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Easy Turkey Meatballs without Breadcrumbs

turkey meatballs without breadcrumbs on a plate of spaghetti

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5 from 6 reviews

Flavorful and juicy turkey meatballs ready in 30 minutes.

  • Author: Becky Schmieg
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 18 minutes
  • Total Time: 33 minutes
  • Yield: 18 meatballs 1x
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: American, Italian

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 lb ground turkey
  • 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 white or yellow onion (grated or minced)
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley (chopped)
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 egg
  • olive oil for the pan if cooking on the stove

Instructions

  1. Combine all ingredients except turkey in a large mixing bowl. Use a fork to beat the egg and combine with seasonings. Add the turkey and use your hands to mix the turkey with the seasonings until fully combined.
  2. Scoop 1 1/2 tbsp of the meat mixture to form each meatball. Roll each ball with your hands until smooth and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet with about 1 inch in between each meatball.

To Bake

  1. Preheat oven to 400F. Bake meatballs for 15 minutes and check for doneness (internal temp reads 165F on a meat thermometer).

To Cook on the Stovetop

  1. Heat a large non-stick or cast iron skillet over medium heat.
  2. Place meatballs in the pan and turn them as they brown on each side. Use tongs to gently turn to brown on all sides until internal temp reaches 165F.

Notes

Notes

Instructions are included for baking or cooking the meatballs on the stovetop. 

Substitutions/Omissions

Garlic powder: sub 1 clove of garlic for garlic powder

Dried basil: sub 1 tbsp fresh basil

Dried oregano: sub 1 1/2 tsp fresh oregano

Crushed red pepper flakes: omit if you don’t want any spice

Parmesan: you can leave the parmesan out and still have a delicious meatball