on the outside, increase oven temperature by 25 degrees F.

Additions and Variations

Fresh herbs: Parsley is a common addition, but feel free to add basil, thyme or rosemary for Italian flavored healthy turkey meatballs or even cilantro for more of Tex Mex vibe.
Dried seasonings: In addition or in place of oregano, try basil or Italian seasoning, taco seasoning or your favorite spice blend.
Spicy: For some extra heat, add a pinch of red pepper flakes or use ground red pepper.
Worcestershire sauce: A little bit mixed in the meat mixture may give it a more “beefy” taste.
Parmesan cheese: A small amount of freshly grated Parmesan mixed in with the mixture would be delicious.
Zucchini replacement: Try its cousin, yellow summer squash. Some readers have even used riced cauliflower.
Breadcrumbs: If you can’t stand the thought of making these without breadcrumbs, a small amount of about 1/3 cup or less of breadcrumbs could be added. Although, I would also add a splash of balsamic vinegar or red wine, to add in some liquid so your baked turkey meatballs turn out just as moist!
Egg yolk free: Use 1/4 cup egg whites for 1 egg. I have not tried them with flax eggs or chia eggs for the egg free version, but if you do, please let us know in the comments.

Healthy turkey meatballs served with pasta and salt. Glass of water on a counter.

Serving Suggestions

Turkey meatballs are extremely versatile as they can be dinner or appetizer.

Dinner: Serve on their own with plain spaghetti noodles, or add them with simple spaghetti recipe. With mashed potatoes and cucumber and tomato salad meatballs would make a totally Ukrainian dinner I grew up with.
Appetizer: Warm up a jar of Rao’s marinara or homemade marinara in slow cooker or Instant Pot and serve like that with toothpicks nearby. Or just pop toothpicks inside and serve on a platter with dipping sauce like sweet chili sauce recipe.
Salad: I served meatballs with whole wheat spaghetti and Mexican street corn salad. That is what I had on hand that day.
Meatball sub: Make a turkey meatball sub on a whole wheat bun with marinara sauce and Mozzarella cheese on top. Pop under the broiler for a few minutes and serve with lemon parmesan kale salad to balance off the meal.
Pizza: Healthy topping for almond flour crust pizza or oatmeal crust pizza.

How to Make Ahead

Freeze unbaked turkey meatballs. Here is how:

Freeze: Freeze individually on a lined baking sheet. Takes about 5 hours or overnight.
Store: Pop in a gallon Ziploc bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
Thaw completely and then bake: Thaw first, then bake otherwise your meatballs will be dry. That is just too long of a baking time.

How to Store and Reheat

Store: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Reheat: Warm up in a microwave or steam in a covered pan with a splash of water. I would not bake them in the oven to avoid drying out.

Freeze leftovers: Bake, cool and freeze. Then thaw completely and follow my reheating advice.

FAQs

Can you mix ground turkey and ground beef for meatballs?

Yes, you can mix the ground meats and may find that option a good solution if you are not used to eating ground turkey.

How do you keep meatballs from falling apart?

If you follow this recipe as is, your meatballs should not fall apart while baking. If they are, ensure you did not add to much zucchini, skipped the eggs or added any other moisture adding ingredient. If that is the case, you may need to add another binding ingredient such as flour or breadcrumbs.

Can I use ground chicken?

Yes, you can use ground chicken instead of ground turkey.

Is turkey healthier than beef?

There is a belief that turkey is leaner than beef. It is true if you choose ground turkey made from breast meat only also known as extra lean ground turkey. If you usually cook with 85% fat ground beef, than ground turkey is a healthier choice. Otherwise, if we compare 93% lean ground beef and 93% lean ground turkey, they both have equal amount of fat with turkey winning only in saturated fat department.

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