Easy Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs
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These easy air fryer turkey meatballs are tender, moist and delicious with an Italian-inspired flavor profile. These meatballs are also ready in 20 minutes!
What you will ❤️ about Turkey Meatballs
- Versatility – you can eat these meatballs as an appetizer, on pasta or even in sandwiches!
- Speedy – from fridge to table in 20 minutes!
- Simple – these are simple ingredients – once you get the ground turkey – you’ve likely got everything else on hand
Air Fryer Turkey Meatball Recipe Ingredients
- panko bread crumbs – you can use regular but panko are healthier and lower on the points
- milk – any milk will do – skim, 2% or whole – or even almond/soy
- egg – 1 egg is all you need!
- ground turkey & ground pork – I used a combination of lean ground turkey and ground pork. The pork adds a little fat and flavor while still staying healthy. You could also use ground chicken or ground beef.
- dijon mustard – this is always my favorite – feel free to use a seasoned mustard like horseradish or even cranberry
- Seasonings: This easy meatball recipe uses all the best Italian flavors like onion flakes, garlic, fresh parsley, fresh rosemary, dried thyme and salt
How do you make meatballs in the air fryer?
- In a large mixing bowl, mix together panko and milk and set aside for 5 minutes
- After five minutes, add remaining ingredients and mix gently by hand.
- Form turkey mixture into 1-2″ meatballs and set on a baking sheet (use parchment paper for easy cleanup)
- You can also use a small ice cream scoop to keep your hands out of the mix a little more
- Spray air fryer tray with cooking spray and place meatballs in a single layer in your air fryer basket
- Cook at 400 for 7 minutes
- Open the air fryer and gently turn your meatballs Air fry 3 minutes more until internal temp is 160 degrees
- Check the center of the meatball with your instant read meat thermometer
- Serve over pasta with marinara or baste with bbq sauce as an appetizer
This recipe was made using the Paula Deen Air Fryer.
Tips, Tricks & FAQs
You don’t have to. The best way to make egg-free meatloaf is to add a slice of torn bread or some breadcrumbs to milk (aka: a panade). That replacement helps bind the meats and seasonings together without the egg.
Air fryer meatballs are a great way to make a healthy quick dinner! It only takes 10 minutes of cooking time at 400 degrees for meatballs.
Not really – it’s a ground poultry – so we always recommend cooking to 165º. I will take them out of the air fryer at 160 and they’ll continue to rise in temp so the internal temperature reaches 165.
Well – cut it open and see! OR get an instant-read thermometer – they’re cheap. Check the internal temp to see if its 165º. It’s the best and easiest way.
Ground turkey is a bit runnier – which is why I combine it with ground pork – it’s thicker and helps add some substance to the meatballs. You might also have too much binder – with only one egg – you’re fine – but don’t add too much milk or mustard.
Store leftovers in an airtight container (I like these glass ones) in the refrigerator for up to a week. You can freeze up to three months. Reheat in the air fryer for 3-5 minutes at 200º if they are thawed, 5-7 minutes if they are frozen.
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How to serve turkey meatballs?
- Appetizer – toss them on a serving plate, add some toothpicks and a bowl of bbq sauce for dipping!
- Pasta – serve on pasta, zucchini noodles or even rice/cauliflower rice with marinara sauce and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese
- Sandwiches – use flatbread, pitas or sub rolls for a sandwich
- Lasagna – a family friend used to slice meatballs and layer them in her lasagna
- Meal Prep – make up a batch of meatballs and veggies and meal prep for the week
21 Weight Watchers Air Fryer Recipes!
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Here’s my ultimate list of best air fryer accessories – whether you have a basket- or oven-style! I’ve also included a price guide as well as my favorite recipes for those accessories.
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You can find all of them in my Air Fryer Recipes section or in my Air Fryer Facebook group!
Easy Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp milk
- 2 tbsp onion flakes
- 2 tbsp minced garlic
- 1/2 lb ground turkey
- 1/2 lb ground pork
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary crumbled
- 1/2 tbsp dried thyme
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp coarse sea salt
Instructions
- In large bowl, combine panko and milk and set aside for 5 minutes.1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs, 2 tbsp milk
- After 5 minutes, add onion flakes, garlic, turkey, pork, egg, parsley, rosemary, thyme, mustard and salt. Mix gently to combine. (You can use all ground turkey if you like – but I like the extra flavor that pork adds!)2 tbsp onion flakes, 2 tbsp minced garlic, 1/2 lb ground turkey, 1/2 lb ground pork, 1 large egg, 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, 1/2 tbsp dried thyme, 1 tbsp dijon mustard, 1 tsp coarse sea salt
- Gently shape mixture into 1 1/2 inch balls. Place balls in a single layer in air fryer basket.
- Cook at 400 for 7 minutes – open the basket and gently turn them – then air fry 3 minutes more until internal temp of the meatballs is 160. Remove and keep warm You may need to do in 2 batches.
- Serve over pasta with marinara, in sandwiches or as appetizers on their own.
the ingredients list oil, what step is the oil used?
sorry that is not needed…removed from ingredients list
This recipe just did not work for me. I have questions! Are ALL the herbs supposed to be fresh? That is important and needs to be specified. And are these measurements correct? The ingredients that are listed as tablespoons are really tablespoons? And the teaspoons are supposed to be teaspoons? I ask because the seasoning seems to be so overpowering and I’m not sure if it’s because it should actually be half a *teaspoon* and not a half tablespoon as it says. I’m so confused because I was very excited about making these. I even had to add an entire extra 24 oz of ground turkey because the flavor was SO overpowering. I have a feeling I used way too much dry rosemary and thyme, but it didn’t specify. I feel like with some clarifications made, this recipe would be great! But now I’m dumping a ton of food. 😩
Sorry it was too much seasoning for you – those are all the measurements I used – the only fresh was parsley. Ground turkey has very little flavor on its own – so I like adding a lot of flavor via seasonings.
Maybe too much seasoning, but I can adjust on that. I will surely try this for the holidays! Thanks for the idea!
Oh yum! I love how easily these meatballs come together. That texture looks perfect with the air fryer too.
Pinned to make for family next weekend!
A much appreciated recipe!
I will definitely be making this!
Love the idea of adding mustard with the herbs and garlic – great flavour combination!
I’ll make this for dinner tonight. Looks healthy and easy to make. Thanks for idea! Natalie
These turkey meatballs look delicious! My mouth is watering just looking at them. Thank you for sharing this recipe.