Garlic Herb Baked Turkey Meatballs
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!
- Author: Kate
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 24 meatballs 1x
- Category: main course, entree
- Method: bake
- Cuisine: American
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
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
- 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.
- 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).
- 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.
- Add the ground turkey to the bowl and mix with clean hands until evenly combined.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Serve the turkey meatballs immediately, drizzled with the creamy lemon herb sauce.
Notes
- 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.
- 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.
- 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!
- 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.
- 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
- Serving Size: 1/4 recipe
- Calories: 356
- Sugar: 2.5 g
- Sodium: 424 mg
- Fat: 20.6 g
- Saturated Fat: 4.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 13.5 g
- Fiber: 1.1 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 140 mg
Keywords: baked turkey meatballs, turkey meatballs