These easy air fryer turkey meatballs are tender, moist and delicious with an Italian-inspired flavor profile.
Healthy turkey meatballs are so versatile – they are the perfect food to serve for dinner or any get-together. You only need a handful of ingredients and have no oil when you make them in the air fryer!
Air Fryer Turkey Meatball Recipe Ingredients
- panko bread crumbs – you can use regular but panko have 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!
- lean ground turkey – you can use any combination of ground meat – including turkey, pork, beef, chicken
- ground pork
- 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 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
- Place in a single layer in your air fryer basket
- Don’t forget to wash and have clean hands after mixing!
- 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
How long do you cook air fryer meatballs?
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. Because these are made mostly with ground turkey they are more delicate – so I did pop open the basket and turn them after 7 minutes of air frying.
Be sure to make your meatballs in a single layer in the air fryer. You may need to do your meatballs in batches to finish them all.
Why are my meatballs mushy?
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.
Is it okay for turkey meatballs to be a little pink?
Not really – it’s a ground poultry – so we always recommend cooking to 165. 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.
Can you make meatballs without eggs?
Yes! The best way to make this meatloaf egg-free is to add a slice of torn bread to your milk – in addition to the panko and that get super soggy. That helps bind the meats and seasonings together without the egg.
How many Weight Watchers points are these meatballs?
With the old points system, they were 4-5 points per serving. But now with the Personal Points – you’ll need to check your calculations.
How do you store and reheat these delicious meatballs?
Always store leftovers in an air-tight container. You can freeze these meatballs for up to three months. You can easily reheat in the air fryer for 3-5 minutes at 200 degrees if they are thawed, 5-7 minutes if they are frozen.
What to do with turkey meatballs?
This simple recipe makes fairly traditional meatballs and I usually serve them with spaghetti, zucchini noodles or cauliflower rice and your favorite sauce – but there’s more you can do! You can also baste them with bbq sauce or teriyaki sauce and air fry them for 3 minutes more so the sauce adheres to the meat more. I also have a post of 3 different ways to make a meatball sub that will surely have you hungry! Another thing I love to do is slice up cooked meatballs and put them in lasagna. And of course if you have meatballs – you might want to serve them with my favorite Olive Garden salad!
Side Dish recipes for Meatballs
Great Appetizers for your Air Fryer
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.
Kaely says
the ingredients list oil, what step is the oil used?
FoodHussy says
sorry that is not needed…removed from ingredients list
Sara says
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. 😩
FoodHussy says
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.
Maria San Juan says
Maybe too much seasoning, but I can adjust on that. I will surely try this for the holidays! Thanks for the idea!
Tara says
Oh yum! I love how easily these meatballs come together. That texture looks perfect with the air fryer too.
Kristen Wood says
Pinned to make for family next weekend!
sonia says
A much appreciated recipe!
I will definitely be making this!
Helen says
Love the idea of adding mustard with the herbs and garlic – great flavour combination!
Natalie says
I’ll make this for dinner tonight. Looks healthy and easy to make. Thanks for idea! Natalie