Healthy Turkey Meatballs

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These Italian Healthy Turkey Meatballs are flavorful and moist! They’re bound together with oatmeal (no breadcrumbs), gluten-free, dairy-free, and very easy to make with only 8 ingredients in under 30 minutes! They can be cooked on the stovetop or baked in the oven! 

up close front view of six Healthy Turkey Meatballs in a bowl on top of zucchini noodles


Spaghetti and meatballs is one of our family’s favorite meals! These healthy turkey meatballs are SO delicious and easy to make they are the perfect lightened-up weeknight dinner, and fancy enough to serve to guests!

These Italian turkey meatballs are bound together with oatmeal so they’re gluten-free! They’re made super moist by the addition of tomato sauce instead of milk, so they’re also dairy-free! Plus they’re made with only 8 ingredients in 30 minutes! Serve them over zucchini noodles (zoodles), your favorite pasta or as a yummy appetizer! 

overhead view of a bowl of Healthy Turkey Meatballs covered in marinara sauce garnished with chopped fresh basil

How to make turkey meatballs

Let’s walk through the steps to making this turkey meatball recipe together! 

Healthy Turkey Meatballs: Ingredients & Substitutions

These turkey meatballs are made with only 8 ingredients, begin by getting them all ready – chop the fresh basil and finely dice the sun-dried tomatoes, etc.

overhead view of the 8 ingredients in this Healthy Turkey Meatballs recipe in glass bowls
  • Ground turkey. This recipe calls for 16 oz of ground turkey! Also try these ground chicken meatballs or traditional homemade beef meatballs.
  • Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce: Many turkey meatball recipes call for milk, but I chose to use tomato basil sauce instead! Not only does it make these turkey meatballs dairy-free, but it gives them a rich Italian flavor that is out-of-this-world delicious!  Choose your favorite variety, Tomato Basil is my preference, but you could use Marinara Sauce, Roasted Garlic Sauce, etc. 
  • Worcestershire Sauce. In a pinch you could substitute BBQ sauce or omit it all together.
  • Garlic Powder. Minced garlic can be used in place of garlic powder. Feel free to add more than this recipe calls for as well if you’re a super-garlic lover.
  • Onion Powder. I use onion powder because I’m cooking for kids. But you could use very finely diced onion if you prefer. 
  • Quick Cooking Oatmeal. The oatmeal is the binder in this recipe. You can use oat flour by putting the oats into a blender and blending them into oat flour (it takes 5 seconds)! If you’d prefer to use oat flour, you can grind up old-fashioned oats instead of quick-cooking. Or you can use regular flour.
  • Sun-Dried Tomatoes. You can use either sun dried tomatoes that are packed in oil or dried, just be sure to not add too much extra oil. You can also omit these but they are so good I don’t recommend that!
  • Fresh Basil. Fresh is the best, but dried works in a pinch! 
up close view of a Healthy Turkey Meatball cut in half on top of other meatballs in sauce

Mix the ingredients 

Next, add the wet ingredients to the ground turkey and stir with a spatula (or your hands) until the mixture is homogenous (uniform throughout). Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir again until they’re combined. Lastly, add the fresh basil and sun-dried tomatoes!

Form into balls 

Now it’s time to form the turkey meatball mixture into balls. I recommend using a cookie scoop to make all the meatballs uniform in size. This ensures the meatballs will bake evenly for the same amount of time! 

two overhead photos showing the Healthy Turkey Meatballs mixture in a glass bowl. the right photo shows some of the mixture being scooped out with a cookie scoop.

Please note, the turkey meatball mixture will feel a little “loose” but it will form a ball easily and they should not fall apart at all. The moistness of the mixture results in a deliciously moist final product! 

Cook the turkey meatballs

There are two ways to cook this turkey meatballs recipe; bake them in the oven or cook them on the stovetop. No matter which method you choose, it’s important that the final temperature of the turkey meatballs reaches 160 degrees F. I use my digital instant read food thermometer every single time I cook meat to ensure it has reached a safe temperature, and I recommend you do too!

Baked turkey meatballs

To bake these turkey meatballs in the oven, simply place formed balls onto a greased baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, making sure to flip them once halfway through. I usually prefer baking the meatballs because it’s easier and less messy! Also, all 16 meatballs fit on a large baking sheet, so you won’t have to cook them in batches! 

two overhead photos, the left shows unbaked Healthy Turkey Meatballs on a baking sheet before baking, the right shows the meatballs on the baking sheet after they have been baked.

Stovetop turkey meatballs

If you’re trying to avoid turning on the oven (hello hot summer temperatures), these healthy turkey meatballs can also be cooked on the stovetop! I recommend frying them in a thin layer of olive oil in a non-stick fry pan with a lid. Covering the turkey meatballs while they’re cooking ensures they are cooked through before they get too brown!

Unless you have a very large non-stick fry pan, I recommend cooking these turkey meatballs in two batches of 8 instead of trying to load all 16 in one pan! It takes 8-10 minutes per batch so it’s very quick! 

two overhead photos of Healthy Turkey Meatballs in a nonstick fry pan. the left shows them before cooking, the right shows them once they have been cooked.

Serve

I recommend serving these turkey meatballs with your favorite tomato sauce, or this homemade basil pesto! YUM! Since we only use 1/2 cup of the sauce in the turkey meatball recipe, use the rest of the jar for serving!

Serving Suggestions

So many people ask the question, “What should I serve with meatballs?” So here are some suggestions!

front view of pasta sauce being poured into a nonstick fry pan with zucchini noodles and Healthy Turkey Meatballs

Store

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Freeze

To freeze

  1. Place baked meatballs in an even layer on a baking sheet.
  2. Flash-freeze in the freezer until hardened.
  3. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze for up to two months.
  4. Thaw slowly in the refrigerator or at room temperature then use in your favorite recipe. You can also thaw them quicker by warming them in your favorite sauce.
up close front view of six Healthy Turkey Meatballs in a bowl on top of zucchini noodles

FAQs about Turkey Meatballs

How do you store turkey meatballs?

Store leftovers of these turkey meatballs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days! 

How do you freeze turkey meatballs? 

To freeze these healthy turkey meatballs follow the recipe and cook with your preferred method (baking or stovetop). Then let them cool to room temperature. Place the baked meatballs on a clean baking sheet and put them in the freezer to “flash freeze” them. 
Once the meatballs are frozen, transfer them to an airtight container or ziplock back and store for up to two months! 

How to reheat turkey meatballs

To reheat these turkey meatballs remove them from the freezer and place them in a 9×9 or 9×13″ baking dish. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees F for 20-30 minutes or until warmed through. 

What should I serve with meatballs?

Serve on top of a bed of zucchini noodles (aka: zoodles), pictured here!
With your favorite store-bought pasta, or your own homemade whole wheat pasta!
With a side of balsamic roasted vegetables
As an appetizer! 
Make them into a healthier meatball sub!
With a side of roasted broccoli, roasted Brussels sprouts or parmesan roasted green beans!

How do you keep meatballs from falling apart? 

Cooking the turkey meatballs using one of these two methods before adding them to your sauce of choice is the best way to ensure they do not fall apart. This way they are nice and browned and hold up very well when you add sauce to serve them!

overhead view of a Healthy Turkey Meatball cut in half on top of zucchini noodles with pasta sauce and garnished with fresh chopped basil

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Healthy Turkey Meatballs

Laura
These Italian Healthy Turkey Meatballs are flavorful and moist! They're bound together with oatmeal (no breadcrumbs), gluten-free, dairy-free, and very easy to make with only 8 ingredients in under 30 minutes! They can be cooked on the stovetop or baked in the oven! 
5 from 8 votes
Course Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine Italian
Servings 16 meatballs
Calories 62.2
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time25 minutes

Ingredients 
 

Instructions 

Make the meatball mixture:

  • Mix together turkey, egg, Rao’s Homemade Tomato Basil Sauce and Worcestershire sauce until mixture is homogenous (uniform throughout).
  • Add sea salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder and stir to combine.
  • Add oatmeal, sun dried tomatoes and fresh basil and stir until evenly distributed.
  • Use a cookie scoop and scoop 2 TBS turkey mixture, then roll it with your hands.

To cook on the stovetop:

  • Add 1-2 TBS olive oil to a nonstick fry pan and turn heat to medium.
  • Add half of the meatballs (8) and cover.
  • Cook, covered, on one side for 4-5 minutes or until they are golden-brown.
  • Remove lid and flip the meatballs. Cook for another 4-5 minutes until meatballs are golden brown and the internal temperature is 160 degrees F.

To cook in the oven:

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  • Place turkey meatballs on a greased baking sheet evenly spread out.
  • Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes, flipping once halfway through. Meatballs should reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees F.

To serve:

  • Add Rao’s Homemade Tomato Basil Sauce to the meatballs and warm either in the skillet or in the pan in the oven.
  • Serve over zucchini noodles or your favorite pasta!

Video

Notes

Ingredient Substitutions

  • Ground turkey. You can substitute ground beef or ground chicken, however turkey will give you the best results!
  •  
  • Tomato sauce:  Tomato Basil is my flavor preference, but you could use Marinara Sauce, Roasted Garlic Sauce, etc. 
  • Worcestershire Sauce. In a pinch you could substitute BBQ sauce or omit it all together. But I do love the extra flavor the Worcestershire sauce adds!
  • Garlic Powder. Minced garlic can be used in place of garlic powder.
  • Onion Powder. I use onion powder because I’m cooking for kids! But you could use very finely diced onion if you prefer. 
  • Quick Cooking Oatmeal. The oatmeal is the binder in this turkey  meatball recipe. If you don’t want chunks of oatmeal in your meatballs, you can use oat flour by putting the oats into a blender and blending them into oat flour (it takes 5 seconds)! If you’d prefer to use oat flour, you can grind up old-fashioned oats instead of quick-cooking. You can also use breadcrumbs.
  • Sun-Dried Tomatoes. You can use either sun dried tomatoes that are packed in oil or dried, just be sure to not add too much extra oil. You can also omit these but they are SO good I don’t recommend that!
  • Fresh Basil. Fresh is the best, but dried works in a pinch! 

Store

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Freeze

To freeze
  1. Place baked meatballs in an even layer on a baking sheet.
  2. Flash-freeze in the freezer until hardened.
  3. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze for up to two months.
  4. Thaw slowly in the refrigerator or at room temperature then use in your favorite recipe. You can also thaw them quicker by warming them in your favorite sauce.

Nutrition

Serving: 1meatball | Calories: 62.2kcal | Carbohydrates: 3.1g | Protein: 6.5g | Fat: 2.8g | Saturated Fat: 0.8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 31.6mg | Sodium: 157.8mg | Potassium: 36.2mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 45IU | Vitamin C: 0.6mg | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 0.7mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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5 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Thank you SO much for this recipe! I am now making it once or twice a week, and having meatballs with zoodles for a healthy lunch. 🙂

  2. 5 stars
    I just got on here to print this recipe because it’s been a family favorite for probably at least a year now and I’m trying to finally put together a recipe book of our commonly made meals. We don’t put in the sun dried tomatoes (both for ease of always having the ingredients and because my husband isn’t a big fan) but ALL of us – including my kids and including babies before teeth come in as mentioned below – absolutely love these meatballs! Thank you for the recipe!!

  3. 5 stars
    I forgot to add the sun-dried tomatoes…BUT I did have fresh basil on hand from our patio garden and they turned out great all the same. The baby ate 2!!! Which is a big deal! Will for sure be making these again, with everything!

    1. Thank you Sarah! I’m so glad you enjoyed them! Meatballs are my FAVORITE way to get my babies to eat meat! And these are so moist they’re easy for them to enjoy even before they get a lot of teeth!