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Garlic Herb Baked Turkey Meatballs

turkey meatballs in bowl with greens and yogurt sauce on top
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5 from 8 reviews

Baked turkey meatballs are easy to make and ready in 35 minutes. Topped with a delicious creamy lemon herb sauce for an extra pop of bright flavor!

Ingredients

Scale

For the meatballs:

  • 1 pound (454 g) 93% lean ground turkey 
  • 1/2 cup (62 g) finely chopped onion (about 1/2 medium onion)
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 cup (18 g) chopped fresh herbs (see note 1)
  • 1/2 cup (73 g) breadcrumbs
  • 1 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (see note 2)
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • nonstick spray or oil

For the creamy lemon herb sauce:

  • 3 tablespoons (7 g) chopped fresh herbs
  • 1/2 cup (113 g) plain Greek yogurt
  • 1/4 cup (56 g) mayonnaise
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 - 3 tablespoons water

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
  2. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil (optional, for easier cleanup). Top with a wire baking rack (see note 3). Spray the rack with nonstick spray. Alternatively, wipe down the rack with a paper towel dipped in oil.
  3. Finely chop the onion and mince the garlic. Chop the fresh herbs (to save time, chop enough for both the meatballs and creamy lemon herb sauce).
  4. Add the finely chopped onion, minced garlic, egg, 1/2 cup chopped fresh herbs, breadcrumbs, 1 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper to a large bowl. Mix together until evenly combined.
  5. Add the ground turkey to the bowl and mix with clean hands until evenly combined.
  6. Roll the turkey mixture into 1 1/4 inch (3.2 cm) balls and place on greased wire baking rack. You should have about 24 meatballs.
  7. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 - 20 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the meatballs reaches 165 degrees F (74 degrees C) on an instant-read thermometer.
  8. While the meatballs are baking, add all ingredients for the creamy lemon herb sauce to a small bowl. If you want a thicker sauce, only add 1 tablespoon of water, for a thinner sauce, add 2 - 3 tablespoons. If you aren't sure, start with the smaller amount of water. Whisk with a fork until smooth. If needed, add more water and whisk again until desired consistency is reached.
  9. Serve the turkey meatballs immediately, drizzled with the creamy lemon herb sauce.

Notes

  1.   I used half dill and half parsley. Chives, basil, thyme, and even cilantro would be delicious. The recipe calls for a lot of herbs, so if you want to use a stronger flavored woody herb (like oregano or rosemary, for example), I would definitely use only about 1/4 of that herb and mix it with 3/4 of another, more delicate type such as parsley or chives.
  2.   Kosher salt is coarse grained; if you want to substitute fine grain salt, use 1 teaspoon rather than the 1 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt called for in the meatball recipe.
  3.   If you don't have a wire baking rack, just place the meatballs directly onto a greased baking pan (first lined with aluminum foil if you want easier cleanup). The meatballs will be less crisp underneath but will still taste delicious!
  4.   If you want the turkey meatballs to be a little browner, you can broil them for 1 - 2 minutes after baking. Position the baking sheet in the oven so the top of the meatballs are a few inches below the top broiler (I used the second oven rack position from the top). Please note: If your baking rack is not designed to withstand the high direct heat of the broiler (for example, if it has a coating on it), remove it before broiling. 
  5.   The nutrition information below was calculated using 2% Greek yogurt. This nutrition information is an estimate only, provided by an online nutrition calculator, and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical, health, or nutritional advice. See our full disclosure policy.

Nutrition

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